MV Ilala Ferry - Lake Malawi - April 2023

48 hours on the Legendary MV Ilala Ferry on Lake Malawi - Monkey Bay to Nkhata Bay (northbound route) - April 21-23, 2023
The MV Ilala crosses Lake Malawi from north to south and vice versa since 1951. Every week it leaves from Monkey Bay, in the south of the lake, and reaches Chilumba, near the border with Tanzania, to then trace the same route back.
It carries passengers and goods stopping by the main towns on the west coast of Lake Malawi - plus one on the east coast a few kilometers from the border with Mozambique - as well as on the two islands of Likoma and Chizumulu, in Mozambican waters but belonging to Malawi.
Yarrow Shipbuilder, built the Ilala for Nyasaland Railways in 1949 in Scotland, the boat was named after the Ilala region of Zambia, where David Livingstone was first buried.
Once built, the ship was dismantled and transported to pieces in Malawi, first by ship to Beira, Mozambique, then by rail and road to Chipoka, in the south of Lake Malawi.
The Ilala thus began to sail the waters of the lake in 1951 and since then has continued to operate uninterruptedly, except for maintenance periods.
Read more about this fascinating adventure from the good folks at Cycloscope, who have written a detailed description of the MV Ivala experience. Slow public travel options like this don't exist much any more around the world - more reason to go have a look before the MV Ilala is retired for good.
cycloscope.net...
And see more photos and videos of my time in Malawi at:
/ rayuelando and / rayuelando

[@PieterKonijn-i8q]

Hello David, Nice adventure. Friend and I might want to do the same. Do you know where we can find more information about the ferry or a website we can use?

[@thedeetlefsdiaries]

Heeyyy, we are in your video 😅

[@DavidBurns927]

Oh cool. I just saw this message. That was a fun couple of days sleeping on the floor on the upper deck in the sun, rain, and elements. I loved it! Safe and happy travels! David