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The far north west of Mozambique is the most remote, bordering with Lake Malawi
on the west, also known as Lake Niassa, and Tanzania in the north. The Niassa
Wilderness Reserve has the highest wildlife populations in Mozambique.
There
are regular flights to Lichinga from other areas of Mozambique, or the more
adventurous can take the ferry across the lake from Malawi.
Lake Niassa (Lake Malawi)
Lake Niassa is the Mozambican name for the well known Lake Malawi. This
massive lake has been described locally as the "calendar lake" since it
is 365km long. Over 250 species of fish have been identified in the lake
and there are beautiful beaches round the lake and although the Malawi
side has been developed for tourism and attracts large numbers of backpackers
and overland travelers, the Mozambican side is currently the domain of
luxury lodges and the most adventurous travelers with few tourist developments
to spoil the wilderness feel.
There is a weekly ferry between Mozambique and Malawi via Likomo Island. You
can hire boats to go between Metangula, the main town on the shores of
Lake Niassa, and other villages up and down Lake Niassa, or transfers
can be arranged for guests at the highly recommended lodge about 15km
south of Cóobuè in the privately owned and run Manda Wilderness
Reserve.
If you are arriving of departing from anywhere other than Lake Malawi your best option is to fly to or from Lichinga, or Cóbuè. Access to the lake and lodges is easier from Cóbuè, but the main airport serving the Niassa Province is at Lichinga.
Manda Wilderness Project
The Manda Wilderness Reserve is a privately owned and run project with its focus
on promoting nature conservation and sustainable community development.
It is a beautiful and tranquil wilderness area with diverse flora &
fauna and excellent bird life. It is possible to arrange sailing, canoeing
and walking safaris in the reserve. The project also runs a luxury lodge
so you can enjoy the African wilderness at its very best without having
to compromise on comfort.
The Niassa Reserve
The Niassa Reserve is a vast area of wilderness bordering with Tanzania
about 160km northeast of Lichinga. The reserve is 42,000 km2
making it the largest in Southern Africa at the time of writing and one
of the largest in the world. The Niassa Reserve supports the largest wildlife
populations in Mozambique and is particularly well known for its elephants
and buffaloes. Access is generally by private charter plane to the exclusive
hunting lodges as there are few roads.
Lichinga
Lichinga is the capital of the Niassa province which covers this remote and
unspoilt north western corner of Mozambique. There are regular flights
to and from Maputo, Tete, Nampula, Beira and Quelimane. The main road
connecting Lichinga to the rest of Mozambique is currently in poor condition
although there are plans to build a new sealed road through to Pemba on
the east coast linking to the main roads north and south.
There is little to keep tourists in Lichinga, it is well off the main tourist circuit, but it serves as a good link to Lake Niassa to the west and the Niassa Reserve to the north.
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