Dawn comes like a whisper beside Lake Malawi. As darkness begins its stealthy retreat, there's nothing but calm, punctuated by a distant exchange between birds, and the shush of a fisherman gliding through the water in a dugout canoe.
By the time most visitors surface from their tents, lodges, or hammocks, the vast, horizon-hugging expanse of water set among hills has long been revealed in all its glory by the African light.
In the hot, dry months, those on the southern rim of the lake can sometimes just catch a glimmer of Mozambique on the other side.
A slender landlocked country lying along the Great African Rift Valley in the south-east of the African continent, Malawi is renowned for two things: its natural splendour and the genuine friendliness of its people.
Beach-fringed Lake Malawi is its greatest treasure, running from the north-eastern corner of the country well into the south towards the lowlands of the Shire Valley. The highlands and plateaus of the central and northern regions are where the largest of the wildlife-rich nature reserves and national parks are to be found. But, anywhere you go - from the roadside craft markets to rural villages or the dusty, bustling towns and cities - you'll find yourself on the receiving end of broad smiles, conversation and general good humour from the locals.
Hikers, safari-seekers, sunworshippers, watersports enthusiasts, backpackers and luxury-lovers will all find Malawi an incredible destination.
Those wanting to soak up more of Africa can easily combine a visit to Malawi with a stay in one or more of its neighbours, such as Tanzania or Zambia. Or you could go the whole hog - hop on one of the overland 'trucks' starting from Kenya, and rumble your way south through much of the sub-continent, including Malawi, to emerge dusty and fulfilled in Cape Town or Johannesburg, around two months later.
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