Considering flying from JNB to Lilongwe, spending 1-2 nights, then driving to Cape Maclear for 3-4 nights then continuing to Blantyre for 1-2 nights and flying back out to JNB. Anyone with first hand experience? Worth spending any time in Lilongwe or Blantyre? Is that too long in Cape Maclear? Will we be bored to tears? Is the water infested with bacteria so that you can't swim in the lake and there's no real point in going?

Cape Mac is fine for 3-4 days. Plenty of time for beach, snorkling, kayaking, relaxing (or not). Don't think you necessarily need to spend much time in LLW or BLZ though.

Note that Chileka Airport (BLZ) is currently going through emergency runway repairs, and flights are often delayed or cancelled during rain/wind/fog as they are having to use the short runway (Props only, no jet service at the moment). I would book flights to / from LLW if you are on a timeline that can't handle a potentially delayed return flight.

EDIT: Should clarify, when are you thinking of travelling?

Way advance planning for NYE '20-'21. I see lots of water activities in your post for Cape Mac, but internet seems to indicate lots of problems with Bilharzia, hippos and crocs

Bilharzia does exist in the lake. Best bet is to swim away from the populated areas (semi-hard to do in that area of the lake - but any trip out snorkling will be away from the shore, so more than likely you would be fine), and to avoid the grassy reeds where the snails like to live. There's also easy access to a pill here (Praziquantel) that you can take 6 weeks later which would kill any bug that you may (however unlikely) have contracted.

Hippos are in very isolated areas of the lake, have never been a huge concern. There's a small pod that stick around a marshy area 10km or so away from the Cape Maclear area - haven't heard of them getting near people around the beach / snorkling areas. Crocs again are in very isolated areas of the lake. Usually they are around the mouths of the rivers/streams after rainy season.

In sum - All of those things are there, and can be of a concern, but are easily avoidable. They are quite low risk, but of course there is still a risk, so comes down to ones personal tolerance. Cape Mac is a great little spot on the lake, and I try and make it down there a couple times a year (I'm based in Lilongwe, so we often go to areas around Senga Bay as it's a bit closer for weekend trips). Fine for water activities (hey, you're on the lake!) and the views are stunning - especially when you get just offshore (Thumbi Island / Mumbo / Domwe / etc). If you are still super concerned about crocs or hippos, you can ask when / where the last sighting was - but just know that they are not a common occurrence around that area.


Now if you were thinking of swimming in the Shire River, that's a different story.

Perhaps rather not.

I've swum in Lake Malombe, though. From a boat, and far from shore, on the slightly dubious theory that crocodiles prefer to hug the coast.

It's perfectly possible to swim in crocodile infested rivers and waters, e.g. the Zambezi and Okavango. Matter of picking the right spot, and trusting the advice of the locals. I've done it plenty of times. Once, having just pulled myself up into the mekoro after a refreshing Okavango dip, my River Bushman guide told me that hippos were far more of an issue than crocs, and then described how his father had bled to death after a hippo had bitten off his leg.

I've seen people dive right into the Chobe River, but that's one I think I would prefer to pass on.

Johan

Very helpful, thank you!

I've done my fair share on the Zambezi / Lake Kariba... much more of a feeling like you gotta keep your eyes peeled.

No problem. If you were still set on doing something else for the brief time you are in Malawi, you could check out Liwonde NP for a quick Safari (just south of the lake), Zomba plateau area for hiking, or further south to Thyolo / Mulanje for the tea estates. It's quite the varied landscape. Hopefully Chileka Airport in Blantyre will be back at full operations next year and then it would make sense to fly out from there.