After a hideous journey from Mbeya via dala dala and a boda boda ride from hell up the cliff face, I arrived at The Mushroom Farm with no information about the place. There’s a lot to be said for taking time to plan a trip properly but I usually like to go a bit free-form when I travel. So I turned up on the recommendation of someone who had never been there to find a delightful place.
The Mushroom Farm does not grow mushrooms, but is an eco-lodge high up on an escarpment overlooking Lake Malawi in a wood where wild mushrooms abound. And what a view you get of Lake Malawi. It almost made the journey worthwhile.
There weren’t many people staying there, just three German volunteers doing a visa run from Tanzania like me, a German backpacker called Franzi and two Japanese girls on a camping tour of Africa.
In order to keep the trip as cheap as possible I signed up for a mini dorm which I shared with Mariko, one of the Japanese. It was a three bed dorm and had a raised patio area which looked towards the lake and was separated from the bedroom by nothing more than a sheet of canvas. It was ideal for my purposes.
They take their eco credentials very seriously at this place. They operate off-grid using only solar energy and a compost toilet – which I was not looking forward to using. I had heard of such things but up until this point, had managed to avoid using them. But a person cannot hang on for two days to find a flush toilet so I had to hold my nose and open the hut door.
It wasn’t terrible but I won’t be seeking out a compost toilet again. I like the sound of a flush when I finish my visit. The shower was as you would expect, a rough round construction with no roof and a swing door. I hung my clothes over the door lest someone fancied sharing with me. At least the water was warm and on admitting to the staff that I had done no research and had therefore, come with no towel, they were kind enough to lend me one.
Once you are at The Mushroom Farm you cannot leave to get food or get any delivered so you are at the mercy of their kitchen. All the food is vegetarian and I’m pleased to say, reasonable quality, huge portions at a cheap price. I was pleased to find they had not hiked the prices as some people might have, given a captive customer base.
The first night was uneventful but we were treated to a God Almighty electrical storm the second night. The ground shook beneath us at times and the sound of the rain hitting the roof of the communal area made it impossible to hear anyone speaking. I gave up my seat on the sofa next to the big dog, to Lisa who was getting frightened at the noise. I thought stroking the dog would help. Not sure whether it did or not but all I was thinking about was the deadly boda boda ride down the cliff again the following morning,
I was greeted by showers the following morning and rather than leaving the place at 8am as had been my plan, I got the boda driver to wait until the rain abated and we set off just after 9 o’clock. This time it took us not 40 minutes to travel the road but a whole hour. I had told him that if I fell off he would get no money and he took this seriously.
At several points in the road, we both had our feet out, steadying the bike in the mud. I have never been so happy to end a journey and was counting my lucky stars that I had arrived with all limbs intact.
The Mushroom Farm is a famous place in Malawi, certainly in the northern part and the five Japanese travellers I met two nights later in Iringa were also on their way there.
For those who want to save the world, live a sustainable life and shit in a bucket, it’s the place for you. Those of you who love off-roading on the back of a bike ridden by a young man you’ve never met before for 40 – 60 minutes up and down 20 hairpin bends up a cliff, then get down the Malawi and stop at the road to Livingstonia. Hop on a bike and off you go.
For the rest of you, get a hotel on the lake shore. It will be more comfortable and you’ll get a nice flush toilet and a chocolate on your pillow, but the views will never match those you get at The Mushroom Farm.