Malawi: Scuba Diving Activity Holiday

With its spectacular sunrises, unspoiled scenery and crystal clear waters; Lake Malawi is one of the most famous freshwater scuba diving locations in the world. The third largest lake in Africa, ninth worldwide and with a depth of up to 700 metres.

Lake Malawi boasts of over 1000 species of tropical fish - 350 of which are unique to the lake. Scuba diving in Lake Malawi is like exploring a giant aquarium and being engulfed by a rainbow of fish. Resort courses are available to those who wish to learn to dive. Fully qualified instructors welcome beginners and Lake Malawi, at 474m above sea level is the ideal place to learn to dive.

Night dives go in search of the elusive fresh water otter. The water is clear, calm and warm, with temperatures between 22 and 27°C.

The Lake is shark-free and tide less with numerous islands and rock formations beneath the surface. It's widely recognised as one of the best freshwater diving destinations in the world. With very safe conditions, it's the ideal place to learn to dive. Beginner, advanced and specialty courses, as well as gear hire and casual dives are available and are very reasonably priced.

There are several dive schools along the coast with experienced PADI or NAUI dive masters. For experienced divers this is a great opportunity to notch up a fresh water dive on your dive card. Visibility varies from 5-30 metres and the best time to go is from August to December. There is a risk of catching bilharzia in the lake, but if you stick to swimming in fast moving water away from the villages the risk is minimal.

It may not rival the top salt-water dive spots in the world, but for fresh water diving, Lake Malawi is clearly is in a league of its own.