Hampton School Adventure Society has a long tradition of running trips both in this country and abroad. One of their most exciting trips is the annual Summer expedition to Africa and this year was no exception. Fifth Year Cameron Slade reports on this year’s trip to Malawi and Zambia:
After enduring a 12 hour flight, with a layover in Ethiopia, we arrived in Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi. We travelled to our first campsite, Mabuya Camp, and set up our tents before spending two days acclimatising by visiting markets and exploring the city. We then travelled East to Senga Bay, next to Lake Malawi, where we spent several days working in the Hampton School Safe Haven for orphans, a project which Hampton helps to fund and has enjoyed working with since 2008. Whether it was building benches or ramps or decorating classrooms, we all got stuck in and hopefully made a big difference to all the pupils. Any free time was spent swimming in Malawi’s 365 mile long lake which was thankfully, right outside our campsite.
After leaving Senga Bay with a collective sense of accomplishment, we headed for Cape Maclear, a town in Malawi. During our time here, we had the opportunity to snorkel and experience the spectacular freshwater fish sanctuary of Lake Malawi. Some members of the group also enjoyed scuba diving and were able to take a closer look at Lake Malawi’s incredible underwater life. We also kayaked to the neighbouring small island of Domwe, where we spent the night after observing a spectacular sunset from the tip of the island. The final few days were spent on safari in Zambia, experiencing memorable game drives in the South Luangwa National Park, one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world. If we weren’t looking for animals in the African Bush, we were enjoying the camp’s monkeys and baboons, who roamed freely around the campsite. We spent our final two nights back in Lilongwe, before returning home to excited parents and comfy beds.
This trip was without a doubt the best trip I have ever been on and I would highly recommend this expedition to all Hamptonians who love travelling and exploring new cultures.
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