Day 3 | Nkhotakota to Ngala Lodge Distance: 72 km | Terrain: Lakeshore road, rolling, mixed tar and gravel iOverlander: https://ioverlander.com/places/9085b503-8472-4877-bd5e-19ba3bb1611a A sluggish start. Rolled out a few hours later than planned, but the delay worked in my favour. I discovered Navunde Stopover, a brand-new stone-and-timber rest point tucked inside the Nkhotakota Reserve area. Beautiful thatched roof, peaceful views, and the best coffee I'd had in Malawi so far. Proper filter coffee. The ride was full of Malawi's everyday rhythm: the constant smell of fire and earth, smoke drifting from morning cookfires, the steady soundtrack of axes and chainsaws. Endless little villages, noisy and buzzing, but full of small entrepreneurs. Carpentry tables under trees, welding shops made of scrap metal, men carving furniture in the dust. Stopped in Dwangwa around 55 km in. Great petrol station with one of the best-stocked shops I'd seen: cold drinks, snacks, wine gums. One thing about Malawi: you'll never struggle for food or water. Where there are people, there's always something for sale. Finished the day at Ngala Lodge, a calm eco-style oasis on a clean white-sand beach. Monkeys darting around, a giant lizard wandering past, camping right on the shoreline. Had a burger for dinner and watched the lake settle into the evening.