The first time I came to Malawi as a mature person, I was in my late teens. I was so excited to travel alone across the country’s three regions. It was my first visit since losing my mother—who had been my faithful travel buddy for almost twelve years.
Lilongwe to Mzuzu:
On 11 March 2008, I went to the Lilongwe bus depot. I immediately saw the AXA bus signage, which clearly displayed the schedule and fares. The next bus to Mzuzu was set to depart at 12:00 PM for MK1,500. While I was sitting on the concrete slabs waiting, the Shire Bus Lines loudspeaker blared with several announcements. One update announced that a Shire bus to Mzuzu was currently loading—a luxury coach complete with a television, curtains, and comfortable seats. I didn’t think twice. I immediately bought my ticket and boarded. It was departing at 11:00 AM, a full hour earlier than the AXA coach.
I was honestly disappointed when I got inside. There was no television. It did have curtains, but it featured a tight two-by-three seating arrangement. Still, as the bus pulled out, I felt happy about leaving an hour ahead of AXA. Once we hit the M1 highway, however, the engine felt painfully slow. I comforted myself with the thought that because of the early start, we would still reach Mzuzu ahead of schedule.
Our first recess stop was in Kasungu shortly after 2:00 PM, where some passengers disembarked and others boarded. As soon as we left Kasungu town and rejoined the M1 highway, the 12:00 PM AXA bus zoomed right past us. I checked my watch—it was 2:24PM. That one-hour head start no longer made any sense; I realized it had just been a lesson in patience. The only thing that comforted me was the ticket price difference: MK880 compared to AXA’s MK1,500.
We finally arrived in Mzuzu around 8:00 PM. Upon arrival, I noticed the AXA bus already parked and locked up. Its cool engine showed it had been resting for a long time. My first solo bus journey taught me a valuable lesson: the cheaper option often costs you time.
Mzuzu to Lilongwe:
My second bus journey from Mzuzu to Lilongwe was quite an experience. I arrived at the Mzuzu bus depot only to find that all the large buses had already departed, so I opted for a Toyota Coaster instead. It didn’t take long to fill up, as students from various boarding schools were heading home on their last day of term. There were plenty of passengers, so the only real hold-up was negotiating the fares.
The trip on the Coaster turned out to be surprisingly smooth, even though we didn’t make any rest stops along the way. We departed around 11:30 AM, and by 5:00 PM, I was already at my aunt’s house in Lilongwe.
Lilongwe to Blantyre:
My last journey from Lilongwe to Blantyre was with Shire Bus Lines—a truly luxurious trip on their coach featuring the classic Paradiso 2000 livery.
It was easily the most luxurious bus journey I’ve had in Malawi since the days of Stagecoach Malawi. The coach came fully equipped with onboard amenities, including a toilet, reclining seats with fold-out food trays, curtains, full air conditioning, onboard television, and a hostess who served food during the ride.
It was an express service, too; our only stop was at the Zalewa police checkpoint.
Overall, it was a smooth, comfortable, and memorable trip. It’s unfortunate that it is so hard to find those same high standards in Malawi today.
