swimming in lake Malawi

Welcome to Expat.com Jennniff!

For better interactivity, I've created a new post on Malawi forum.

Harmonie.

Swimming in the lake is great and very safe safe with a few precautions. Always swim away from reeds or lake bound fauna and just be aware.  Some nasties are in the reeds you don't want to really know about and crocs are in the lake in some areas - not many. I swam in Nkata Bay and Monkey Bay and it was great.  Kandi Bay is also very nice as well.  Took a dip at Nkota Nkota and the waves were a bit of a challenge on the day as it was windy.  Just ask the locals and they will let you know.

yes its safe to swim in lake malawi n u will enjoy it l tell u. gud luck.

If you go swimming in Lake Malawi you have a 95% chance of getting biharzia. Go to the following link to check in out or just google
"biharzia lake malawi" But don't listen to any fools giving you a totally uneducated opinion.

goafrica.about.com/od/healthandsafety/p/biharzia.htm

It is not too bad for an adult to get it if treated quickly. It does serious damage to a child's liver.

You are right Twigas we should not listen to any fools . . . :-)

The chances of getting Bilharzia can be reduced by not swimming in areas close to reeds. The snails that carry the Bilharzia parasite live in the reeds. If you stay in open or moving water, you are safer. Kande Beach does not have any of these reeds.
(tripadvisor.com/Travel-g293810-c55250/Malawi:Budget.Travel.html )

It is all about moving water. Is it totally safe - no it is not. 
Now as it stands the problem and safety of the lake has not gone well these days.  The risks are rising and there again are simple things to do to reduce the risks.
(independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/backpackers-beware-bilharzia-lurks-in-the-lake-1596424.html )

This blog  , though dated sums up how I really feel about the whole thing . . .
Some people say that you should never swim in lake Malawi because of the risk of getting bilharzia (evil parasite eating it's way through your skin)..But when you get there, you really can't worry about anything like bilharzia, you just have to swim or you die unsatisfied and sad. And there are easy medication to take against bilharzia, so I am not worried.

( miraij.blogg.se/2010/june/senga-bay-lake-malawi.html )