Ellen:

"I’ve been packing up and listening to Lucius Banda all afternoon. I’m absolutely buzzing with excitement to be heading back to Malawi in a few days time – It’s been four years since I’ve been to Africa, in which time a lot must’ve changed. I can’t wait to see the fish in the lake, to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. It’s also going to be a new experience to be there for such a brief trip – it’s always been about 2 months before! To be going solely for the purposes of fun (and of course, to report for See Africa Differently) is something I didn’t think I’d get the chance to do. I’m super hyped to be meeting some of the amazing Malawian musicians who are playing and to get the chance to find out a bit more about the music scene in South East Africa."

Ben:

"I’m equal measures of nervous and excited. Having not travelled to Africa before I have no idea what to expect in many ways. I’ve heard about beaches, palm trees and tropical fish - which are not what one may expect when thinking about a tiny landlocked country in Africa. I’m looking forward to seeing the music and trying out the food! I’m curious to see how a festival could draw people to travel so far – and why these people decided to come all this way for a party! It’s also going to be great to meet the guys who run Lake of Stars and find out how the whole event came to happen in Malawi."

Watch this space for more updates from Ellen and Ben as we follow their adventure to sunny Malawi!