The natives of the island have a wide knowledge of forest and lake usage.
There are a few fortified sanctuaries built into the island's hills.
Chisi Island is sometimes referred to as the most remote location in Malawi.
A BBC reporter visited in 2000 and he found a tribe of people living in houses that float on reed rafts.
Two thousand people lived like that and only a small number of them had ever been to the mainland.