Serene Lakeside Lodge in the Warm Heart of Africa

  A refreshing change from Cape Mac! – The owners of this great spot by the lake are delightful and made us feel so welcome. We originally booked to camp but were upgraded for free to one of… read more their beach front lodges as it was quiet season – a nice touch. The food at breakfast and dinner was lovely, and the bar area had a warm, relaxed vibe. They are close to completing a swimming pool which will be great, especially as you can’t swim in the lake due to crocodile and hippo activity. Ryan sorted us out with a local walk, and other activities can be arranged I’m sure. We had a relaxing and very enjoyable few days and will definitely return again.

  Oustanding hospitality! – We spent a very relaxing 5 nights at Nanchengwa in one of the A frame bungalows. Unfortunately the weather was a little worse than we had hoped for, but Ryan… read more and Daney’s (spelling?) hospitality more than made up for it! The bungalows are spacious and perfect for a couple or family of 3 to 4. There is an upstairs loft with a double bed and 2 singles downstairs separated from a small living area by reed type dividers. We actually left our son to sleep upstairs as there isn’t so much space up there. The bathroom is at the back of the chalet and the shower is heated by a somewhat temperamental electrical unit. There is a small stoep out front where you can watch the sunrise and drink your coffee and all the bungalows face the lake. The bungalows are equipped with a fan, a fridge (a real bonus for keeping extra drinks and snacks cold) and a container of filtered water. There is no kettle (apparently they were causing problems with the electrical supply) but we were served fresh coffee and tea on request to the bungalow each morning. The resort has a newly built swimming pool that looked very inviting and will no doubt be a real bonus as the weather gets warmer. It is adjacent to a thatched outside boma that houses the bar and various rustic benches and tables embedded in the sand. There is a pier that leads from the boma where you can enjoy that first G&T of the evening as well as do some fishing if the mood takes you. The whole set up is homely and on any one evening you will find one or more of the owners or locals propping up the bar and happy to engage you in all sorts of conversation. Our son so enjoyed these cosy evenings under the boma that he often headed off without us to drink his Fanta at the bar while reporting on the days activities! We were so well taken care of during the time we spent at Nanchengwa; the morning coffee, the advice on activities and weather, the prompt servicing of a temperamental shower, the provision of favourite drinks (Josh says thanks for the Fanta Passion!), the washing of laundry and the company in the evenings. It was truly special. In addition to the owners, we have to mention Henry who is a real gem – nothing is too much for him in terms of taking care of the guests. Henry also organises the meals and we ate all our breakfasts and most dinners at the resort. The food is simple, but very tasty. There really is no need to head elsewhere on dodgy roads in search of alternatives! The resort is rustic in style, but well looked after with green lawns and pretty flower beds. If I had to make any suggestions for improvement I would recommend that a bit more attention is given to the bathrooms in the A frames – they could do with a freshen up. We did get that temperamental shower to work fine in the end, but I couldn’t help but think that perhaps there could be a more effective solution around as the pressure was very low. There are activities at the resort such as canoeing, fishing and swimming in the pool but we found ourselves doing a couple of outings to get around the rather variable and unseasonal weather we had. The southerly wind seemed to catch this resort more than the Cape Maclear area. I still preferred to be in this peaceful place than in the midst of chaos and noise of Cape Maclear though! On the whole our stay at Nanchengwa was the highlight of our 10 day trip to Malawi. We highly recommend a stay here.

  Exceeded our expectations – We were blown away by the beauty of this lodge. The entry was very inviting and we were shown the way to our dorm. I have seen other dorms that… read more were rows of beds. This was our own room with our own bathroom. Since we were traveling as a family we appreciated all being in the same room. The room was clean and included bed linens and towels! The staff helped carry our luggage in and we got settled quickly. We were traveling with our two children. The kids were very excited to see the pool. The pool was very clean. The beach was not crowded with people and no one came to hassle us to buy something, although there were venders at the edge of the property if you want to buy something, they were not pushy at all. We ate two different meals and both were delicious. And prepared in a timely manner. We very much appreciated all that we received and at a very reasonable price. We plan on returning to this place in the near future.

  Lovely jetty – We camped at Nanchengwa and thoroughly enjoyed its peaceful, relaxing vibe. Sitting on the jetty which juts into the water – high enough away from any crocodiles – was a… read more lovely place to watch the water lapping the shore. Breakfast was great as well – thanks to Ryan and Henry!

  Good food and a hearty breakfast! – Good food and a hearty breakfast! The A-Frame chalets have en-suite facilities and two levels. There is a pool if you want to go for a dip and a large… read more golden beach, reserved mostly for the lodge visitors. A well stocked bar.

  Good, but with lots of potential – We stayed in an a-frame beach house. A good size and great view, but very tired and in need of a few repair jobs. We moved to a dorm for… read more a couple of nights due to our budget. We were the only people staying so had a 5-bed room to ourselves. It was very basic and very dated, but ok. The bathroom was huge but again very dated – a bath but no shower – the only shower was one of those which fixes onto the taps, but it didn’t fit well and there was no shower curtain anyway! There are 4 sun loungers on the lawn overlooking the beach. A nice view but shaded from early afternoon due to the trees and its eastern trajectory. The jetty is a nice spot for a sun downer, as it gets the sun until later, but it would benefit from a few cushions on the seats for a more comfortable experience. The beach is private. Further along the beach the villagers wash their clothes etc in the lake. The bar area was nice but we were the only people in it in the evenings during our October stay. The menu for dinner was small, but the food was fine. Service was good – very courteous and always with a smile. The owners are busy building a new toilet and shower block, so this will make a good camping spot from about December 2019. Nice enough but could be better with a lick of paint and a few simple repair jobs