Serene Lakeside Lodge in the Warm Heart of Africa

  Stunning Lodge on the Southern shores of Lake Malawi – Fantastic experience and wonderful family running the Lodge. Lots of of water sports including boat trips round the inhabited island. The rooms are all clean and the grounds make for… read more a beautiful little walk. In a great location close to towns and major airports. Relax and forget time exists. Thank You for a great stay every time I visit. Highly Recommended.

  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.

  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.

  Nice place to stay for a while… – From the mainroad, just about 32km north of the center of Mangochi, you’ll find a surfboard-sign, that leads you for just 1,5km on a dust road directly to the lodge.… read more You have to pass a small graveyard, enter a small, quiet dirty looking village, pass it through and after that you enter a nice, green garden with some chaltes next to the beach. The chalets have 3 beds in the lower Floor and a double bed upstairs. A small bathroom you’ll find at the lower level, in the back of the chalet. The rooms are not luxirous but really o.k. Near the beach you’ll find a platform that leads from the bar directly above the lake. Really nice sitting there, having a beer and looking around. A Little pool is next to the bar, some chairs invites you to hang around. I can not tell much about the restaurant, because I just ate once there. But: That was really very good!

  My go-to spot – Having a personal connection with a lakeshore resort is a big bonus for me. Perhaps that’s why I keep returning to this place when traveling between my home and Lilongwe,… read more or when looking for an inexpensive place to host visitors from home. I enjoy catching up with the owners while there and find their A-frame cottages a nice place to stay.

  Serenity at it’s peak!!! – If you can’t call waking up to the expanse of the great lake serenity then i don’t know which world you come from! Perhaps that’s why we slept like babies… read more after a 13 hours drive from Zambia. The soothing sounds of the waters is in-explainable in those beautiful water front chalets. Ask me if we coming back?! Definitely! Oh plus the reasonableness in the prices, mehn we did so much in so little! Thanks for your hospitality!!!!