The lodge is situated on the south-western tip of Likoma Island, surrounded by ancient baobabs and encircled by glorious sandy beaches. This remote island is home to a very small community, surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of Lake Malawi. The Condé Nast Magazine rated the lodging as one of the planet’s ten most romantic destinations.

Kaya Mawa means  “maybe tomorrow” in the local Tonga dialect. Constructing the lodge has clearly been a labour of love, as it has been cleverly designed and built to incorporate boulders from the island both large and small. The lodge uses the stunning natural surroundings of beach, rock, island and lake to create a lodge of unique character, imagination and very special ambience. 

Ten stone and teak-framed thatched cottages have a panoramic view of the lake and private terraces with direct access to the water. The location is perfect for a holiday of total relaxation, and its remote location makes it ideal for romantics. Relax on one of the island’s stunning beaches, while you gaze out on the lake.

Activities on offer include snorkelling, kayaking, sailing, trips round the island, cycling, scuba (including Padi diving courses, visits to the local villages and more. Website: www.kayamawa.com

Mumbo Island is a pristine deserted tropical island floating on the blue waters of Lake Malawi National Park, the first park in the world set aside for the protection of freshwater fish. The National Park offers the best freshwater scuba diving in the world and the best snorkeling on the lake. The camp is perched high on the rocks above the water and blends in perfectly to create a place of rustic charm and minimal impact. Each tent is fully furnished with its own shaded view-deck and hammock.

Mumbo Island is a natural state and the camp is very eco conscious to ensure that it remains this beautiful gem on Lake Malawi. This camp is closed in January and February which is the peak of the rainy season.

There are 5 twins and 1 family tent with en-suite bathroom and secluded veranda. The camp also support a dining room, a watersports centre, a private beach, a sun-downer deck, a laundry service, and a lounge and bar area. Sea kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, nature trails and bird watching are among the activities on offer in Mumbo Island.

Location: Lake Malawi, Malawi. Getting there: Mumbo Island is reached by vehicle and boat transfer. Drive either 3-4 hours from Lilongwe, 1 hour from Club Makokola, 7 hours from Chintheche, 2-3 hours from Mvuu Wilderness Camp, 3-4 hours from Blantyre or 3 hours from Zomba to reach Cape Maclear. From Cape Maclear transfer 1 hour by boat to the island.

Set against the backdrop of the forests of the Zomba Plateau, with spectacular views of the Great Rift Valley and the Shire Lowlands, is Malawi‘s most upmarket hotel. The landscape is veritable Garden of Eden. The slopes and ravines are covered with exotic trees, jungle-like creepers, wildflowers, orchids, and lichen. Yet despite the beautiful scenery and Lake Chirwa with its white-sand beaches, Malawi is not known as a vacation destination and is unspoiled by tourism. Photo by: justme07

The Ku Chawe Inn is hidden away in lush vegetation at the end of a long winding mountain path. Being tucked into the jungle idyll does not mean facilities are primitive. The forty spacious room all have their own private bathrooms, telephones and satellite televisions. Malawian have a very well-deserved reputation for warmth and friendliness, and the staff at Ku Chawe are helpful and attentive. Photo by: justme07

It is wonderful to lunch on the large, shady outdoor veranda watching the resident baboons snacking in the gardens. This is a place to enjoy an evening drink and feast on the spectacular views before dining on delicious food, enjoyed in cooler evenings around a flickering fire. You could rise early and hire a mountain guide to take you above the clouds to the top of the plateau. Photo by: arthurchengjca

Location: Shire Lowlands, Malawi. Photo by: Fiona Forsyth

Off the eastern shores of Lake Malawi lies Likoma Island and its smaller neighbour Chizumulu, making up a tiny piece of Malawian territory in Mozambican waters. Likoma has remained largely untouched since Scottish missionaries discovered in the 1880s and it became the headquarters of the University Mission to Central Africa – Livingstone’s mission. This led to the islands being retained by Malawi when the lake was divided politically after World War II. Photo by: Jondice

Likoma commands breathtaking views of the mountains and wilderness of Mozambique, just kilometers away. Likoma’s main town is overshadowed by the mighty Cathedral of St Peter, built in 1903 with elegant stained glass and carved soapstone. The rest of the island is simpler – mainly grassland scattered with mango and baobab trees. Photo by: firesika

Lake Malawi covers a fifth of the country’s total area – about 590 km long and 85 km wide. Usually gentle by nature, winds from the north and south can whip the lake up into a frenzy. Below the surface the lake bubbles with fish and fishing villages along its shores reap the benefits. The best and easiest way to get around Likoma is on foot. At the southern tip of the island, beyond the boabab plains, lies a crescent – shaped beach of the finest golden sand, framed by mango trees. The island is rich in history and also in silence. Photo by: Jondice

When to go: Best to visit in the dry season from late April to November. Mat to August are cooler and dry, but September and October can get hot and humid. Population: 9,000. How to get there: Flights from Lilongwe or boats from the port of Nkhata Bay. Dhows cross between the two islands. Photo by: Jondice

Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa, also emerged as Nyasaland. Behind the shores of lake Malawi known for boutique eco-resorts and rich international tourists is another Malawi with green hills, tea plantations, high mountains and game parks free of safari jeep traffic jams. The country covering about 400 miles in total and every traveler will find an extraordinary experience.

Despite of the fact the roads could sometimes be rough, in general the country provides an easy trip. The widly spoken language is English. The other language is Chichewa. The main point in Malawi is Blantyre. Blantyre is like Malawi’s New York. It’s a centre of finance and commerce and is the second largest city. During daytime in Blantyre you will bump into vendors hawk, avocados, bananas and cellphones card ending up to the window of your car; traffic police try to stop wild drivers.

As well as Blantyre boast several ”Out of Africa” restaurants, where you can sit on an open -air terrace and sip a late afternoon Malawi style gin and tonic.

Then from Blantyre, lies the Thyolo region about 25 miles southeast though winding road. Everywhere in Malawi is recommended to hire a car and driver (for about $30 a day). So Thyolo is a home to tea plantations, reminds very much of Sri Lanka. The roads there have winds and meanders up through rich green hills. Several of the plantations like Satemwa Tea Estate welcome overnight visitors offering them traditional planters’ bungalows.

But if you going north from Blantyre in a trip you will come across the biggest attraction of the country: the famous lake and Liwonde National Park. The park is very wild and animals have become almost conditioned to seeing tourists. If you are not on a paid safari tour, the best way to explore the park is to take a boat, provided by Mvuu Camp, the main lodge in the park, along the Shire River.

Just 80 miles north of Liwonde you will come to lake Malawi, which has the widest diversity of fish in the world and shore with its rocky outcroppings reminds of the Indian Ocean beach.