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Place in Northern Region, Malawi
Photo: JackyR, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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A PADI certified dive shop on the north side of the bay. They offer cheap single dives and courses up to Divemaster, a good way to experience fresh-water diving in the lake. Aqua Africa operates a café and hotel too. Room rates are $40 for standard rooms and $80 for deluxe rooms.
A new restaurant in town offers Thai food, pizzas, cakes, shakes, juices and very tasty cocktails for reasonable prices. It's easy to hang out all day on its atmospheric topdeck overlooking the football ground and town centre, enjoying a good meal and fine music.
Breakfast menu, burgers, pasta and soups.
A small restaurant that offers good, tasty and enjoyable meals. International foods and spicy Indian dishes.
The Dive Deck commands some of the most spectacular views across the bay. You can prop up the bar and enjoy an ice cold “Green” or relax on our comfortable sofas choosing which fillings to have in your homemade wrap. It’s also a great place to compare notes with other customers after you come back from your dive.
Complete with its own guard-goose, it's among the most popular, especially with backpackers, despite being about a mile or two outside town. In 1993 an English couple Paul and Claire Norrish bought some property on the Lake and built a budget lodge. Since then word of mouth has led Nkhata Bay to become popular with independent travelers. The lodge is based on sustainable tourism principles and the staff who work at the lodge have all been working their since it opened and many of them actually helped to build the lodge. Situated high atop a mountain overlooking the lake, Njaya offers cottage accommodation ($60-80/night).
Mayoka is a very popular lodge well known in the area for its scenic location, vibrant bar and very friendly atmosphere, including an outstanding weekly barbecue made from locally sourced food. Great place to meet up with and chill out with other travelers. Located on the far side of the bay, either walk around or phone ahead for a boat pickup from the dive shop. Make reservations a couple of days ahead of time as they can get booked up. Tell them when you plan to leave as they have been known to kick people out ahead of time, leaving one little time to pack and find another place to stay. camping/dorm beds.
offering private chalets as well as a small, but pretty bar, right on the water. The lodge has a private beach, internet/information centre and snorkeling equipment available. There are a number of community projects that butterfly are involved in, including the local nursery school, youth club on site, playgrounds building, and computer lessons through the non-profit internet centre. Get involved and enjoy the homely atmosphere. camping/dorm beds/Chalet/chalet with own bathroom.
More relaxed than Mayoka village and they have a big common room with a big screen TV with dstv which is fun to hang out in and kick back with other travellers. Also a large bar and restaurant with a diverse menu and a panoramic view of the lake. camping/dorm beds/single/double rooms.
Popular with overland trucks, this resort has camping, dorm rooms, single, twin and doubles. Activities include a great horse riding tour, scuba diving with the experienced team at "Aquanuts", there are catamarans and canoes for hire, and you can get great food at the "soft sand cafe"
Bedrooms in brick houses next to and on the lake with wooden interiors, restaurant-bar with terrace and panoramic view of the lake, parking, Wi-Fi, half-day / sunset boat trips (US$15-18) with fish eagle feeding, snorkelling, village walk, cooking classes.
has a Visa card ATM.
Traditional African market.
Crafts market. Another is located a few kilometers towards Mzuzu at a police roadside check point.
Nkhata Bay Peoples Store
Peoples supermarkets are the largest retail chain in Malawi with 80 retail shops spread across the country.
By bus
The bus station is in the middle of the town, next to the market. You can reach Nkhata Bay from the south via the Lakeshore road or west from Mzuzu, by minibus.
By boat
By car
Take Highway M5 from Mzuzu or along the western shore of Lake Malawi. Nkhata Bay is 4 km off the road. The highway itself is paved and in a fairly good state, but in some places a bit narrow.
Nkhata Bay is fairly small and walkable. Alternatively, you can hire a water taxi to take you from one end of the village to the other; this is also a neat way to see the coastline.
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