Kaya Mawa

As Kaya Mawa themselves boasts, there’s really nothing standard about their three Standard Rooms. After a peaceful night’s sleep in these quaint cottage-like rooms, you can step out onto your own deck with direct access to the lake. Throughout the day and into the evening, you can relax on your own sun-loungers, under the umbrella with a cocktail. These rooms sleep two, and feature an outdoor shower, as well as a lantern-lit bath, perfect for a romantic hideaway in the most beautiful location. Built into the rocks, tantalisingly close to the water, these rooms are everything you need for a romantic stay in paradise. Amenities include the option of private dining, personal safe, and a complimentary laundry service.

Each of the four premium rooms offer guests a more spacious and luxurious stay, still surrounded by beautiful vistas. From the elevated position of Nkhwazi, looking out from the top of a rocky knoll, to the exclusivity of Makungulu reachable by a wooden bridge over the water, each of these rooms is incredibly special. Each provides ample terrace space, lounge areas and perfect spots for private dining, whilst remaining simply designed and built with white-washed stone for effortless style and beauty.

Each features a plunge or infinity pool apart from Makungulu, which has direct lake access. Each spacious and filled with light, choose to stay in the understated elegance of Kaya Mawa’s premium rooms. Amenities include the option of private dining, personal safe, and a complimentary laundry service.

Houses Ulisa and Yofu offer guests the perfect space for a family holiday in paradise. Under the shaded canopy of the ancient baobab trees towering above stands Ulisa, a spacious two-bedroom house overlooking the lake. The second bedroom sleeps up to three children, with one bed suspended from the roof! The house features a full jack-and-jill bathroom, and is finished with beautiful turquoise touches to complement the pristine water just outside.

Nestled behind a mango tree is Yofu, the perfect house for a family of four, with a double bedroom and second twin bedroom. The large shared bathroom is complete with an open air bathtub that makes for wonderful stargazing in the tranquillity. Both houses feature lovely lounge and dining areas on private decks that extend out from the house, shaded by traditional thatched roofs or magnificent trees. Amenities include the option of private dining, personal safe, and a complimentary laundry service.

Located at the far west side of Kaya Mawa Beach is Madimba, Kaya Mawa’s Honeymoon House and most private choice of accommodation. With beautiful views across Lake Malawi, you can enjoy the splendour of the fabulous private bar, sun-kissed deck, and split-level bedroom all to yourselves. Complete with your own infinity pool, and a sunken double-sided bath within a beautifully generous en suite, any couple can enjoy the luxury of this beautiful house. Amenities include the option of private dining, personal safe, and a complimentary laundry service.

Mainja is the lodge’s fabulous lakeside house suitable for family or friend groups! Settled within its natural surroundings, perched on a rocky outcrop, this arty and spacious house sleeps up to four people. The two en suite bedrooms are met in the middle by a wonderful Tanzanian-style lounge area, complete with a log fireplace and bar fridge. You can take full advantage of the private plunge pool at the front of the house, sun deck with loungers, comfortable seating area and private dining deck, each separated out into different levels. Mainja makes for the perfect place to come together and connect over the beauty around you on the island.

Designed as a private paradise for group retreats, Ndomo Private House is everything needed for a truly spectacular holiday. Architecturally, this house is a fusion of many different influences, from Zanzibar to India. The thoughtfully curated interior design provides for peaceful, creative spaces in which you can relax. All but one of the four bedrooms features a en suite bathroom, and the other has a bathroom just outside. The house features a kitchen/dining area, media room, study and spacious living room. Outside, there are multiple areas for connecting and relaxing, each with views of the lake. Three large terrace feature an outdoor dining, BBQ and lounge area spread across the exterior of the house, as well as a private plunge pool.

Exclusive Ndomo amenities are most notably, the private beach below the house, and the private staff, including nanny, groundsmen, housekeepers, and watchman. All this means you can have a truly private experience, whilst also having access to all activities available at Kaya Mawa.

Within the central lounge you’ll find the restaurant adjacent to the Kaya Mawa bar. Here, you can enjoy casual breakfasts and nourishing lunches that punctuate your day with delicious flavours. For dinner you can choose to dine in many special locations, including the beach, under a gazebo or in the privacy of your own private deck. Also enjoy the sociability of the bar, where you can relax on the sofas and discuss the wonders of the day as it comes to a close.

With the safe and stunning water of Lake Malawi right at your fingertips, Kaya Mawa is the perfect place to get stuck into the huge variety of water sports on offer, whether it’s your favourite hobby or your first time! Your options include snorkelling, and Kaya Mawa provide you with snorkelling gear in your room, so you’ll be set to explore the water as soon as you arrive.

Kayaking provides you the opportunity to explore the water, and the rest of the island all at your own pace. As you meander along, listen for the calls of birds and marvel at the beautiful flora along the bay. Head out on a sailing safari in one of the lodge’s boats, perfect any day of the week as there are no currents or tides, and there’s always a beautifully soft breeze. Finally, adventure out onto the water on a paddle board to enjoy the glory of the water and the warmth of the sun all at the same time. Anyone can try paddle boarding, and it’s a wonderful way to explore the bay and try something new!

Indulge in a picnic on the beach, specially made by the lodge’s award-winning kitchen team. Choose from beautiful salads, to freshly grilled seafood, and wonderful nibbles – all rounded off with a regional beer or flavoursome South African wine.

For those who love the natural side of things, Likoma Island is a paradise for bird watching. You can head off deep into the island’s jungle and surround yourself with the colours and sweet melodies of over 100 species. As well as the renowned African fish eagle, previous sightings have included yellow-billed kites, cormorants and four types of kingfisher!

Elevated on the rocks overlooking the water you can find Kaya Mawa’s tranquil spa. Here, in the sunshine or under the shade of the thatched spa roofs, you can indulge in mindful treatments and wonderful massages that allow true relaxation of the mind, body and soul. Connected to the beach by a wooden boardwalk, always to the soundtrack of the African fish eagles that fly above, this is a spa treatment like no other!

As well as the activities and adventures included in your stay at Kaya Mawa, you can choose to take part in exhilarating sports. For example, thrilling water-skiing and wake-boarding allow you the chance to zip along the water’s surface. Also, try your hand at scuba diving, alongside the resort’s in-house dive-master! Explore the plentiful aquatic life of Lake Malawi and get down into the beautiful waters, sure to see the best sights with your guide by your side! Alternatively, if you fancy the same exhilaration but on dry land, try quad biking around Likoma, or a more leisurely e-mountain bike safari! Heading off the beaten track you are sure to see beautiful sights all around.

Kaya Mawa is coloured by the beautiful art of local artists, all of whom work at the Katunda Workshop. Creating beautiful home décor pieces, from the aquamarine throws in your bedroom, to sparkling chandeliers, the artists at the workshop are able to make a reliable income for their families. Not only has Kaya Mawa been decorated with this local art, but guests can browse the pieces on offer to take back a piece of this paradise with them. Kaya Mawa’s direct relationship with Katunda Workshop is just one pillar of their extensive community empowerment ethos.

Through Kaya Mawa’s Sponsor an Island Child programme each year over 100 children are sponsored through their secondary education. With a focus on increasing access to education, the promotion of youth empowerment, and healthcare, the programme has been able to help so many Likoma Island children reach university and progress into careers both back on the island and beyond.

Additionally, the Likoma Conservation Foundation supports a handful of primary schools across the island by employing teachers, and providing children with sufficient nutrition. Many Likoma schools struggle to meet the basic needs of both staff and students so the foundation has helped on a needs-specific basis, funding things such as building teacher’s houses, or student toilets.

Despite being up against a lot of adversity, the young mother’s of Limoka Island “radiate courage, strength and creativity”. Kaya Mawa Island Lodge works with the local Young Mother’s Programme to ensure that these wonderful young women are supported and given every opportunity possible.

Kaya Mawa is a Green Safaris lodge. Green Safaris operates with a focus on making a sustainable impact on the surrounding areas of their camps and lodges. An example of this is the Likoma Reforestation Project which works to replant and build up forests that have been cut down to support the growing island’s constant demand for firewood and materials. By repopulating the forests, the project is helping ‘to reduce the negative impacts of deforestation such as erosion and soil runoff, through community-managed tree nurseries.’

There are six established nurseries, each aiming to plant around 2,000 indigenous hardwood and fruit trees. This will transform the arid land, provide local villages with the firewood they need for cooking and heating, and provided fresh fruit which can be eaten and used to plant more trees.

Tongabezi Lodge has also established a reforestation project to educate and raise awareness about the importance of trees for a clean and healthy environment. The project has been introducing eco-friendly grass stoves to village homesteads in order to reduce the number of trees cut down for firewood.

The Clean Up Likoma Project is working to raise awareness of pollution, waste management infrastructure support and village clean-ups. Green Safari’s Clean Team visits local schools and churches to educate community members and help find community-led solutions. One of these initiatives was using waste plastic bottles and creating ecobricks to build new structures. The team is also working with the local government council to implant new laws in regards to plastic use and pollution, with the aim of reducing both.

The Green Safaris Foundation was established to create community project funding and establish projects designed to support local community development, wildlife conservation and ecosystem in the areas in which Green Safaris operate.

The foundation supports children through its partnership with the Tongabezi Trust School, which supports 240 local children aged 3-17 with extra-curricular activities, life skills, values building, and academic studies. The foundation also supports Lukanga Secondary School by providing funding, school furnishings and resources, as well as the construction of 3 new classrooms. The Tongabezi Trust School Team also supports the Twaabane Community Creative Centre, where people from the local Simonga Village can learn and share creative and artistic skills, helping to offer community members a creative outlet and possible source of employment.

On such a remote island as Likoma, Green Safaris and Kaya Mawa have worked hard to make sure their business is sustainable and kind to the environment runs entirely on renewable, sustainable energy. Arriving on the island, you’ll be able to see a stretch of the beach Kaya Mawa takes great pride in – their own solar power grid, providing power for their entire operation.

Electric bikes can be used to explore Likoma Island and there are plans to provide solar-powered quad bikes that will allow guests to explore the island in silence.