The Beautiful Mumbo Island

I have been to places that have hyped my expectations on pictures, but left me angry after being there. For the first time, I visited a place that left me in awe. No picture on the internet prepared me of the beauty and vibe of Mumbo Island. And I am not mad at all.

the waters were so blue and calming. The island is filled with tranquility, that one can only dream of

My partner and I were supposed to actually have the trip last month, but my sickness and operation made it impossible. Luckily, he was able to change the dates to this month.

We started off from Lilongwe at 6am to make sure we made it for our boat ride at 10am. Conveniently, we made it to the Kayak Offices in Cape Maclear at 9:56am. It was right in time to play a bawo game as we waited for the for the boat to be ready.

About Mumbo Island

Mumbo Island is a private island offshore of Cape Maclear surrounded by Lake Malawi. It is an ideal place for relaxation and rejuvenation from the busy world. 

The chalets are entirely constructed out of timber, canvas and thatch. Every chalet has it’s own deck and a private hammock.

There is no electricity, no wifi or any signal strength. Which really makes one fully leave the busy world behind and just relax completely. However, solar batteries are available to charge your phones so they do not go off. You are also equipped with a rechargeable torch light to help you navigate around the night.

The boat ride

I do not like bodies of water at all. Mostly get anxious and fidgety. But on this exact boat ride, I was super calm which surprised me.

The whole ride was very chilled. Wind blowing through the hair, a chilled conversation and the beautiful mountainous view and fishermen hard work as sight.

After 30 minutes of being in the water, the island started to slowly creep in sight. 15 minutes later, we were jumping out of the boat and being welcomed by beauty.

Arrival on the island

The minute we arrived, we were welcomed by the most friendliest staff. We were given a tour of the island. From the dining, kitchen, game area, before we left for our chalet.

We were in chalet 4, which gives the best view of the island, the water and the fish that swim close-by. It got the most wind at night, but still perfect either way.

Meals and drinks

Due to the global pandemic, they no longer provide meals. During booking, they actually advise one to get their own food stuffs.

What they do offer is a fully equipped kitchen where you can easily prepare your meals. They have a gas stove, pots, plates etc. They also offer to keep the food items in cooler boxes to make sure they do not go bad.

You can also have fresh fish. Just ask the staff for the fish and they will go out of their way to buy it from the fishermen on your behalf. On our first night, they got us catfish and smoked it for us. Till that day, we had both never had the fish before, and were scared to even try. The staff assured us and smoked it for us and Lordt….. It was heavenly.

As for the drinks, although they do sell them, I’d recommend that you take your own. Just to save a little. But, if you do not want to carry much, then you can buy both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from there.

Activities

Like I said, I’m not much of a water person. However, I knew I wanted to sunbath as much as I could and tan a little. But the island has so much that you can do and not get bored.

Swimming

The waters are perfectly clean and just scream at you. My weird self found a good spot where I would not been seen and skinny dipped. It was an awesome feeling.

Hiking

Something I enjoyed very much was the hike around the island. Although I only made it to the fishermen rock, it was all therapeutic. Every rock gives you a glimpse of the beauty of the island.

Sunset Cruise

The sunset cruise is very romantic. It allows you to have a boat tour around the island to look at some of the spots. Until you find the perfect place to just wait till the sun sets.

Games

You can also just chill by the game area and battle it out. Got to learn how to play chess while I was at it. The staff were also nice enough to let me play bawo with them. There are different games which could occupy your time.

Other Water Activities on Mumbo Island

I could not try any one of these, but theybare available as well. You can kayak, snorkel or scuba dive in the fresh waters.

Or you could just relax on the hammock while listening to the water waves hitting the rocks. Maybe read a book while you’re at it.

The only thing that kept me on my toes were the monitor lizards. Although the are harmless, my fear just could npt help but come out.

Mumbo Island is definitely one destination I would like to visit again. Visit their site mumboisland.com to learn more.

Check out some of the pictures below