Kayak Africa and Mumbo & Domwe Islands
Kayak Africa are the founders and owners of the camps on Mumbo Island and Domwe Island in Lake Malawi National Park and manage the camps on a daily basis. The camps are sensitively run on sustainable green principles; and the islands are astounding in their natural, untouched beauty.
Mumbo Island and Domwe Island are both part of the Lake Malawi National Park, meaning that Kayak Africa operates the camps under the guidance of a concession agreement between the company and the Malawi government’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife.
This classic Public-Private partnership structure allows each roleplayer to focus on their strengths to the optimal benefit of not only both active parties, but also peripheral interested parties such as the local community, the fiscus of Malawi and – most-importantly in this context – the natural environment and the protection thereof.
The camps and the relationship between Kayak Africa and the Malawi Department of National Parks and Wildlife came into being in 1994 and has stood the test of time. Relations remain excellent and from a Kayak Africa point of view we regard it as a privilege to have worked with the Department and to have done business in Malawi.
Reception and Central Reservations
Kayak Africa Reception is on the mainland beach at Cape Maclear towards the western end of the village. Reception is open during business hours seven days a week and walk-in visitors are welcome to pop in to inquire about the island camps.
Boat transfers to the islands depart Reception twice daily, and secure parking is available for self-drive guests.
Kayak Africa’s central reservations office in Cape Town has more than thirty years of experience to help you get to Malawi, to the islands and anywhere else in this unique and friendly country. Use the details on the Contact page to access personalised and focussed service of the highest calibre.
The Lake Malawi National Park
In 1980 the Lake Malawi National Park became the first fresh-water marine reserve to be proclaimed on earth, and was declared a Natural World Heritage Site in 1984.
Lake Malawi contains the largest number of fish species of any lake in the world, probably well over five hundred with perhaps half occurring in the National Park area. The cichlid fish population specifically is of comparable importance in the study of evolution to the finches of the Galapagos Islands, with adaptive radiation and speciation (the actual process of evolution) taking place continuously even to this day!
Lake Malawi is unique and forms a separate bio-geographical province. It is estimated to be between three and twenty million years old. The lake is 600km long, 80km wide and over 700m deep; and is the southern extremity of the African Rift Valley.
Our Cape Maclear Cottage
Cape Cottage is Kayak Africa’s own beachfront accommodation in the village of Cape Maclear. It is a beautifully built reed and brick thatched cabana right on the beach within Kayak Africa’s reception compound. The cottage is open plan and features a queen-size bed and a double bunk: ideal for a couple or a family of four. There is a fully-equipped kitchenette and a bathroom en suite with a shower and toilet. On the front deck is a dining table and chairs overlooking the lake; perfect for al fresco dinners. A converted wooden boat projects from the deck to form an ideal sundowner or stargazing spot.
Many local restaurants and bars are within walking distance, otherwise you can self-cater, or hire a chef from us and have your meals on your deck. However you choose to do it, this is lakeshore accommodation at its best!
More about Cape Maclear
Cape Maclear is an enclave within the terrestrial portion of the Lake Malawi National Park. It is – at the same time – a traditional African fishing village and Malawi’s premier lakeshore recreational destination. Not to mention the best beach on the shores of Lake Malawi!
A variety of lodges, bars and restaurants overlook the beach and water from between the residences of the local inhabitants. In front of the beach the waters of Lake Malawi stretch away for hundreds of kilometers, dotted in the foreground by the islands of the Lake Malawi National Park. Behind lie vegetable gardens and fields. All around rise the wooded hills that form the rim of the African Rift Valley.
Cape Maclear has a long history of hosting visitors from far away. In the late 1940’s Sunderland Flying Boats landed here as one of the overnight stops on the route between London and South Africa (other stops included the Nile River in Cairo, Kampala on Lake Victoria, the Zambezi River at Victoria Falls and the Vaal Dam near Johannesburg). Well-heeled passengers overnighted in a fancy hotel of which only ruins remain today.
In the 1980’s a local entrepreneur Earnest Stephano Simeji opened Mr. Steven’s Resthouse to cater for the first backpackers to venture through Malawi. This iconic establishment was the only such facility for nearly 15 years, and Mr. Steven’s battered but reliable Datsun 1200 pickup the only transport between Cape Maclear and the nearest town of Monkey Bay.
Today approximately 15 establishments dot the shoreline and offer visitors accommodation, food and drink and activities such as snorkelling trips and sunset cruises.
Despite the many changes that have evolved over the years Cape Maclear remains a place of peace and fun. Your alarm clock is the timeless rhythm of gentle waves lapping the shoreline, interspersed by the haunting cry of fish eagles gliding above.
MUMBO ISLAND, LAKE MALAWI
DOMWE ISLAND, LAKE MALAWI
RECOMMENDED PACKAGES
CAPE MACLEAR, MALAWI
