If you are planning to visit Malawi for a short trip, or possibly just doing some research trust us its gonna be one of your best decision. You have found the right website to help you know everything you’re curious about. Cape Maclear, locally known as Chembe village is a travellers paradise attracting travellers from around the world. The golden sand of the beach teamed with the breezy atmosphere makes it the perfect getaway, no matter if you’re a budget traveller or exotic. Continue reading to know about the best things to do in Lake Malawi – Cape Maclear.
It is an incredibly peaceful and beautiful village down in the far south of the Lake Malawi National Park, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the home for the largest number of colourful fish species known as cichlid (pronounced siklid) out of which 95% are endemic to the region.
However there is an abundance of activities to suit everyone at Cape Maclear where you can spend your entire day scuba diving, kayaking, snorkelling, sailing, island hopping, windsurfing, sunbathing, paddle boarding just name it. It’s definitely was one of our favourite places to relax from where we witnessed the best of sunsets sitting at the shore. Staying by the lake would take you back in time, watching the fishermen who are mostly busy managing their boats and fishing nets, the local kids keep splashing in the water whilst the grown up women wash clothes and utensils by the beach. Life in Chembe is very much simple with bare minimum things around and something beyond beautiful to explain.
Further you can cross the overland border and travel to Zambia, Mozambique or Tanzania. Click to read our detailed blog and everything you would want to know about Zambia and Tanzania.
Where to Stay in Lake Malawi(Cape Maclear)
We stayed at Warm Heart Lodge which is right on the beach ($50 per night bed and breakfast). It’s in a great location that has comfortable vintage en suite chalets offering breathtaking views of Lake Malawi.
Note: Keep in mind Cape Maclear doesn’t have ATM machines. So before coming please make sure you have handy cash.
How to travel around Lake Malawi
Getting around in Lake Malawi could be a bit of an effort, because the transportation modes aren’t that great, especially if you are travelling to the interior and remote areas.
While the best way to travel around Lake Malawi, is to hire a local guide and tour operator who can help you arrange your whereabouts right from the beginning till the end. We were fortunate enough while browsing the internet came across Kay De Silva (+265999913927) a beautiful lady and a wonderful host who helped us with everything, from stays to transfers. Words are less to describe her in person who knows the best of Malawi. Please convey our love and regards if you meet her.
We booked our stay and travel with (Warm Hearts and Adventures) and we are so glad that we did it with them. Would highly recommend you to consider this operator for any bookings, reservations and adventures- all you need to do is sit back and relax and leave everything on them.
Top Things To Do in Lake Malawi – Cape Maclear
1. Walk around the local village : Things To Do in Lake Malawi
We went for a community tour around the village which is like 3 kms from the start to end and interacted with the locals. It was surely a different hunch to see the lifestyle of the people and learn about their culture and routine. On our way visited SINTHANA which is a community learning centre for the kids that helps with their education and life. It would be a great assist if you can contribute some $ for food and betterment of the children.
While we continued strolling, met some men and women who showed us their traditional practice of making breads and recycled hand made papers too.
2. Visit the fishing village of Chembe : Things To Do in Lake Malawi
Watch the fisherman sail their boats and the shore which is a bustling ground, lined up with men and women stacking and smoking dry and fresh fishes. The air might be pungent due to the drying of the fishes in open, but surely you must visit this locality to see the simplicity and hard work of the people they put together just for a living.
3. Witness the gorgeous sunset : Things To Do in Lake Malawi
Cape Maclear provides a magnificent setting for a sunset, making it one of Malawi’s best sunset spots. So grab your time, do nothing and enjoy the best of it.
4. Go swimming, snorkelling and diving at Lake Malawi
Go scuba diving to experience the lake’s underwater world. Grab a snorkel and kayak to Thumbi Island, Otters point and the Ilala Gap, where you are guaranteed to see Malawi’s famous colourful cichlids fish which are indigenous to the lake. Later stop for a BBQ lunch at Thumbi Island and spend your day at ease.
Note: there is a high chance of you getting infected by Bilharzia, which is a parasitic illness carried by freshwater snails. So we would highly recommend to take medications even if you don’t go swimming or perform other water activities. Start the medication later in six weeks once you return from Malawi.
5. Have dinner with the locals
The best way to soak deep into Malawian culture is to sit with the natives and have a conversation over a local platter. The food was yum, we really enjoyed it. You wont find too many restaurants and food joints in Cape Maclear, so this might be the best way to end your evening.
Envisioning the lovely end to this amazing time at Cape Maclear. So guys hope you find this blog helpful planning yours, and if you have any queries please write it down in the comment section below. We would try to help with the best of our knowledge.
