Mumbo Island Lodge is an exclusive camp situated on a pristine and otherwise-deserted tropical island floating on the clear waters of Lake Malawi. The camp comprises five large safari tents, each fully furnished with its own shaded view-deck and hammock, and blending seamlessly into the lush foliage. There is a dining area, bar and water sport gazebo, all of timber, thatch and canvas, and adhering to the principles of eco-architecture.

The Island lies within an exclusive concession area, in turn part of the Lake Malawi National Park, the first freshwater marine reserve in the world. With waters that are so crystal clear, the diving and snorkelling are among the best in Lake Malawi.

Guests can relax in tranquil surroundings with delicious cuisine, lying in hammocks or gently floating in the waters; but for the more energetic there is a variety of activities: excellent sea kayaking, snorkelling and scuba facilities enable the active guest to interact with an impressive piece of nature: exploring the granitic islands in a freshwater Rift Valley lake; birders will enjoy the abundant Fish Eagles; and snorkellers can view enormous numbers of the Cichlid fish species; these small, colourful fish have adapted to so many variations that they are considered of comparable importance to the Galapagos finches in the study of evolution.

The Lake Malawi National Park is foremost a marine reserve, established for the protection of the cichlid fish and their habitat. As such the National Park presents cichlid enthusiasts with world-class observation opportunities in terms of number and diversity of species, optimum viewing conditions, and ease of access from the camps on Mumbo Island and Domwe Island.

As far as the non-aquatic wildlife is concerned, the islands lend themselves more to a focus on observing the little creatures as opposed to the Big Five.
On Mumbo Island the only mammal present is the Cape Clawless Otter, which is remarkably unafraid of humans and often approaches and joins guests for a snorkel or swim.

Domwe has an eclectic selection of mammals, including samango monkey, civet cat, bushpig, bushbaby, klipspringer and the yellow subspecies of chacma baboon.
As far as reptiles are concerned, both islands are noteworthy for the high occurrence of rainbow skinks and large water monitors in particular. Snakes identified include the variegated bush snake and African rock python (both non-venomous!).

Bird life is dominated by the ubiquitous Fish Eagles, but enthusiasts will be rewarded with sightings of the shyer and less common forest birds that inhabit the bush around the tents, such as, for example, the north-eastern race hypoxanthus variety of Sombre Bulbul.

Location:

Mumbo Island is a tropical island situated within the Lake Malawi National Park near the southern end of Lake Malawi. The island lies 10km north-west of Cape Maclear, where reception and the nearest point of road access is located. Approximate co-ordinates are 14°S, 35°E.

Pricing:

Pricing is consistent throughout the year.

Accommodation:

Five twin / double tents situated on raised timber decks under thatch roofs. Currently toilet facilities are not en suite, but consist of privately situated and environmentally-friendly dry composter toilets. The shower is a bucket-shower, suspended from the branch of a Baobab tree with fire-warmed water. An upgrade of toilet facilities to make them en-suite is underway.
Each tent is fully-netted and has two single / one double bed, two cane wicker chairs, a shaded view deck overlooking the lake and a hammock.

Camp description:

Dining area
Bar
Sundowner deck
Water sport gazebo

Electricity and water:

There is no electricity on the island. The kitchen works off gas, and all lighting is by means of hurricane lanterns. All water is purified, although the necessity of this is debatable.

Activities:

Sea kayaking
Snorkelling
Swimming
Scuba diving
Nature trails
Quality hammock time

Suggested daily schedule:

Freedom and quality island time - together with a good dose of healthy outdoor fun - is what visits to Mumbo Island are all about. The only fixed items on the schedule are meals, and guests are otherwise free to choose between activity, exploration and leisure. Highly recommended are pre-breakfast swims, which redefine the term “refreshing,” and sunset kayak circumnavigations of the island.

Meals:

Meal times are flexible with respect to activities and arrival and departure times.
A hearty breakfast of fruit salad, freshly baked bread, eggs and bacon sets the tone for the day. Lunches and dinners feature an array of salads, fresh fish, chicken and vegetable casseroles, curries, stir-fries and pasta dishes.

Drinks and extra payments:

Drinks, scuba diving and tips are not included in the nightly tariffs, and these accounts must be settled before departure.
Payments for such extras can be made by credit card or with US Dollar, British Pound, Euro or Malawi Kwacha cash.

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