Chintheche

Chintheche is a stretch of the northern lakeshore south of Nkhata Bay with the longest sand beaches on the Malawian side, backed by baobabs and fishing villages, and it is quieter and less built up than the southern lake. Lodges are strung along the shore with gaps between them. A rubber estate operates inland, and the villages along the beach work the lake with dugouts and seine nets pulled onto the sand. The road along this stretch runs a little inland, so most of the lodges are reached by tracks down through the trees and the beach is not visible from the main route.

History

Until about 1950 Chintheche was the headquarters of Nkhata Bay district, then called West Nyasa (Wikipedia, Chintheche).

Highlights

• The long beaches - the most extensive sand on the Malawian lakeshore.
• The fishing villages - dugouts and seine nets worked from the beach.
• The baobabs - the trees standing behind the sand along the shore.
• The quiet - a stretch far less developed than the southern lake.

When to go

May to October is the dry season. The lake is warmest late in the year. Bilharzia is present and precautions matter.

Good to know

Bilharzia is present throughout the lake. Facilities are spread out and getting between lodges needs transport. Beach vendors approach visitors persistently.

Nearby

Nkhata Bay is north, and Kande Beach is south.

Key facts