Nkhata Bay
A lakeside town in the north with steep wooded shores, a working harbour and a diving reputation.
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Nkhata Bay sits on a set of small wooded coves on the northern lakeshore, steeper and greener than the southern lake, with a market, a fishing harbour and the Ilala ferry calling on its circuit of the lake. It has been a travellers' stop for decades, with lodges on the rocky points, and the clear water and rock drop-offs make it one of the main places on the lake for diving and snorkelling among cichlids.
What you actually see
- The rocky coves - the steep wooded inlets the town is built around.
- The cichlid diving - the rock drop-offs and the fish they hold.
- The Ilala ferry - the lake steamer calling on its circuit.
- The market and harbour - the working side of the town.
When to go
May to October is the dry season. The Ilala calls to a weekly schedule that shifts. Bilharzia is present in the lake and precautions matter.
Honest expectations
Bilharzia is present in Lake Malawi; the risk is manageable with treatment afterwards but should not be ignored. The Ilala runs late as a matter of routine. The town is scruffy in parts.
Nearby
Chintheche is south, and Likoma is offshore.
What to pack for Nkhata Bay
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.