Nkhata Bay

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 to look for

• 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.

Practical notes

Bilharzia is present in Lake Malawi. The Ilala runs late as a matter of routine. The town is scruffy in parts.

Nearby

Chintheche is south, and Likoma is offshore.

Key facts