Reviews

I love to be close to nature, in a wild and remote place, but I also like a bit of comfort. Mumbo Island Lodge is one of those special places in Africa which offer just the right balance between rusticity and comfort. Mumbo Island on Lake Malawi is one such place.
Well all I can say is that if Robinson Crusoe ever had experienced Mumbo Island, he might not have rated a return to ‘civilization’.

Mvuu Lodge is a thoroughly charming place and much recommended, as long as you have appropriate expectations as to what to expect from the game-viewing in Liwonde . The lodge lies between the Shire river and a small ox bow lagoon. It is a traditional safari camp but thoroughly comfortable and sufficiently zooty to be combined with smarter options elsewhere…

I was VERY impressed with Kambaku- the lodge and rooms are nice but what impressed me most was the owners Nicola and Bryce that treated all the guests like family

The Alphen’s exterior – a lovely 17th century Cape Dutch homestead and National Monument – belies its up to date interior styling. This hotel stands out for me for the stark juxtaposition of the old and the new in both its public spaces and its rooms. “ A little eccentric, some what Bohemian, rather ecletic and casually elegant” is what the hotel says and I think that’s a good summation of the Alphen Hotel.

What a fantastic property Fordoun is. I have to confess that before my visit I had assumed that Fordoun was just a lovely relaxing country house hotel with a great spa. But in fact there is so much more to do…
Fordoun Hotel & Spa is a family-owned and run property in the heart of a dairy farm so you get a good slice of rural life in South Africa. However they have taken the whole Spa concept one step further by introducing African healing concepts.

I loved Kaya Mawa – there was very little that I could fault. If you are looking for a luxurious African beach lodge to finish off your Zambian or Malawi safari, consider Kaya Mawa. I was intrigued to see whether I would really feel that I was at the ‘beach’ on Lake Malawi? The short answer is ‘yes’ – I really did feel like I was at the sea: the lake is so vast that the water just stretches forever. Plus the sandy beaches, palm trees, snorkeling…none of this broke the illusion. The enormous baobab trees were the only welcome reminder that I was in Africa. Kaya Mawa is also reminiscent of the tropical island of Zanzibar in its décor yet keeping a very African feel as well – very relaxed, very laid-back, very “barefoot luxury”.

I love the modern look and feel of Simbavati Hilltop Lodge, a luxurious tented camp. You have stunning views down to the seasonal riverbed with many animals frequenting this part of the Timbavati.

Baraza Resort’s style is very Arabic set in lush tropical gardens. It looks truly amazing at night all lit up – very magical and straight out of Arabian nights… This five star resort has a choice of either one bedroom villa and two bedroom family villas.

However what is particularly nice about Palms is that each villa has its own private ‘banda’ right on raised beach area behind the main beach, with steps directly down to the main beach. Here are two loungers, coffee table and a double day bed which is screened on three sides for privacy and also protection from the winds.