Monkey Bay Beach Lodge

Our family had the chance to spend two nights at Monkey Bay Beach Lodge, one each before and after taking the Ilala to Likoma Island. The owner, Warren, was a wonderful host and very nice to get to know. The property is beautiful, nestled in the serene Monkey Bay in the southern point of Lake Malawi. We loved the eclectic, laid-back atmosphere of this lodge. It has an intimate, homey feel, but there are also a lot of different places to sit and enjoy the view and the beautiful surroundings. There are a handful of rooms, which were immaculately clean and nicely decorated. For us, our girls stayed in a room with a double bed, and we stayed in the family room with the 3 boys. The family room was large, with plenty of room for all of our stuff and all 5 of us to be in there together without feeling at all crowded. There wasn't a mosquito net over the fifth bed, so we just sprayed that kid up with bug spray really thoroughly before bed. Our room had a nice en-suite bathroom with a generously sized shower, which had good water pressure and hot water (neither of which are ever to be assumed when traveling in Malawi). Meals are served outside at one of a few tables on the verandah. There was a gentle lake breeze, a gorgeous sunrise view at breakfast, and it was all very pleasant. Breakfast is a full English breakfast, and was included in our stay. It was probably the most delicious full English breakfast I’ve ever had (and we've had a lot of them as we've traveled around Malawi). For supper on our first night there, we had lentil stew with rice, and “nice cream” for dessert, which was just frozen bananas and cocoa powder blended together to make a delicious dairy and sugar free chocolate ice cream. Unfortunately the Ilala got to port at 2am on the second night we spent there, so we didn't get to enjoy another delicious supper. They were very accommodating of our dairy and gluten allergies, and everything was carefully prepared accordingly. We also appreciated that there is a water and ice bar set up in the lounge area where guests can get filtered water and ice whenever you need.  There are a couple of kayaks on the beach for guests to use, so of course my husband and our oldest son had to almost immediately go out on one when we arrived. They never miss a chance to kayak, and it’s a beautiful bay to do it in, complete with a small island nearby to go to or around if you’re feeling adventurous. In addition to kayaking, we were told that there is a nice hiking trail up the hill behind the lodge, but we didn't get a chance to check it out ourselves. It also is very close to Lake Malawi National Park, which is beautiful and has other places to hike and things to see and do. A friend of Warren’s was “lodge-sitting” for a bit when we arrived, and she very helpfully took us to the nearby port to board the Ilala, and let us leave our vehicle there while we were gone. Then when we arrived back in Monkey Bay at the glorious hour of 2:00am, you’d never ha