nkwichi lodge

property description: Mix a heady cocktail of sumptuous yet ‘responsible’ tourism, grassroots practical help for the war-weary people of Mozambique and a last chance to protect a pristine corner of real Africa – and you have the Manda Wilderness Project.

Established in 1999 the Project forges an invincible bond between protecting one of Africa ’s last true wildernesses, releasing an African community’s true potential, and boosting the standards of international tourism.

An essential part of the Manda Wilderness Project is Nkwichi Lodge; nestled in the emerald bush on the Mozambican side of Lake Malawi / Lake Niassa, it is the perfect hide away, a bare-foot luxury lodge that enables guest to enjoy the comforts of life while knowing that their stay is helping the surrounding people and environment

accommodation:

* Number of Rooms: Nkwichi Lodge; 6 Chalets (14 Beds)

Standard Chalets: 4 Doubles,

Family chalet: 1 Double + 1 Twin (under one roof)

Honeymoon Chalet: 1 Double

Makolo House: 1 Double + 1 Twin (4 Beds)

Songea House: 3 Doubles (6 beds)

Maximum total accommodation: 24 beds

* Brief description of room categories:

Nkwichi offers a choice of six individually designed chalets within the main lodge and two unique private houses set a short distance away.

At the lodge, there are two categories of chalet; Standard and Honeymoon.

Meals will be provided on site by your own chef, and you are a ten minute walk from the main lodge – where you can take full advantage of all the facilities.

* Bathrooms (en-suites/showers/baths/water supply etc): The bathrooms of Nkwichi Lodge are a highlight, hand crafted around the surrounding nature, with showers emerging from trees and baths for two built deep between the rocks. Hot water sprouts from rocks and tree braches.

Nkwazi and Kuya Chalet have en-suit toilets, while the remaining chalets have a separate building and few paces away from the chalet.

Water is solar pumped from the lake and filtered before drinking. All waste is dealt with in an environmentally sound way, through sand filters and composting pits.

* Meal arrangements

Meals can either be at a group table with other guests or at a private location of your choosing. We serve a delicious set menu for lunch and dinner according to the availability of fresh produce. Special dietary requirements are catered for, please notify us in advance.

* Public Areas (bar/lounge/library)

The main attraction is the pure white beach, where two large sun shades have been set up with loungers and cushion covered chairs. The beach is around 600 meters long and is exclusively for the use of the Nkwichi guests.

The main building of the lodge is a gloriously designed double story thatched structure with an open plan design; the 1^st floor is a great place to sit back, relax and enjoy views of the lake (this is where we have refreshment drinks to welcome guests to the lodge). The 1^st floor is also where our dining room and bar are located, The ground floor has a small library from where guests can select their choice of reading material for their stay. There is also a small curio shop filled with hand crafted goodies to take home with you.

* Facilities (pool / TV’s etc)

The largest pool of any lodge worldwide (we have Africa ’s 3^rd largest fresh water lake just meters from every chalet) – crystal clear warm waters, teaming with brightly coloured tropical fish.

No TV’s; the surroundings are entertainment enough. Nkwichi does have a sunshade on the main beach with an array of beach equipment for daily beach, snorkeling and swimming activities. * Power Supply

The whole lodge is powered by a state of the art solar power system. All the Chalets and main public areas have solar electric lights. Paraffin lanterns and candles set the scene for dinners and moon lit baths. Wind-up torches are provided to each guest to aid moving around at night.

Video and camera batteries, mobile phones and iPods (etc) can be recharged in our office.

* Communications (Internet access / telephones etc)

You are welcome to send and receive short emails through our satellite internet system, free of charge. There is no mobile signal here at Nkwichi Lodge, but if you take a short 20 minutes walk up to our viewpoint (with incredible views over the lake to Malawi ), you will be able to make contact with the rest of the world. For emergencies calls can be made through Skype or a Satellite Phone in the office.

* Other services and facilities for guests

Nkwichi staff can provide you with suggested itineraries for you to maximize your visit to the region and can help with bookings and reservations.

A well stocked First Aid Box is always available

Child minders can be organized to over see that your children do not get into too much trouble.

Work shops and conferences can be organized at the lodge and is an ideal location for brain storming sessions as there is no interference from the outside world.

All the staff at the lodge are from the surrounding Nyanja Communities, they are warm, welcoming and exceptionally friendly. As a result of this and the project initiated by the lodge, an unprecedented relationship has been developed between the Lodge and the communities within a 60 km radius from the lodge.

pricing details:

2009 Rate (US$)
Valid: 1st Jan 2009 – 31st Dec 2009 inclusive

Rates include accommodation, all meals, all activities at the lodge, all Government taxes and a community levy.

Bar bills and boat transfers are charged separately.

Standard Chalets at Nkwichi - US$ 290 per person sharing

Honeymoon Suit at Nkwichi - US$ 320 per person sharing

Houses (Makolo and Songea) - US$ 320 per person sharing

*Children under 12 are half price, under 3 are free. Special discounts are available for Residents in Africa and large groups.

* A stay of 5 nights will charged as 4 nights (one night discount).

Boat transfers to Nkwichi; From Likoma Island = US$ 60 per person.

From Cobué = US$ 45 per person

Booking Terms: A deposit of 20% is required to secure a reservation. Deposits are non-refundable. Balance of payment is required 35 days prior to date of arrival. Cancellations within 14 days of arrival incur full charges.

OPERATING SEASONS:

Open All Year Round

CHILD POLICY:

Children off all ages are welcome and they love it as there are so many things for them to do and so much space for them to run around in.

Reduced child rates apply for children under 12 when sharing with 2 adults. Children under 3 are free. Child minders can be provided to give the parents a break.

ADDITIONAL ADULTS SHARING ROOMS:

Our chalets are spacious enough to accommodate extra beds in the rooms. The third bed in a chalet is charged at a little over half price

location: Wild and remote, northern Mozambique is often referred to as the unexplored Africa . The Eastern Shores of the lake are sparsely populated with little outside access.

Nkwichi lodge has successfully demarcated and protected an area of 650 hectares (4 kms of lake shore, 8 beaches) from poaching and fires. As a result zebra, warthog, kudu and otter are starting to return and can sometimes be seen around the lodge.

Additionally, a huge conservation area of 120,000 hectares (roughly the size of greater London ) has been established under the name of the local communities; The Manda Wilderness Community Conservation Area (MWCCA) - covering an area between the lakeshore and the Messinge River, 40km to the east. The lakeshore and escarpment have dry land forests, while thinly wooded savannah and marsh land exists on the plateau. It is a pristine wilderness, with great potential for both wildlife and tourism – recent wildlife sightings in the reserve include wild dog, elephant, bushbuck, reedbuck, duiker, sable, hippo and leopard and lion.

Nkwichi Beach :

012º 12.578’ S

034º 42.470’ E

485m above sea level

activities: At Nkwichi you can choose the level of activity to suit you from total relaxation to adventurous activities and excursions. All activities are included in the price, so there is no need to feel under pressure in anyway, just do what you want to.

RELAXING Beach volley-ball, boules, body boards and air-mattresses are all available on the beach for your use.

SWIMMING AND SNORKELLING The tropical fresh waters of Lake Niassa are ideal for swimming snorkelling.

CANOEING AND KAYAKING We have 4 modern Canadian canoes. They may be taken out on your own (for those who know how) or with an experienced guide. We also have a low volume surf kayak and a fibre-glass racing kayak available for the more experienced.

SAILING AND FISHING Fishing rods and fishing equipment are available at the office – we operate a catch and release policy.For experienced sailors we have a hobie cat 16 footer available for sailing on the lake – for those not so experienced, short complimentary sailing lessons are available. Yellow fin – the smaller of our two wooden sailing dhows – can also be taken out on short sailing safaris, sun set cruises and picnics.

SHORT WALKS AND EXCURSIONS There are a number of short walks available, to explore the wilderness area behind and around the lodge. Guided walks can be arranged to:

The Baobab Tree A 30 minute walk takes you to this 2,000 year old baobab tree, which has an incredible 29m diameter.The baobab can also be reached by canoe, so if the lake is calm, why not walk there, have lunch and then enjoy a leisurely canoe back to the lodge.

The Viewpoint A more energetic 30 minute climb up the escarpment behind the lodge takes you to the viewpoint. From this high point, your guide will explain some of the ancient history and legends of the lake.

The Waterfall From the start of the rains in December through until about the end of June there is an attractive waterfall just behind the lodge

The Farm A visit to our working demonstration farm is a must – The organic farm has been set up to help train local communities in different sustainable agricultural methods and crops, and also provides many of the fresh fruit and vegetables you will dine on at the lodge.

VISITS TO THE COMMUNITIES Guests are welcome to visit and learn about various development projects initiated and supported by the lodge. These are partly financed by your stay, with US$ from every bed night donated to these projects.

Through village committees, many successful projects have been established, from primary schools to maternity clinics. The children from the village will enthusiastically take over the tour from you guide and are delighted to show you around their school.

Traditional dancing ceremonies, football matches and other big social events are a very entertaining day out.

HISTORICAL TOURS An easy day spent cruising in a dhow with a tour around the churches and markets Cobué and Likoma Island. A unique insight into the life on the far side of the lake.

LONGER WALKS AND EXPEDITIONS A variety of fully catered, camping safaris (walking, canoeing, sailing or a combination) can easily be arranged to explore the Manda Wilderness Community Reserve and the wild lake shore. These can range from just one night to a twelve-day adventure, and we cater for all levels of fitness.

community and cultural tourism/social responsibility:

Nkwichi Lodge is a world leader in responsible tourism.

In 2008, Nkwichi was awarded the BEST SMALL HOTEL for the World Wide Responsible Tourism and Virgin Holliday Awards – and this is just our most recent award!

Working closely with the 20,000 people in this vast area, Nkwichi has helped each of the 15 villages to set up a Community Committee. Through these Committees, six schools have been building, a maize mill, a maternity clinic, 60km of roads and over 700 farmers have received training in sustainable agriculture.

With assistance from the Swedish Government and the Ford Foundation, a Community Conservation Area of 120,000 hectares has been established in the names of the local communities.

All the 15 villages involved in the Manda Wilderness Project have now been united in a formal association called Umoji (meaning ‘As One’). This is the first association of its kind in Mozambique and is hailed as a pioneer collaboration between tourism and the local communities. Through this association, each village has obtained their land rights and now has a firm grip on their futures.

All the staff at Nkwichi lodge, much of the building materials and food produce is sourced from the surrounding communities, ensuring that the benefits from tourism stay as local as possible.

Your stay at Nkwichi will directly help the people who you will visit on your trips to the villages. This makes Nkwichi a unique destination, where comforts can be enjoyed to the maximum while knowing that your stay is helping other peoples’ lives to improve.

getting there:

From Malawi

1) Charter flights from mainland Malawi to Likoma Island A 1 hour hop from Lilongwe, Malawi's capital, to Likoma, where Nkwichi staff will welcome you and help with the minimal immigration formalities before whisking you to Nkwichi Lodge on our motorized dhow, Miss Nkwichi, or our speedboat.

2) All aboard Ilala The Scottish-built Ilala steams around the main ports of call on Lake Niassa/Malawi on a weekly basis. Join the Ilala at Chipoka (Fridays 2pm) in the south of Malawi or Nkhata Bay (Monday 8pm) in the north.Guests can combine the romance of a one-way trip on the Ilala with the convenience of a return flight by charter from Cobué.

From Mozambique

1) From Lichinga: Lichinga can be reached on regular scheduled flights with LAM from the major towns in Mozambique .

Nkwichi can arrange road transfers from Lichinga to the lakeside town of Cobué – an approx 4 hour drive down the Rift Valley escarpment and through the Manda Wilderness Reserve. We will then pick you up by boat for a 1 hour transfer to the lodge.

2) From Pemba A chartered flight can be arranged from Pemba on the northern coast of Mozambique , direct to Cobué airstrip. We will meet you at Cobue airstrip for boat transfer to Nkwichi.

FINDING US ON THE MAP:

Nkwichi Lodge is located in the north-western corner of Mozambique , on the eastern side of Lake Malawi (or Lake Niassa as it is called on this side). Close to the islands of Likoma and Chizumulu (belonging to Malawi), 15km south of a small town named Cobué on the main land Mozambique is a small triangular point, known as Mala Point. The concession for Nkwichi Lodge stretches south from this point.

contact details:

Nkwichi Lodge
Manda Wilderness
Lake Niassa
Mozambique

post: Manda Wilderness Project
CP.123, Lichinga, Niassa Province, Mozambique.

tel: (Skype): +442032863181 / Skype: nkwichi

website: www.mandawilderness.org

email: info@mandawilderness.org

if you are traveling somewhere remote, or to a country with an unstable political climate, please check the travel advice section first