Kaya Mawa: A Perfect Escape

It feels good to be home.

After months spent moving through winter, I found myself craving something simple and elemental: warmth, water, and stillness. I wanted to sit on a beach, feel the sun properly, and take in Lake Malawi the way I grew up knowing it—unrushed, expansive, grounding.

The past five years have been a marathon. From pursuing my first Master of Science in Entrepreneurship, to stepping into the intensity of work at the United Nations, to returning once more to the classroom for my MBA, life has moved quickly and demanded a great deal of focus. I’ve been deeply grateful for the opportunities, but I was ready—very ready—to come home and just be.

Being back in Malawi always reminds me why I started the work I did nearly a decade ago: telling fuller, more intentional stories about this country. Stories that move beyond headlines and into lived beauty. This trip home, I wanted to slow down and take you with me—to revisit some of the spaces I have come to love, places that hold memory, meaning, and a particular kind of quiet joy.

My first stop had to be Kaya Mawa.

I was eager to retreat to the island, to step away from the noise of my everyday reality and take a deliberate pause. Likoma offers that kind of separation—the kind that allows you to breathe fully again. It felt like the right place to begin this homecoming.

Some places you fall in love with twice. Once in your imagination, and again when reality quietly exceeds it.

I first discovered Kaya Mawa years ago—through photographs, stories, and that persistent whisper that this was the place in Malawi. Back then, I imagined it as a honeymoon destination, a future bookmark. Years later, returning with more life behind me and sharper eyes for detail, Kaya Mawa revealed itself as something more enduring than a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

This is not just a honeymooner’s dream. It’s a retreat for people who value space, rhythm, and intention.

Set on Likoma Island, deep within Lake Malawi, Kaya Mawa feels gently removed from urgency. You arrive by light aircraft from Lilongwe, and almost immediately, time loosens its grip. The name itself—“Maybe Tomorrow”—is not branding. It’s a promise.

What to expect

Hospitality that is confident, not performative
Service here is warm, intuitive, and unforced. The kind that anticipates without hovering. Staff remember your preferences, greet you with ease, and allow you to feel at home without ceremony. It’s the sort of hospitality that doesn’t need to announce itself—it simply works.

Design that respects its setting
The lodge is built into natural rock formations, with each of the eleven rooms carefully positioned for privacy. No two spaces are identical. Expect polished concrete, hand-crafted details, mosquito-netted beds, outdoor showers, and textures that feel honest rather than imported. Some suites open directly onto the lake; others include private plunge pools or secluded decks that invite stillness.

This is barefoot luxury—considered, not excessive.

Food that understands place
Meals are relaxed but deliberate. Ingredients are local, herbs are grown on site, and menus shift with the day rather than the clock. Breakfasts are generous and unhurried. Lunch might arrive as a picnic on the lake or something light between swims. Dinners are lantern-lit, often served directly on the sand, and always designed to complement the pace of the day.

If you care about food—not theatrics, but flavour and balance—you’ll be very comfortable here.

Space, privacy, and silence
Many rooms come with their own stretch of beach. When you want solitude, it’s effortless. When you want company, the main beach, bar, and lounge offer quiet sociability without noise or spectacle. Kaya Mawa attracts guests who understand that luxury is often about what is absent.

The Lake as the Main Event
Lake Malawi is impossibly clear, endlessly calming, and central to the experience. Swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkeling, or simply watching the light shift across the water—everything here orbits the lake. Even the spa is positioned to let water and sound do half the work.

Who this place is for

Kaya Mawa is ideal if you are:

planning a honeymoon but want something intimate and uncontrived
travelling as a couple and value privacy over buzz
a solo traveller seeking restoration, not distraction
a creative or professional who needs space to think, read, and reset

It’s less suited to anyone chasing nightlife, rigid schedules, or constant stimulation. This is a place for people who understand that slowing down is not indulgence—it’s strategy.

Final thought

At 22, I saw Kaya Mawa as a dream destination. At 30, I see it as a reminder of what thoughtful hospitality looks like when it’s done well—and quietly.

You don’t come here to tick a box.
You come to recalibrate.

And maybe, just maybe, to leave a few things for tomorrow.

— Ntha

malawi-kaya-mawa-view-over-beach-and-main-lodge

Owned by James and Suzie Lightfoot, Kaya Mawa is located on the biggest Island in Malawi, Likoma. An hour flight from Lilongwe, you will experience a true Malawian paradise here. Kaya Mawa the name translates as ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, which fits the relaxed nature of the beautiful Hotel. You could almost postpone everything to tomorrow when at Kaya Mawa. Procrastination – sounds like a good vacation!

Coming from me, you will not be disappointed, and here are the 10 reasons why:

The Hospitality is amazing!!! Simply that.

Initially, I wanted to say “On point” but I was trying to sound proffessional. Then my colleague said, and I quote ” The customer service is on point” and now I just have to say it, Kaya Mawa’s Hospitality is on point! Everyone at the Hotel is friendly, from the people to the dogs. Yes I said the dogs!!!

That is reason #2. The dogs!

Call me the dogwhisperer, I made such good friends with the dogs at the hotel. We went for runs and swims together. The joy! And I am not even crazy about pets!

The food

We all know I am a foodie. The whole of the past week I had lost my appetite, and glad to say that kaya Mawa brought in that kick to get me to start eating again!

The 5-star chef Richard Greenhall and his team will delight you with a menu that is in keeping with the local environment, using local produce and herbs grown in the hotels own garden, with a fusion of flavours that simply delights. Prior to joining Kaya Mawa Richard worked as a training chef for Jamie Oliver and since joining Kaya Mawa 7 years ago, he has been nominated for a number of awards. Combined with relaxed dining ethos, you can enjoy meals to fit in with the rest of your day, from a picnic on a private boat experience, to evening meals lit up on the beach in an unforgettable setting.

The chef prepares cuisines every day, as per his choice – and you get to enjoy a two course meal in the afternoon accompanied by tea. Then you have a lantern-lit three course dinner by the beach.

The breakfast

And how can we discuss food without thinking of the breakfast? Yes Kaya Mawa breakfast deserves a mention of its own. So much great food with a great array of choices to pick from.

The rooms

Kaya Mawa has 11 rooms that can take up to 29 guests per night. These rooms consist of honeymoon suites to family rooms. All rooms located separately across the beach, you are assured of your privacy and the ultimate feeling like you are on a private vacation.

Each of Kaya’s eleven rooms is unique and offers something very special. Serene
and secret decks for sunbathing or a romantic dinner for two, secluded lakeside
chalets with private al fresco lounges lapped by the water. You may find yourself
showering under the stars, taking a midnight dip in your suite’s private plunge
pool or simply walking hand in hand across the bridge to your very own island
after a moonlit dinner on the beach.

All the rooms are built into natural rocks, all different in shape and form, and carefully decorated with the beautiful details of polished concrete, white mosquito nets, Zanzibar chests and lamps, and elegant, beaded bed covers and cushions (produced at Suzie’s “Katundu” workshop).

The beach

I love a beautiful clear beach and this place serves just that. Given that almost all the rooms have private beaches, you are guaranteed privacy on your own side of the beach. When you want to socialise, there is also a long stretch of a beach facing the front of the hotel, restaurant and bar.

The view(s)

Did I say private pools and private beaches? Each of these scenes give you a great view of the lake. Relaxing.

Attention to detail

I am a sucker for detail. What makes Kaya Mawa the beautiful Hotel it is are the colors. The beautifully blended blues and pinks make for stunning place anyone would kill to be at.

The Bar

Combine turquoise elements and nice drinks and I am sold! The bar is calm and nothing close to loud. This is a pure vacation experience. Very relaxing.

The Spa

Located on the lake on the west side of the hotel is a spa that is simply just fabulous. Decorated in earthy elements and the calming sound of the water – could a spa be better?

Romantic nights (Dinner by the Beach)

Every night the hotel serves a romantic three course dinner by the beach and at times by the sand. The dinner each night is different and as per the chef’s choice.