Great Escapes
Tongole Wilderness Lodge

Tongole Wilderness Lodge

Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, Malawi

  • Waterside
  • Rural
  • Wildlife
  • Nature
  • Safari
£££pp / nightVisit website

Great value safari lodge in Malawi’s under-the-radar wilderness

Tongole Wilderness Lodge is a five-suite eco-lodge on the banks of the Bua River, in Malawi's Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, one of the country's last true wildernesses. Built from red earth, timber and thatch, the lodge looks out over the Bua River from four riverside suites and two family cottages. Since African Parks reintroduced 500 elephants and over 1,000 plains game to the reserve in 2016, wildlife has been steadily returning to the miombo woodland around the lodge.

Almost every activity here happens on foot or by water: guided bush walks with an armed scout, canoeing down the Bua, fly-fishing, and fly-camping for those staying three nights or more. Profits go back into the Tongole Foundation, which funds a local school and buys its supplies from surrounding villages.

Sustainability

Climate & conservation

  • Electricity and hot water both come from solar energy
  • Built from local, sustainable materials
  • Bush walks, canoeing and fly fishing replace vehicle-heavy game drives
  • Tongole is the reserve's only high-end lodge, so tourism directly funds its protection

Community & culture

  • Founded in 2009 by two families in memory of Vitu Kalanga
  • Employs 30 people full-time, in one of Malawi's most deprived districts
  • Runs the Tongole Foundation, which works on education, conservation, health and economic empowerment
  • Supports Mwalawatongole Full Primary School

Commercial

  • Lodge profits fund the community, through jobs, training or the foundation

In brief

Price bracket
£££
Type of property
Lodge
No. of rooms
5 villas
Max guests per room
Four suites sleep 2; two-bedroom family cottages sleep up to 4
Facilities
Restaurant, Bar, Wifi, Pool, Garden
Activities
Safari drives, Bush walks, Birdwatching, River activities, Hiking
Setting
Riverside · Wilderness · Bush

Kids

Minimum age 8; a Family Cottage with two bedrooms is available for those travelling with children

Accessibility

A remote wilderness lodge reached by dirt track or light aircraft; not step-free or suited to limited mobility

Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, Malawi

£££pp / night Visit website

Guide price · £ <£100 · ££ £100–300 · £££ £300–800 · ££££ £800+ pp / night