Cape Maclear (aka Chembe) is a small fishing village on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) in Malawi. It has one dirt road leading into (and straight out of) town. Along this road, there are a few hostels, some dive shops, a handful of vendors selling curios and fruit and a few bars. The pace of life here is . . . very . . . slow.
Mumbo Island is located about 4km offshore, inside Cape Maclear National Park, to the southern end of Lake Malawi.
The camp, which is set around a small cove on the eastern shore, comprises just six rooms. The island is renowned for its freshwater diving, kayaking and hammocks.
This old hippy hangout has been transformed into a very cool little lodge, but still retains the same laid back atmosphere.
Remember that Malawi suffers from malaria and in this part of Malawi there is a high risk all year round. Talk to your doctor before you go, wear insect repellent and cover your skin while it's dark, and sleep under a mosquito net.
Some parts of the lake are contaminated with flatworms, which can cause schistosomiasis (bilharzia). The parasites enter your body through cuts in the the skin, so just getting your feet wet could make you sick. However, you are not guaranteed to acquire it, even if you swim daily. Among the symptoms (which might not appear for months after exposure) is painless, bloody urine. Other symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, fatigue.
Bilharzia is easily treated, but convincing a Western doctor that you have bilharzia can be tough; explain that you've been to Malawi and ask for a test, although testing capacity is not common and expensive. As a visitor, if you are worried about bilharzia, buy the inexpensive treatment praziquantel in a pharmacy in Malawi (one pill for every 15kg body weight) and take it after you've finished with Lake Malawi.
Don't drink the water from the taps, it comes straight from the lake.
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