Name: Thumbi View Lodge
Address: Village Road, Monkey Bay, Monkey Bay, Monkey Bay, 0157, Malawi
Rating: 9.2

Shopping on site

Smoking areas

Smoke-free property

Gift shop

Garden

Terrace

Outdoor furniture

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Family room

Shower/Bathtub

Shower

Linens

Mosquito net

Rooms

Laundry

Services and amenities

Diet menu (on request)

Restaurant (buffet style)

Snack bar

Poolside bar

Packed Lunches

Bottled water (at extra charge)

Meals

Internet

Transfer services

Transfer

Library

Hiking

Recreation

Parking

Swimming pool

Outdoor pool

Beach facilities

Water sport facilities

Private beach

Beach/pool towels

Next to the beach

Pool and beach

Business center

Business

Diving

Snorkelling

Yoga

Sports

Family/Kid Friendly

Kids

Location

At the hotel

Room amenities

Thumbi View Lodge

Stayed 3 nights and had a very relaxing time. Staff and owners very friendly and helpful. Phoned Ilala ferry for me and reserved a cabin. Nice room and good food

We have tried a few other lodges along Cape Mac previously, but now see that Thumbi View is the place to be. We met many tourists, backpackers, charity workers and other professionals during our time here and made very good friends along the way.
The atmosphere is very relaxing, the food was great and there is a good choice of accommodation preferences, from lake view to dormitory.
It's easy to book a cruise, boat ride, kayak or any variation from the lodge.
Also easy to book a ride to and from the airport, or any other location, or just jump on a motorbike any time, to any place.
We will always stay here when we return to Cape Maclear.

If you are looking for relaxation,look no further.  Spectacular location, super hosts, nothing is too much trouble,and food that cannot be faulted.  Staff never stop smiling!  Room spotless, comfy bed, Value for money, laundry service, lovely villiage

Thumbi Lodge is a great place to stay in Cape Maclear: it is well located with lovely friendly staff and a good standard of budget friendly accommodation. Contrary to some of the other reviews below, we found that good quality Wi-Fi was available at very minimal cost (with great connection albeit subject to the various regular power cuts that are common in the area!). Drinks and food are also well priced. The staff were extremely friendly and very accommodating of requests. We chose one of the garden rooms and were very pleased: the shower had hot water and the room was comfortable. Highly recommended for a good value stay in Cape Maclear.

To note more generally, activities such as sunset cruise and kayaking can be booked through the lodge at good prices. For tours, right beside the lodge on the beach are the Tour Guides who organise activities - they are independent of the lodges but well organised and helpful. We did the full tour (Ilala Gap, Thumbi West Island, Otters Point etc.) with Symone and had a really great time. The tour guides do accept card payments but at a rate that is not so good: would highly recommend bringing US dollars in cash to pay them or plenty of Kwacha (note: there is NO cash machine in Cape Maclear, the nearest one is in Monkey Bay, so withdraw before arriving!). 

Thumbi View was a great choice to stay in Cape Maclear. I initially booked a different accommodation, but once I discovered Thumbi View with its beautiful veranda overloking the beach, and the nice pool and sun beds to hang out, I quickly relocated. 

The staff is very friendly and always ready to help, and the food was delicious.

I stayed in a dorm room, which was very good value for the price.

It is also a great place to meet other travellers. I strongly recommend!

We have just returned home after an absolutely amazing stay at Thumbi lodge.
The facilities throughout the lodge are immaculate. The staff are so welcoming and accommodating especially Joyce,and Akim. Breakfast each morning was a delight with the freshly baked muffins. They even have a catamaran you can hire . We spent two fabulous afternoons snorkelling around the island with Maurice showing us the sights. I really can’t recommend Thumbi highly enough. We will definitely be back.

One of the nicest places in Cape Maclear. Well stocked bar. With ice cold beer. Nice rooms. Infinity Pool overlooking Thumbi Island. Lunch menu consists of burgers & sandwiches. Boat rides to the island are possible.  Kayaking also. A Curio Shop at the entrance 

Excellent location, lovely staff and very affordable. Rooms were basic but comfortable and good value for money. Swimming pool area is lovely with great views of the beach. 

Breakfast is really good and dinners too. Very nice place to meet locals and tourists alike

We live in Malawi about an 1.5 hour away from Cape Maclear.  Home for 8 1/2 years so far.  We can usually do day trips to the lake so we don’t often stay at the lake. But once in awhile (like for our 18th wedding anniversary!), we like to go to Cape Maclear for a weekend. We kept it low-key this year but it was still so special b/c of our stay at Thumbi View. The staff was professional and friendly.  The lakeview room was comfortable, the pool was refreshing, the view was amazing and the ambience was both great for meeting new people or just chilling.  Just wonderful! We usually like to do snorkeling at Thumbi Island or a sunset cruise but this time we focused on hiking, swimming and lounging.  But what really stood out for us was the delicious food!  The unique spice combinations of the South African-style Indian buffet night still linger memorably on our palate even a week later! Loved Noleen’s creative expression of Indian food.  And I also personally enjoyed the veggie burger and Thumbi Sunset cocktail for lunch.  And the grilled kampango (catfish) dinner with fresh salad for our second dinner was fresh and scrumptious! This catfish was done excellently! And last but not least, the snacks for sale are authentic biltong, including chili bites! It doesn’t get better than this!

We stayed at Thumbi View just before Christmas 2021. We chose it as it has a lovely open view of the lake, whereas some lodges are overgrown with trees. The view from around the pool is spectacular and the first lodge we have been to in Malawi with really comfortable sun loungers! We were lazy and just wanted a rest. The pool area was perfect for this.

Our room was behind the dive school with a nice view of the beach. It had a double and a single bed and was spacious. It was also en-suite which was a nice surprise at this price.

We ate almost all our meals at the lodge looking over the lake and were pleasantly surprised with each meal. It really is good value. The owners had, very kindly, got some special wine for us as it was my wife's birthday. The owners, Noleen and Chris, were very friendly and helpful throughout, as was the super-friendly cook who chatted to us every day and the barman, Ackim.

I have stayed in several places in Cape McClear over the years but this takes some beating for the location, layout and friendliness. It is now my go-to place!

Monkey Bay

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

14-beds

15-beds

16-beds

17-beds

18-beds

19-beds

2-beds

20-beds

21-beds

22-beds

23-beds

24-beds

25-beds

26-beds

27-beds

28-beds

29-beds

3-beds

30-beds

31-beds

32-beds

33-beds

34-beds

35-beds

36-beds

37-beds

38-beds

39-beds

4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

park access

Overall, absolutely adored Thumbi. This was mainly due to its beautiful location in Cape Maclear and the incredible staff. 
The views from Thumbi are beautiful. Swimming in the lake and watching the sun set each night was a travelling highlight for me. Cape Maclear town is also very lovely to wonder into. The people are all very friendly. Would recommend Zatus across the road from Thumbi for cheaper, proper Malawian food, although the food at Thumbi is very good (just expensive) - although breakfast is included with the price of the room which is great. 
Big shout out to Christopher, Lifo, Caroline, Akim and, of course, the incredible Morris, who took us out on Thumbi’s catamaran for a sunset cruise. We had the best time ever thanks to him and the other lovely guests who made our time very social and enjoyable.  
We paid for a private room which basic - 2 beds with alright mosquito nets, a table, and bathroom. The beds did give us bed bugs though and we woke up with many bites. We did mention this to the lovely staff who helped us with the problem and offered us solutions but we didn’t get an apology or compensation from the owners who seem a bit distant from Thumbi and the community in Cape Maclear. We also felt as though Thumbi was definitely a place for white tourists and not too welcoming towards locals which I wish wasn’t the case. 
Other than this, I can say that we really did have an incredible time here. We were very sad to leave the friends we made and the wonderful wonderful staff who really made this stay 10/10.

Amazing location and staff, distant owners

Great atmosphere, prices and location

Great stay at Thumbi View: friendly staff with great location

Good food, friendly staff, funky rooms. No internet, but cell tower nearby with occasional data service for T-mobile. Well-located on the lake in best part of Chembe. Hot water available mostly in the morning. Touts will approach you on the lodge's "private" beach. Only some of the upscale rooms have seating outside. Pathways, parking and approaches to the lodge are dusty sand. Skies and air are smoky during the dry season.

Good Backpacker's Lodge

This lodge is a wonderful place to stay in Chembe / Cape Maclear.  It is right on the beach with a wonderful view of Lake Malawi and of course, Thumbi Island.  At the restaurant and pool area is the perfect place to catch the beautiful sunsets.  This is also where breakfast is served.  Such a beautiful & peaceful place to wake up, then have coffee & breakfast while enjoying views of the lake.

I stayed 3 nights here and had a relaxing time.  I initially booked a room in the back of the property, not near the lake, which is a more budget-friendly option.  I spent one night there then decided to upgrade to a room that faces the lake for the next 2 nights.  The lake view rooms are clean, spacious, & comfortable.  The beds have mosquito nets over them, which was very helpful.  The showers here also have hot water.

Upon booking online, the lodge contacted & welcomed me, then provided all the information I needed for my Malawi visit & stay at their lodge.  They offer airport pickup & drop-off, which I booked, since Lilongwe is about a 4hr drive to Cape Maclear so this is the easiest & most convenient option.  Also, my flight arrived late in the afternoon so it was already dark by the time I arrived at the lodge.  The owner arranged to have the driver pick up some food for me so I can have a light dinner on the road because there’s really nothing between Lilongwe & Cape Maclear.  In addition to this, they also helped me with the invitation letter & booking confirmation, which I needed to submit for my tourist visa application to Malawi.  Everything was seamless.
  
On one of the days, I booked a sunset catamaran cruise offered by the lodge, since they have their own catamaran.  We sailed around Thumbi Island & stayed on the lake for sunset. Apart from the sunset, it was perfect timing as we saw so many fishermen going out to the lake to fish on their traditional dugout canoes.

The owner, with his beautiful dog, & the staff are all wonderful & very accommodating.  The location with a view of Lake Malawi is beautiful.  The food & service are great.  And the overall ambiance here is peaceful.  The only downside I can think of here is that there is no wifi on the property.  But for me, this was the perfect place to relax for a few days!

Excellent location, beautiful views, friendly owner & staff, relaxing environment

Staff was nice and friendly, view is amazing, and the pool was my child’s favourite. Food was also excellent altho for breakfast it would have been nice to have something fresh such as fruits or vegetables or even juice. 

Overall our stay was great but I really really really missed MUSIC at the pool/bar that wasn’t played basically at all. It was difficult to understand why - afterall it plays such a big role all around Africa. would have enjoyed pool day drinks and evenings much more in at least a bit more lively atmosphere especially cause I was traveling with a child and could not really go out to local places and corner shops in the evenings. For some reason all lodges in Cape Mac seem to think tourists want to sit in peace and read a book…. When I asked, they said it’s not a party place. I understand that totally but playing music in the afternoons and before guests’ bed time doesnt make a party - only nice atmosphere and would probably increase your bar sales. An that reminded - they increased the beer price in the middle of the week by more than 30% and didnt even inform about it. Just noticed it on my tap when paying my bill. That is very bad customer care. 

Ps. Pay in cash and in kwatchas - dollar rate they use is a total rip off (not even close to the real rate). You end up loosin a lot of money!

Amazing view, nice pool, great location. We had a basic room and shared bathroom option but was fine enough for us.

Best experience in Cape Maclear!

Wonderful family friendly lodge in the beautiful Cape Maclear .

I don’t even know where to start because my heart is full! 

I actually stayed elsewhere prior and let’s just say a hot shower that welcomed me after numerous days was bliss! 

Noleen! How incredible is this woman! 
So kind, helpful and accommodating. 
Any questions I had she was happy to answer via whatsapp and even go further to arrange things for me such as contacts for the e visa and transfers. 
I don’t think she knows how memorable she made this trip. 

The staff at Thumbi are like family! I wanted to take each of them home with me from Akim behind the bar to Joyce the super woman of a cook. 

I had the lake view and couldn’t rave about it enough. Solar power during the day gives you that tad of electricity in the room you need to give your devices some juice. 

The food was incredible and the atmosphere was created where you can meet fellow travellers and also locals at Thumbi. 

There is a local bar with pool right behind Thumbi (make sure you go) it was really fun to hang with the locals. 

The only downside was that the rooms have the main road behind so it can be extremely noisy especially when music is going too from nearby places but being ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones and you’ll sleep amazing in their rooms! 

The menu for dinner is set every evening with a theme from Joyce however breakfast and lunch you can choose from a menu. 

I can’t recommend Thumbi enough. 
Say hi to Milo (the cat) and Abbi (the dog) for me when you go.

Thumbi View Lodge

Popular amenities

Available rooms

Location

Description of the hotel

Services and amenities

Popular

General

Rooms

Services and amenities

Meals

Internet

Transfer

Recreation

Parking

Pool and beach

Business

Sports

Kids

Conditions of accommodation

Conditions of accommodation

Payment

Payment

For corporate clients