Likoma Island is a little off the beaten track – which suits most people – and so the standard forms of transport used in Malawi are not what you’d use to get here. Most people find their way to Mango Drift on the MV Ilala, an old steamer which ferries people and goods up and down the lake on a weekly schedule. The Ilala begins its journey in Monkey Bay in the south on a Friday and wends its way northwards to Chilumba over 3 days and then heads back down south again, arriving in Monkey Bay on a Wednesday. Most often, travelers will get on the Ilala in Monkey bay and arrive here on a Saturday night, or hop on in Nkhata Bay in the north on a Monday night and arrive here on Tuesday morning. Although the Ilala has a schedule, do not rely on their punctuality! Lately, it has been arriving around sunset on a Saturday night and anywhere between 4 and 7 am on a Tuesday.

For accommodation options on the ferry, it is reccommended that you take a first class ticket and camp out on the deck under the stars. You can hire a mattress for 300 Malawi Kwacha (about $2) and pick a spot wherever you feel comfortable. Most travelers take this option as second class is extremely crowded and uncomfortable and you’ll more than likely find yourself squeezed inbetween grain bags and livestock! The deck is normally quite festive and there is a bar with drinks and snacks. The galley serves 3 meals a day – at extra cost - from a menu and a waiter will normally come around to take your order beforehand.
Make sure you keep your ticket with you as they check it when you are leaving the ferry at your departure point.
We do offer a transfer car to and from the Ilala, or the docking point it sends its tenders out to, for 500mk per person (otherwise it’s about a 45min walk!)

If you decide to stop off at Chizimulu Island first on a Tuesday, local dhows (sailboats) cross between the 2 islands every day. The same obviously also works in reverse. You can expect to pay around 200 Malawi Kwacha per person to hop on a dhow.

Travelers coming from Mozambique normally get on a dhow at Cobue, which is about 7km across from Likoma. To go across to Cobue, dhows leave daily from a spot near Mbamba town.

If you feel like treating yourself to a flight from various places in Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique, give Nyasa Air Taxi a call on +265 (0)1638471 and see what they have available. You can sometimes get a standby seat at a really reasonable price and they have flights coming to Likoma nearly every day, bringing guests in for surrounding hotels.

To use the Google map below:

The red marker indicates where Likoma Island is in the lake. To change your view use the slider on the left to zoom in or out.

[simplemap]