Kaya Mawa

Top choice in Malawi


Remember Scaramanga's pad in The Man with the Golden Gun? Kaya Mawa, set on an amber-coloured beach lapped by turquoise water, is the ultimate location to live out your inner Bond. Its cliffside chalets, cleverly moulded around the landscape, are so beautiful you'll never want to leave.

Imagine plunge pools, the gentle lap of waves and the quiet appearance of a waiter with a bottle of chilled Champagne. Tempted? You should be, for this is one of the finest boutique experiences on the continent. The bar-restaurant is somewhere between a tropical idyll and a Bedouin dream. Dinner is set by candlelight on the beach, staff are almost elfin in their diplomacy and discretion, and the food is dreamed up by a chef who trained under Jamie Oliver. The spa has treatments including facials, grapeseed-oil massages and reflexology, and activities such as diving, snorkelling, kite surfing, waterskiing, kayaking, sailing and mountain biking are on offer.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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