Accomodation
Why Stay With Us?
Take a step away from mainstream hospitality and its often unconscious waste creation, and enter a realm of conscious, healthier living, respect for nature, love for detail, tailor-made solutions to your specific needs, and a very personalized service.
Our accomodation units are made by hand and mainly consist of locally available materials, with a large portion of them derived from the very land they belong to – stone, earth, natural non-toxic plasters, etc. We try to avoid the use of chemical treatments wherever feasible to create an as natural, pure and unpolluted environment as possible. Asthmatics and other allergies aggravated by air pollution or environmental toxins can thus enjoy our space.
All buildings are nestled into our permaculture gardens with adolescent fruit trees, decorative plants, berry bushes, vines and wild flowers. Relax in the hammock with a good book from our book exchange; have a drink with friends or other residents at our “Beetle Bistro” café bar or sun deck; engage in a game of pool billard or one of our plenty social board games; take a rejuvenating walk through our beautiful, seasonally changing landscape with hundreds of growing trees and bamboos; or celebrate creation by sitting and observe the biodiversity or the beautiful sunset with mountain view in our pond valley and let the fish, frogs and plentiful birdlife entertain you – maybe even while spoiling yourself with one of our lovingly filled picnic baskets?
We try to live – and hopefully inspire you to experience more – sustainability in many different aspects. No matter if we are building or decorating new buildings from scratch with non-toxic materials derived as much as possible from nature; making furniture and interiors from reycled materials; cook and bake food for you wherever possible without refined or industrially processed ingredients; make up your rooms using only biodegradeable nature-based cleaners; or equip your bathroom shelf with natural soaps and home-grown sponges…
Our team will go out of their way to make your stay with us welcoming, warm and memorable.
In all our rooms, the furniture is handmade from natural materials like bamboo and recycled pallet wood, with non-toxic finishes. Decoration elements collected from our abundant nature and local artwork give a cosy ambience to the rooms. Elegant beddings, good quality mattresses and moskito nets take care of your rejuvenating sleep. A set of towels and a handmade natural soap and handgrown luffa sponge await you on your bed on arrival. Electric geysers are available to heat up your showers in the cottages, dorms and luxury earth huts.
For different seasons and personal preferences, we have in store thick and thin pillows and duvets. Should you have any special request, kindly indicate this on your booking form and we will do our best to assist!
Filtered fresh drinking water as well as tea supplies are provided to you free of cost. For hot water, the rooms and community room have electric kettles and/or flasks can be refilled from our kitchen if there is a blackout.
For your freshly made main meals, homemade snacks and sweets, cold and hot drinks or other culinary delights, our Bistro & Café team are at your service. Our bar provides you with a range of beers, wines, liquors and special cocktail creations.
For Business Travellers, Meeting & Conference Participants
Are you representing an NGO, social enterprise, government institution or development partner?
Is your organization genuinely interested in leaving a low-carbon footprint, supporting positive development and “walking the talk”? Are you or your staff genuinely into creating positive change and lifelong learning? Have you ever thought of impressing your project partners or adding that little unique and authentic “plus” to your proposals by accomodating your staff or holding your meeting, events and conferencing venue at one of the most environmentally educational, climate smart and sustainably run venues in the country? Then why not choose a local social enterprise with the extra bit of inspirational flair, that fulfills all the above, for your next event?! 🙂
With our practical location within easy reach of Mulanje, Thyolo and Phalombe, we are perfectly placed as a convenient stay-over, meeting and conferencing venue for Project Managers and teams.
Flexible room and table arrangements, spacious indoor and outdoor arrangements for break-away sessions and group work, projector hire, flipcharts/whiteboards, electricity backup and other amenities will help to make your time with us efficient and memorable at the same time.
For Families
At ecoLODGy we very cordially welcome our little visitors.
Our team will try their best to make your stay as parents as convenient as possible – be it through the provision of a free bed-side baby cot, potty and toddler dining chair, environmentally friendly (compostable) diaper backup etc. -, while granting your little companions lots of room for discovery and fun through our wide array of indoor and outdoor games, our responsible pet zoo with rabbits, turtles and chickens; and of course free access for residents to our spacious and creative forest adventure playground and walkways. In the warmer months, the kids can enjoy the splash pool, too.
We can also arrange for individual child sitting with an experienced nanny or child minder (on pre-booking basis).
Speak to us about our varied workshops for families and groups or if you would like to get involved with our site or community work for some days, and dive more into the real life in Malawi.
Stone Cottages
Each of our beautiful Stone Cottages offers two ensuite double-bed rooms with a common living area and small khonde.
The shared kitchenette includes tea & snacking amenities like a fridge, kettle, toaster and a wash-up sink as well as a set of cutleries and crockery.
There is also an option to rent a whole cottage, or one of the cottages for a longer term, e.g. for consultants or project supervision/monitoring staff – in which case the second bedroom can also be transformed into a workspace if preferred. Please contact us to discuss any customization options with our friendly team!
“Accomodation Only” Rates (excl. 1% tourism levy):
Single Occupancy – per room per night: MK 45,000 (Malawi residents), USD 38 (internationals)
Double Occupancy – per room per night: MK 55,000 (Malawi residents), USD 50 (internationals)
Complete Cottage (2 rooms, up to 4 adults): MK 105,000 (Malawi residents), USD 65 (internationals)
Choose from our diverse breakfast menu according to your own preferences and budget.
Thatched Dormitory
Our two “living-room-style”, cosy shared sleeping rooms (one for males, one for females) for budget travellers or groups are equipped with comfortable single and bunk beds (4-6 beds per room), sofa set and individual shelf space and have spacious ensuite bathrooms. Each bathroom features 3 showers, 2 toilets and 2 sinks in order to ensure sufficient safe and private “breathing space” for everyone and avoid congestion.
There is a free tea and water corner at the 24/7 usable community room for residents in the same building, which also features a fridge and a small cash bar for packaged healthy snacks and fresh fruits. For your other culinary delights and freshly made snacks and sweets, our Bistro & Café team are at your service. An outdoor sitting area with water feature under our impressive “foundation tree” is also avilable specifically to dorm residents.
Bookings for these sleeping spaces are on a first come, first serve basis.
“Accommodation only” rate per person, per night: MK 25,000 (Malawi residents), USD 25 (internationals) (excl. of 1% tourism levy).
Choose from our breakfast menu according to your budget.
Camping
We offer a simple, safe and family style place for campers and overlanders.
Facilities include the use of our dorm bathrooms with warm water showers, composting and flush toilets, water refill tap, dishwashing sink in our community room, access to kettle and fridge. Of ocurse you are welcome to join us for food or some board games or book exchange in our BeetleBistro, play a round of pool billiard, or just enjoy the space on a walk to the duck pond.
H2/2023 Rates (excl. 1% tourism levy):
Rented Tent – per person per night : MK 15,000
Own Tent or Camper / RTT – per person per night: MK 10,000
Children from 5-14 pay 50%
What to Do Around Here
Apart from the vast pathways to stroll around nature on our own site, you can speak to us about our varied workshops for families and groups or if you would like to get involved with our site or community work for some days, and dive more into the real life in Malawi.
There is also plenty to do and see within a short distance from us:
We are located en route to many of the major attractions of South Malawi.
Less than 10 minutes car drive away, there is a private game park where giraffes, zebras, several varieties of antelope and varied birdlife are nearly surely seen on each guided walk or drive. Without the more dangerous of the big five present here, this experience offers great views and excitement especially to families who might not quite like the thought of their little ones in the midst of lions and elephants quite yet.
If you fancy a game of golf, you can endulge in the beautiful scenery of the 9-hole course which is regularly frequented by the wildlife as well.
Our site is located about a 20 minutes bike ride from one of the most pittoresque and cycling-friendly areas of Malawi, the vast and green Thyolo tea fields, with their numerous off-road red clay tracks winding through different estates. We have a couple of city and mountain bikes available for hire.
Via Thyolo, one can as well continue the journey to the famous Mulanje massif, one of the largest in Africa. No matter if you are a hiking enthusiast, a passionate peak climber, or just love strolling through the fresh green fields at the foot of this really massive wonder of nature – only a one hour car drive from us, you can have it all. We are more than happy to organize day or overnight excursions, experienced and registered local guides or connections ot the local mountaineering club for you.
Another great plateau, more easily accessible by car thus also suitable for less mobile pedestrians or people who just love to enjoy magic views and to stroll around vast pine forests that dwindle alongside a beautifully situated dam, is situated in Zomba and can be reached in 90-120 car minutes from us.