Barefoot Lodge and Safaris | Established Campground

April 13th, 2024 by caspari.saskia

Very nice and proper place. Camping on green grass, lots of trees giving shade, and everything is nicely kept. Camping 20,400 kwacha for 1 person, so on the expensive side. They also have Chalets for 70,000+. Bathroom clean, electricity on site. Nice bar area to sit and work or have a drink. Restaurant food is nice. Very friendly owner and staff. I stayed for a few days and regularly got from them fruit from their garden.

Definitely a good place for both stop over and to stay for a few days. In the evening in the weekend there was some noise from people at the bar (only from people talking, no music). But if you pick a campsite further from the bar this is a quiet place. WiFi didn't work when I was here, but Airtel signal is good. Shopping center 8kms down the road.

March 6th, 2024 by luluetflo

Good campsite with lots of shade, the owner is very friendly, and gives very good advice

March 1st, 2024 by PopeTravels.com

Very nice place with friendly owner and staff. The food is great, specially the meat braai packs! Nice and quiet place to stay.

February 10th, 2024 by jen_price_uk

Lovey place and the owner, Rudolph, is very friendly and helpful. Friendly staff, clean and spacious ablutions.

February 4th, 2024 by Barefoot Lodge and Safaris

Owners note: Accommodation close to Lilongwe, Malawi. Five rustic yet comfortable chalets on the premises as well as nine well kept campsites and an a-la carte restaurant. Ideally situated when arriving from or leaving to Chipata, Zambia.

February 1st, 2024 by Barefoot Lodge and Safaris

Owners note: Barefoot Lodge and Safaris is a well established lodge and campsite ideal for campers/travelers entering the country from Chipata, Zambia. With five rustic, yet comfortable on suite chalets, nine well kept campsites and a ala cart restaurant on the premises it is an ideal stop when traveling Malawi.

November 11th, 2023 by theexpat8

Nice place, good food and very friendly owners Rudolph and lovely wife from RSA. Good place to chill out a night if your coming to or going out of Malawi. FYI don't follow the Google map direction when coming off the main road. It will indicate a sharp turn almost immediately that will take you the long way. Just continue straight ahead as you come off the highway.

November 9th, 2023 by morriskp

Beautiful garden oasis with brand new shower block friendly staff and good reasonably priced restaurant. Big rig friendly Would definitely recommend/visit again very attractive units for rent too but didn’t see inside.

November 6th, 2023 by expeditionconservation.org

Pretty nice and tranquil place for a one night stop over when you come from/are going to Zambia. Nice grass campsite with trees. Ablutions were new and clean. Just one shower in women’s/men’s which is not enough if there’d be a lot of campers. Also $12/pppn is a bit steep. Electricity plugs need renewing, they were unusable atm (at site nr. 2 and surrounding ones, too).

September 4th, 2023 by greta-does-africa.com

Stopped in here on the way to the lake and was surprised. A great little campsite with lots of pitches located within lots of trees, each with a braai spot and a plug socket. Wood available on request. The staff are very friendly, and the bar and restaurant serves good food. A relaxing stopover for sure. Has wifi at the bar

July 31st, 2023 by lanyoverland.com

Barefoot Lodge and Safaris in Chitedze. Malawi
This very well presented and comfortable Lodge is situated within a few Km’s of Lilongwe town
The Lodge offers 10 guest rooms and a very spacious well maintained camping area.
All guest rooms include private furnished patios, private bathrooms (with complimentary toiletries) tea and coffee/tea making facilities and daily housekeeping.
The individual camping spots consist of flat grassy areas with Braai, and electricity and ample space for even the largest of rigs.
There is a fully equipped dining area and bar offering a menu and cold beer.
The food at the restaurant was particularly good.
Laundry facilities are also available upon request.
Barefoot can and will supply cover letter for Malawi visas after confirmation of booking .
Safaris and bird watching tours are also available.
A great destination for anyone visiting Malawi.

July 30th, 2023 by lanyoverland.com

Barefoot Lodge and Safaris in Chitedze. Malawi
This very well presented and comfortable Lodge is situated within a few Km’s of Lilongwe town
The Lodge offers 10 guest rooms and a very spacious well maintained camping area.
All guest rooms include private furnished patios, private bathrooms (with complimentary toiletries) tea and coffee/tea making facilities and daily housekeeping.
The individual camping spots consist of flat grassy areas with Braai, and electricity and ample space for even the largest of rigs.
There is a fully equipped dining area and bar offering a menu and cold beer.
The food at the restaurant was particularly good.
Laundry facilities are also available upon request.
Barefoot can and will supply cover letter for Malawi visas after confirmation of booking .
Safaris and bird watching tours are also available.
A great destination for anyone visiting Malawi

[email protected]
Tell +265 995 196 377

June 16th, 2023 by Amelia#lc

Great for a stopover. Grass sites. Have to shower in the dorms but there’s hot water. $12pp pn. There is a bar and restaurant. Sites have power points. Foreword is available to buy. There is WiFi but only at the bar/restaurant area.

June 9th, 2023 by kb.doherty

Lovely place. Owner was very helpful with getting our cover letter through to us for Zambia to Malawi boarder crossing. Nice grassy campsites. Good wifi at restaurant. We all had dinner at restaurant and we’re all very happy with meals.

June 9th, 2023 by mistersteve

Shady trees, extensive lawns, trimmed hedges make this a good place to camp. There is a bar which is great if you like rugby and football, but it closes early. There were hot showers in the dorm. 12 dollars.

June 1st, 2023 by philip

SA owned and managed daily. Perfect to stay over on your way or to explore for a couple of days. Has a clean restaurant and bar. Bathrooms under construction and campers use the chalets for ablutions currently.

May 13th, 2023 by fritzluttich57

Well manicured grass camping under shaded trees. Large sites. Electricity&Braai at each Site.
Shared ablutions - need bit of TLC but water is hot.

Roelof, owner, went out his way to assist us with help after some tyre and 3rd party problems. Good road advise as well.

April 22nd, 2023 by wildbirdsfamily.com

Nice place, friendly owner with a Land Rover Defender and offered to use his pit to fix a problem with our diff.

Restaurant is good for a quick bite or dinner. Coffee was too expensive with half a plunger at 5USD and the administration is a bit of a mess but those are minor.

Showers and toilets are clean but can definitely use a renovation, rest of the property looks great so I have high expectations of this in the future :)

Will come again if we are near Lilongwe.

April 8th, 2023 by ianandersen10

One free night of camping for those that arrive by bicycle. We spent our savings at the restaurant — the burger was probably the best that we have eaten since the states. The butter chicken and the lasagna are nothing to write home about. Highly recommended stop over for cyclists.

January 4th, 2023 by monika.tschirner

It’s a very nice Place. The food is very good 👍 we stay one night. ❤️

December 4th, 2022 by pipkelly1

Lovely camping area. Green grass. Established trees. Friendly staff. Needs a new ablution block!

November 22nd, 2022 by jan.mikelson

really nice place with camping spots, dorm rooms, and a restaurant. i took a dorm room for 16000 per night. since i was the only one there i had the whole place to myself. Rudolf and the whole team of barefoot lounge sre super helpful and fun

November 14th, 2022 by cd

Very friendly people and nice grassy campsites. Hot shower and good meals at the bar. They will see me again. Best campsite in Lilongwe

October 15th, 2022 by louis1nel

After many years the camping price has increased from $8 to $12. children under 12 are half price.

September 21st, 2022 by on-the-road-again.nl

Nice green place for a stop over, after or before the border and in proximity of the city. Quiet/relaxed vibe. Bar and restaurant are good. 12$ pp. Also went to Mabuya camp in the city the day after. Seems less maintained and smaller sites, but also fine and green for a city campsite. Closer to shops and markets. Just depends on what you prefer.

September 16th, 2022 by sommertravelling.com

Tight access for a truck but doable. Nice camping area once in. Bar and restaurant are open and busy. They offer laundry service at 8000 per load. The staff chase you to settle your bill daily and we had to pay camping up front.

September 16th, 2022 by sommertravelling.com

Narrow and tight access for a big rig but doable. A load of washing 8000kwa. Restaurant and bar are open and quite busy. Nice space for camping but staff chasing you to settle your daily bill. We had to pay camping up front.

July 22nd, 2022 by rowell.leanne

A very easy stop over before (or after) the Zambian border. Nice grassy shaded camping spots. Beware the local dogs! They were fighting in our campsite, they got into our rubbish and stole our shoes! We found my husbands shoes as they were obviously too heavy to carry but they got away with one of each of our kids shoes.

July 15th, 2022 by nickianddave

Stopped over here for 1 night following a re stock in Lilongwe and prior to leaving Malawi to Zambia at Chipata. only 1.5 hours to the border and 10 minutes outside Lilongwe ao very convenient. Large flat pitches with a decent bbq, pub and restaurant which was lively on a Friday night but we didn't go. Ablutions are basic but have hot running water powered by a donkey. Electric sockets available if there is no load shedding taking place. 12000 kwa pppn.

June 8th, 2022 by byctour

juin 2022 :
good place for a stop. Fees for camping : 12 $ ou 12000MWK/pppn
a little bit overpriced

April 19th, 2022 by Crackers

What a great find. I had trouble at the border and was late leaving. I was chased by a big storm all the way to Lilongwe. Too wet to set up a tent so rented a chalet. $50 for the night Inc breakfast. The bed wasn't the most comfortable but it was quiet and the staff were great. A nice dinner was available at a good price.

February 5th, 2022 by Lost Reception

Good campsite with a nice restaurant and bar. Fair prices. Ablutions are okay with hot water via a donkey. Owners are very friendly and helpful. Same goes for the staff. All campsite are leveled and have power and braai areas. Overall very safe campsite and a very good option if you drive trough Lilongwe. We stayed here for two nights to wait for our COVID results to cross into Zambia. We would recommend this place!

January 14th, 2022 by webinfo123

Big green sites with electricity and a braai. Restaurant with WiFi.

December 21st, 2021 by dtavenier

Very nice place. Friendly and helpful staff.

October 14th, 2021 by simonegriessel

The best spot for camping in Malawi! Beautifully run, peaceful, friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend to camp/stay here! View from our tent😊 We’ll be back!

June 17th, 2021 by brettheiberg

A great place to stay coming through Chipata Zambian side. Good facilities, great staff and a very festive pub on Wednesday nights.Make sure you try the "Baobab" in the pub.

June 17th, 2021 by walshtyron

Very nice place with shady campsites, all you need. Restaurant and bar were good and great staff. NOTE: Wednesday evenings at the bar can get festive.

January 30th, 2021 by rudolf

10km West of Lilongwe. Shady gardens. Hot water and electricity

November 22nd, 2020 by finding-neverland.com

We stayed here for two nights and will be happy to come back!
It's not easy to maintain such a big camping and the Chalets when tourism is down like now during Corona. They manage very well. Everything is in good condition. The Bar and Restaurant are nice (currently even with WiFi from 6pm to 6 am) and the staff is very friendly.
For camping you get wonderful grassy spots with lots of shade thanks to many trees. Electricity at the camping spots available. Big rig friendly. The ablutions were clean as well.
There is also a garden where they started to grow their own vegetables.
Oh, and Rudolph used to be a tour guide around Africa, so he has some really useful tips on top and was happy to help us with some special requests.

December 28th, 2019 by rossandjessemail

Highly recommend! The host Rudolph will take care of you as he is a fellow Overlander. Great stop, great facilities, great people!

October 15th, 2019 by Turtletrax

A spacious site for camping, green grass and beautiful gardens. Pleasant staff. We took a chalet, generous size with a sitting area, nice design. Definitely not value for money, not even a small bar of soap. Cleanish by African standards, tired interior. Walls could do with a fresh coat of paint or at least a good scrub as years of the red soil has built up and stained the surfaces. Not so sure how hygienic thatched roofs are as organic matter kept falling from the ceiling. Great restaurant, fantastic Indian dishes.

October 11th, 2019 by hippysquared.com

Fully agree with all the comments below and a really easy commute to the shops if Lilongwe is a reprovision stop for you.

September 23rd, 2019 by hans-ulrich.mueller

Very nice camping under shady trees, friendly people, a place to recover from dust and hectic African streets.

September 10th, 2019 by banfield

Great stopover, grassed sites with brand new fireplaces. Hot water, cold beers. $8 p/p/night.

September 1st, 2019 by burgi

Very friendly and helpfull staff and owners. Adults 8$/Children up to 12 years 4$. Free Wifi but slow. Nice to be here...

August 13th, 2019 by williams4x4

New ownership has seen this facility transformed into lalongwes preffered campsite for overlanders, camp spots are grass and well maintained with bbq (braai) facilities and power point with square 3pin plug so make sure you have adaptor, the food that Kyle makes is extremely good if you want a break from catering for yourself and as previous comments point out the currys are awesome, this place is not far from town and idealy located off the main road with relatively good access and you don't need a 4x4, ablutions are clean and tidy, water is heated via donkey and it was still hot water late at night, oh and all campsites are nice and flat, way loads better than in town spots, nice and quiet, enjoy

June 29th, 2019 by Soula

As said before nice campsite on grass with clean ablutions, friendly staff, we had Kyles great Curry in the evening. Perfect place if you have something to do in Lilongwe or for a stop over from the lake to Zambia. Very peacefull and quiet.

May 30th, 2019 by theo

awesome curry thanks Kyle and Louis, very nice atmosphere and friendly staff

May 18th, 2019 by lmusco

A fabulous spot to camp after crossing the boarder and just in the outskirts of Lilongwe. Level camp sites with power and plenty of shade in their mature, beautiful gardens. Ablutions clean and colourful. There is a well stocked Shoprite and Food Lovers Market, as well as Airtel in the Mall 5 km down the road so you can stock up before exploring Malawi :). The owners also overland so know what to provide.

The cherry on the cake is the restaurant. Great, tasty food. Kyle can cook anything but has a passion for Indian food. Our Thali was one of the best we had tasted made with fresh local ingredients, herbs and love!

If we can, we will return.

May 11th, 2019 by Ebi

Beautiful place, everything green. Boss and staff absolute friendly. Nice restaurant / bar. Try the curry, Kyle, the chef, does it better than anyone.

May 2nd, 2019 by Khayaonwheels

The nicest setting for camping by far for me around Lilongwe and I tried Mabuya and Woodlands. Green and lush with lots of birdlife and village sounds around for Kw6000 its a great place to stay for a day or 2 actually. Wednesday night is darts night and it can get quite rowdy with SA expats but all in the love of the game.

March 3rd, 2019 by cykelsidan

What a lovely place! Peaceful and beautiful. Friendly staff. Great food. We camped one night on our way to Lilongwe. Thanks!

February 26th, 2019 by der_schrauberprinz

Very quiet and relaxed Camp in a wondeful Garden setting. Friendly and helpful staff. Restaurant and Bar serving Toasties and Burgers.
Nice stop at Lilongwe.

July 22nd, 2018 by terraloha.skyrock.com

We were here 2 weeks ago, but are today very disappointed:
- ablutions VERY dirty
- 2 sinks unclean and blocks
- bin overfill and no place to put garbage
- nobody came to put fire for the shower, even if we askek several times. A guy finally came at 7pm...but it was night and there were mosquitos
- the woman at the reception did not give us change and we had to come and ask her 3 times to revover the change.

This campsite seems to be not so good at each time...
The only things ok : grass and
quiet...when there is no dogs...

July 8th, 2018 by terraloha.skyrock.com

7400 malawian kwachas pppn (or 10$). Shade under trees, even with a 3m20 high vehicule.
Ablutions not perfect and hot water has really unpleasant small...and a curious color.
But grass is pleasant.
No tape but braaï.
Sometimes electricity.

December 19th, 2017 by Rens Koster

The owner has a travelorganisation and sometimes brings tourist groups in overland trucks to this place. But when I was there, I was the only guest. Total silence in the midst of a green garden.

November 21st, 2017 by adietrichch

Nice, peaceful and calm place. shady camping on grass under trees. hot showers.

November 4th, 2017 by Only the Wind Knows

Great, quiet place right outside of Lilongwe. Camping in grass in beautifully maintained & shady gardens. We were the only people here for 2 nights. Very nice staff. Patience even brought in our towels and chairs when we were in town and it started to rain. Price is still $10 pppn.

November 3rd, 2016 by judith_wilfred

Nice campsite, well maintained. Grassy pitches, trees for shade, ablutions are a bit old, but clean. firewood available, no WIFI. $10,-pppn

June 21st, 2016 by wollert

Very green and shady places with fireplaces and plugs. Very nice people.