What's on in Nkhata Bay, Malawi through the year

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Hazard

  Bilharzia risk in the lake

  1 Jan – 31 DecInsects & disease

  Freshwater snails carry bilharzia in the shallows year-round. The local advice is not to gamble on it: take the single-dose treatment about six weeks after any contact with the water, since both symptoms and tests lag behind exposure. Source ↗

Still on: Malaria season (1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Bilharzia risk in the lake (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Malaria season (1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Bilharzia risk in the lake (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Malaria season (1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Bilharzia risk in the lake (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Malaria season (1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Season

  Mwera winds

  1 May – 31 Aug · usuallyWind seasonRisk

  The southeasterly mwera blows up the lake in the cool months, raising short steep waves; kayak and boat trips get called off on the worst days and swimming off the rocks is rougher. Source ↗

Still on: Bilharzia risk in the lake (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Bilharzia risk in the lake (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mwera winds (1 May – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — Independence Day, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Independence Day

  6 JulNational holidayClosures

  6 July is a public holiday with official ceremonies and local celebrations; banks, government offices and many shops close, with a weekday off in lieu when it falls on a weekend. Source ↗

Still on: Bilharzia risk in the lake (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mwera winds (1 May – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

• Season

  Best diving visibility

  1 Aug – 15 Dec · usuallyDive season

  The dry season brings the clearest water of the year, with visibility reaching up to thirty metres over the cichlid reefs. The bay's long-established dive school runs its fullest schedule through these months. Source ↗

• Festival

  Malipenga dance season

  1–31 Aug · usuallyMajor festival

  Village teams in the northern lakeshore districts perform malipenga, a Tonga dance that mimics colonial-era military drill, in competitions through August. Source ↗

Still on: Bilharzia risk in the lake (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mwera winds (1 May – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Bilharzia risk in the lake (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Best diving visibility (1 Aug – 15 Dec (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Bilharzia risk in the lake (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Best diving visibility (1 Aug – 15 Dec (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Hazard

  Malaria season

  1 Nov – 30 Apr · usuallyInsects & disease

  Risk on the lakeshore runs all year but climbs hardest during the wet season from November to April. Prophylaxis is standard advice, and the humid nights around the bay are when repellent matters most. Source ↗

Still on: Bilharzia risk in the lake (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Best diving visibility (1 Aug – 15 Dec (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Bilharzia risk in the lake (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Best diving visibility (1 Aug – 15 Dec (usually)), Malaria season (1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually))