Woodlands Lilongwe

Malawi , Lilongwe
LILONGWE, Youth Drive, City Centre
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46 reviews shown

8/10

Excellent

24 May 2025

Chris

I just love coming to the Woodlands when in Lilongwe. It is so peaceful and tranquil. Love seeing the monkeys hanging around and always

10/10

Exceptional

25 Mar 2025

Chuck

Always my favorite property to stay at in Lilongwe. The monkeys are an added bonus.

6/10

Pleasant

08 Nov 2024

Chris

Second time staying here this year. It wasn't as good as the previous stay. It is still comfortable and safe with the chalets being large with great bathroom facilities. However the WiFi this time around was poor and not working in my room. When I asked about it I was told to connect to the next room which didn’t help much. I expected a lot more based on my previous experience.
The food in the restaurant is very good and if you like Indian food there is a great selection.
I will still come back because there is more to life than having quality WiFi.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2024

Stanley

Always a great stay at Woolands! Location, food and service are perfect every time. Even had a few “bush buck” come around the chalet for feeding along with the monkeys. Like a safari in town!

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Aug 2024

Stanley

I love my stays here at Woodlands. Always clean, safe and the food and view is impeccable. Staff is always welcoming and warm. Definitely recommend

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jun 2024

Anna

A great place to rest after a long trip. The shuttle from the airport was easy to find with a great driver. The staff was friendly and helpful. The room was little a private cottage that was clean, safe and comfortable. Great views of nature and wildlife. Great accommodating restaurant on site that stayed open late and opened early. Ate three meals there that were very good. Great value for a beautiful place. Will definitely stay there again when going back.

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 May 2024

Chris

The rooms were big with a large bathroom and shower. Two beds pushed together to make one large bed. Bed was very comfortable. Linen was very comfortable as well. Each room has its own dedicated wifi which is the best I ever had in Lilongwe.

Loved the monkeys that seem to have the run of the place at times. Makes for a great show. Had my morning coffee on the front porch while the monkeys gave me a wonderful show.

Breakfast was amazing and you can get your eggs cooked anyway you like. Was very delicious.
The restaurant has lots of food choices including a large selection of Indian cuisine. Very close to Lilongwe city center. I highly recommend Woodlands should you need a place to stay. You can’t go wrong here. Thanks to the staff and management. Job well done.

Business Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2024

Andrew

Being so close to the wildlife centre, I saw more animals sitting on my porch than I did in the reserve itself. The food at the restaurant was delicious and staff were attentive. The owner had the courtesy of introducing himself and seeing if everything was fine. Rooms were spacious and the grounds were clean. I enjoyed my stay here and would recommend.

Business_and_leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

08 Feb 2024

Mike

I last stayed here 7 years ago and have known it for over 30 years in its previous incarnation. It does not change. The woodland is lovely and it is tranquil. Duiker can be seen in the grounds. The Indian food is excellent. There are multiple minor faults in the chalet rooms which seem to reflect a lack of supervision of staff. The breakfast, which is in a dismal room, is depressingly bad with no-one monitoring the quite meagre buffet.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2023

Kerry

Great place!

Loved this place. Nice setting, great food, nice rooms, monkeys!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

16 Mar 2023

David

This is a beautiful property set in a state park like setting in the heart of Lilongwe. The staff was very nice.

10/10

Exceptional

06 Sep 2022

Don

In my opinion, the restaurant offers the best food I've eaten in all of Malawi. The owner visits restaurant patrons every evening. While the rooms need a bit of updating, the property is quiet and scenic.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jun 2022

Suzanne

Lovely staff and delicious Indian food in the restaurant. We all enjoyed our stay, and will be back.

Business Friends

10/10

Exceptional

02 May 2022

Don

The staff are very accommodating and helped me out of a scheduling mistake I made. The food is some of the best in all of Malawi and the owner is often in the restaurant visiting tables.

Business_and_leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

29 Nov 2019

Verified traveler

Excellent stay--clean, friendly staff, great food. Fantastic.

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

02 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

It is too old and needs some refurbishing in the bathrooms

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

08 May 2019

Verified traveler

Excellent restaurant, nice cottages and grounds

Overall excellent stay. Food at the restaurant is superb. Grounds are well-maintained and quite nice. Cottages are private, are secure and roomy, and come with A/C, Wifi, television. Walking distance to a nice wildlife sanctuary. Cons: cottages could be a bit better cleaned and updated. Overall would recommend staying here.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

26 Mar 2019

Tim

Seen better days

This hotel has seen better days. It seems to need some repairs and the shower was not overly clean, potentially mold as can be seen in the picture.

The wifi in our room did not work, reception said it would be fixed but no one showed up in the two nights we stayed there. If you want to use wifi in the restaurant/bar you have to pay an extra fee which seems weird as I am already paying to be a guest at the hotel and the wifi in the room doesnt work.

The food from the restaurant is fine, nothing to rave over. The staff are friendly and welcoming.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

15 Mar 2019

Paul

If only it was an Indian restaurant...

Stayed here for two nights, staff amazingly friendly and helpful, lodges a bit tired but great surroundings. The place is run by an Indian family and the owner cannot be more helpful or friendly.
I have to say that the Indian food I eat on both nights was amongst the best I’ve eaten anywhere in the world, it was simply stunning. The hotel has 3 Indian chefs and on both nights local members of the Indian community were dining in large numbers always a good sign. The chicken tika starter was huge and to die for.
Unfortunately I can’t recommend for business travellers as the WiFi was poor, it cut out frequently and was totally unreliable to the point of extreme frustration. I changed lodges but to little effect. So, amazing restaurant, great staff, dreadful WiFi so if you’re in Lilongwe on business you might want to stay elsewhere unless you love amazing Indian food

10/10

Exceptional

20 Feb 2019

Mikhail

Peaceful Woodlands

Beautiful and tranquil place inside of gorgeous and peaceful park away from heat and bustling city. A lot of trees, shade and calmness. Only issue I had was cabin 6 which had WiFi problem so they moved me to number 9 which was better. Only thing with design about this property is swimming pool which is literally attached to the restaurant and makes it less comfortable. But place is awesome and food is good.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Feb 2019

Verified traveler

Authentic

Authentic experience of staying in a cabin surrounded by nature. The food is also a highlight. The decor is a bit dated but the friendly owner explained that he's renovating soon.

10/10

Exceptional

29 Oct 2018

SRH

Always love this stay... great lodge with a secluded setting right in the middle of town. Excellently appointed rooms and the food and service is always great.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Oct 2018

Stanley

Woodlands is a favorite in Malawi as the entire experience is great from check in to the restaurant and finally the rooms/chalets. Always a positive experience.

10/10

Exceptional

02 Oct 2018

Frank

Brilliant stay, perfect business location.

Another really good stay at Woodlands. Brilliant, quiet, beautiful location, lovely staff and a wonderful restaurant as an additional bonus. Thanks so much Woodlands - I would stay nowhere else in Lilongwe.

10/10

Exceptional

30 Sep 2018

Frank

Wonderful oasis in lilongwe

Stayed on a business trip for two nights on two separate occasions and couldn't have been more happier. Wonderful quiet rooms, beautiful hot power shower, great wifi free throughout the hotel, delicious food and breakfast spread and great service. Definitely easier to have your own car as there are little options nearby as it is on a reserve but still very close and convenient to all the central city based locations. Thoroughly recommend.

10/10

Exceptional

09 Sep 2018

Rita

Magical place -- true African experience

This place has a solitude and magic to it that makes you feel like you own your own wildlife park. My cabin/chalet had everything I needed including refrigerator, kettle, good mosquito nets, huge bathroom, bottled water, and plenty of space. The real beauty is being able to walk, run, and sit around the grounds with only the baboons, the small antelope, and the bush babies around you. It is truly a unique African experience.

The only hiccup I encountered was with the wifi connection (although I believe this was Malawi's problem, not that of the facility).

The breakfast buffet is cooked to order which means safer food, i.e., sausages not left sitting at room temp for hours. Great access to the rest of the city. I hope to visit again!

10/10

Exceptional

14 Aug 2018

Love this place. The check-in process is smooth, the chalets are always clean and very nice and the location feels as if you are camping..which you can do here also! The restaurant/bar staff is very friendly and the food is always great. Truly is an oasis in the middle of the city.

8/10

Excellent

28 Jun 2018

Chootie

Good and safe

Had a good stay.
Staff members are very friendly. Facilities are very good. For wifi had a tiny problem.
There are things to improve. The first day at the reception, the staff members were careless. But as a prepared person asking for details help to overcome the situation.
Otherwise would recommend to anyone who likes nature.

6/10

Pleasant

01 May 2018

DrFabulous

Reasonable hotel, not amazing. Very pleasant staff

The staff were all very friendly. The food was pretty good and reasonably priced for the quality.
The chalet was much bigger than I expected. The bed was quite comfortable but as it was 2 beds pushed together and made up separately (although I had asked for a queen), I ended up sleeping on one side only.
The WiFi wouldn't connect on either my phone or computer (and they are both currently connected to the wifi in a hotel in Jo'berg with no problems). It wasn't a big problem as I just used the hot spot on my phone, but it could be a problem if you didn't have the data available on your phone.
The TV remote turned on, but then wouldn't turn off or do anything else so I had to turn it off at the power. I told reception on leaving - as I wasn't that fussed about watching anything and had only turned it on to see if there was something interesting.
There were a few holes in the mosquito net and the 2nd night I could woken up in the middle of the night with several bites.
Overall it was a bit above average, but not much, for the price.

8/10

Excellent

11 Jul 2017

Verified traveler

Comfortable stay

Woodlands was a fine place to stay for a recent business trip to Lilongwe - while not billed for business travel, it was far less expensive and perfectly comfortable for our purposes. If you purchase wifi from the reception, the signal did actually reach our chalets, which was nice. The chalets themselves are decent; a little run down it seems (shower in particular was a bit worn) but the beds were fine, plenty of space, etc. Not a ton of hot water, but the heater did work. The Indian food at the restaurant was quite good, and the breakfast was adequate. Close enough to walk to the wildlife sanctuary which was neat though you definitely hear the animals at night!

8/10

Excellent

25 Apr 2017

MARY A. FROM US

PEACEFUL

Our stay at woodlands was terrific. The beds were very comfortable. The staff was amazing, very attentive. We felt very safe there. Our breakfast was so good. We ate a few times for supper. All food was very good. Improvements could be made in shower area. Walls were stained. Etc. All around, we will stay at woodlands next year. If you like peace and quiet in the middle of city. Woodlands is for you.

8/10

Excellent

07 Mar 2017

Verified traveler

The Woodland is conveniently located very near the Wildlife Centre and the US Embassy. At night you can often hear the (soft) sounds of the animals at the Centre, pleasantly reminding you that you're in Africa. The staff is very friendly and will go out of their way to help.

The rooms could use a bit of refreshing (TV, floor, lighting), but they come with a small fridge and a bottle of water. One comfort issue for me was that there is a very bright security light outside the back window with a flimsy curtain, so the room isn't much darker with the inside lights off than when they're on. With the cost of electricity, surely putting an inexpensive motion sensor on that light would pay for itself quickly.

The breakfast is quite good, with almost a full English breakfast's worth of options cooked to order, as well as fresh-cut fruit. The internet works well, which is great after a few days in the weak-webbed Malawi countryside, although there is a $10 charge.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Nov 2016

Jello

Owner is awesome and goes out of his way to insure you have everything you need.

8/10

Excellent

16 May 2016

Tania

Lodge retreat with great Indian restaurant

Relaxing stay, friendly staff and fantastic restaurant (with quality, authentic Indian dishes).

6/10

Pleasant

03 Apr 2016

Tammy

Woodlands Lodge, Lilongwe

Great location for purpose of visit. Good room size, individual chalets. Security light right outside window though - could do with thicker curtains or moving light. Good facilities for family - pool, playground, children's menu. Clean but lots of building work at tine of our stay. Would stay there again.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

26 Jan 2016

Verified traveler

Business Trip

Expedia advertised at $87 but charged $100. Hotel said the Expedia price did not include Tax.
Between the two I belive the full price should be quoted.

6/10

Pleasant

22 Nov 2015

Verified traveler

Safari style accommodation

A decent place to stay. Nothing out of the ordinary, but clean and well situated.

4/10

Poor

27 Jun 2015

Verified traveler

Did not match description on website

Our room was 'dark' and definitely needed a fresh coat of bright paint, a good cleanup of the bathroom/shower tiles and better room lighting. The two bedside lamps were small and inadequate for reading in bed.

Upon arrival, we had to purchase Wifi, but no one explained that it only worked in the restaurant area - not in your room. The walk from the chalet to the restaurant/main office was a few minutes over uneven surfaces. Not easily traveled after dark ( about 6 pm).

One of the main reasons for choosing this hotel was the description of the grounds and the apparent opportunity to walk some trails. Not so, the road around the complex was very short and no other trails were apparent.

As in most Malawi hotels, the staff are so polite and kind. Everyone did their very best to help in any way possible. The breakfasts were more than adequate. Though we were usually the only guests for breakfast, the food ( eggs, potatoes, toast) were served cold unless we specifically asked for hot food. We had one dinner at the hotel and the food was good and hot, but took a long time to prepare and serve.

We were so disappointed in the room that we would have left the next day if we hadn't prepaid for the room. We also learned that we had not saved very much by pre paying.

This facility has much potential but a significant investment is needed to upgrade the rooms.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Sep 2014

Mary

A bushland settling in Lilongwe

Woodlands (formerly Sanctuary Lodge) offers a bushland setting which is very relaxing. The chalets, pool and dining area are very good and staff are helpful. The wild life sanctuary next door is definitely worth a visit. Good to wake up to lions roaring; you forget you are in Malawi's capital city!

8/10

Excellent

01 Sep 2014

Donatella

Great location

The lodge is located in a very pleasant area. It is clean and confortable, though the amenities are quite basic. The staff is friendly and willing. The breakfast could be improved.

8/10

Excellent

17 Jun 2025

Pekko

Hyvä paikka

Hyvä majapaikka. Ainoa miinus, että kaukana kaikesta. Vain Wildlife centre lähietäisyydellä.

Self

8/10

Excellent

17 Oct 2024

Jan-Joost

spacious bungalows in tranquil woodlands setting. At home in nature.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

07 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

Veel ruimte en rust, gunstig gelegen tussen centrum en vliegveld. Wel forse prijs voor relatief bescheiden ontbijt. Opvallend: eenpersoons klamboe, onmogelijk strak gespannen over een double bed.

Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

Room and facilities are good. Breakfast was so-so. I was staying in a cottage room which was surrounded by woods. In the hotel premises, I found many baboons... In the next morning, a farmers' market was held which was nice to visit.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Heerlijke plek met goede bereikbaarheid naar rest stad

8/10

Excellent

06 Sep 2014

Volker

Mitten im Grünen - und mitten in der Stadt

Woodlands Lilongwe ist ein seltener Fund in Lilongwe. Die meisten Unterkünfte in dieser Preisklasse sind entweder drittklassige Betonhotels oder B&Bs, erstere sind nicht vergleichbar in Komfort und Umgebung, und letztere haben oft kleine Zimmer und kleine Grundstücke. Woodlands hat ein großes Naturgelände wo man auch mal Gazellen und Perlhühner sehen kann, und die großzügigen Räume sind freistehend in einem Wäldchen. Und das in Laufentfernung von vielen UN Büros und Botschaften