Great place with a very rustic feel to it. The owners were very hands on and treated us like family. “ Great food, great menu (keep an eye out for the very interesting menu-board descriptions by Tom & Petal - you’ll love the puns and tongue twisting descriptions of your upcoming meal as much as you love the food itself 🤣). The vegetarian, lactose-free menu options were well thought out for our entire stay. 👌🏾 Great sights in the nearby forest. Whatever else you forget to do, don’t forget to hike along the Nature Trail with Fraser (the local guide). Be prepared to sweat and work for it though. It’s strenuous but well worth it. 👍🏾 Can’t say enough good things about the place. Enjoy the downtime from all things electronic! 😉

Fantastic place. Petal and Tom are lovely hosts and make it feel as if you're staying at a friend's house rather than a lodge. The quality of the food is such that ZFL has got to compete for one of the best places in Malawi to eat. Located om a more remote side of the mountain and about half-way up, there is no electricity and so while necessarily more basic as a place to stay it is great to just go off grid for a while. The gardens and forest around the place are fantastic (especially for birders). You will need to book ahead as all food is freshly prepared, so they got to know for how many to shop. Highly recommended. There are 2 dogs at the property. The drive to the lodge is OK if slightly bumpy at times and can be done with a normal sedan car in the dry season. The place is easy to find but do read the instructions how to get there before setting off though (Google Maps will send you the wrong way up...).

Although I stayed only for one quick night at this lodge, I had a wonderful experience. Tom and Petal brings a genuine hospitality towards all guests. I did enjoy the tranquility of the lodge. Nothing can beat the fresh air comes from the forest and the sounds of the nature. The lodge has a hot water tab and need not to worry about the light during evening as Tom has prepared three solar light lamps in each room. The lunch, dinner and breakfast are all incredibly scrumptious. I love them all and you will definitely indulge yourself too. The lodge also has two beautiful and lovely dogs to greet you. Overall, will for sure stay again at this super peaceful lodge at my future to Zomba. Thanks for the warmth hospitality, Tom and Petal 🤗

We stayed for 2 nights in this wonderful lodge, which has great rooms, staff and scenery. The garden looks like a little paradise on earth. The cosy room had it's own bathroom, both are clean and maintained in perfect condition. Delicious fresh food and friendly staff. Great and interesting conversations with Petal and Tom, who make you feel like you're visiting friends. We went for a hike to Williams falls and got all the information we needed (and more) from the guide Symon. And last but not least the 2 cute dogs who like the company off the guests. If you visit Malawi, try to squeeze in a visit to this beautiful place. Grtz Griet & Patrick

Michelin Star-worthy cuisine in an idyllic setting just below the Zomba plateau! Tom and Petal could not have been more accommodating. They helped us sort out e-Visas, they arranged a hiking guide, and they helped us hire drivers for the remainder of our trip. They were generally just incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. Their staff were also very friendly. This isn’t just a Lodge; it’s an incredible experience. It absolutely surpassed our expectations. The grounds are lush and the front veranda was the perfect place to enjoy a cold beverage after a day’s walk/hike. Not a hiker? Chill out in the hammock instead. Or walk 100 m along the road to a gorgeous sunset viewing spot (Tom even provided G&T’s « to go. ») And don’t worry about going « off grid » - it’s the best part. Playing cards or board games by candlelight was the perfect way to end the day. The food… the best we have experienced anywhere in a very long time. Every course of every meal was creative, colourful, fresh and simply gorgeous. A feast for the eyes and the palate… and generous portions that satisfied even our 16 year old son! And Tom’s tastefully tantalising testaments, transcribed nightly on the menu board, were terrific ;) A further bonus is sharing family-style meals with the other guests who are all swapping stories and travel tips. If you are near Zomba, ZFL is a must!

What a wonderful place! The garden and surroundings are amazing (makes for great hikes), the food is to die for, the house very cozy and has a great atmosphere. I loved that all guests have dinner together and there is candles everywhere (there is no electricity, but lots of solar lights). Patel and Tom really make you feel at home - thank you so much!

Zomba Forest Lodge is an amazing place in the middle of nature. And especially the owner is a very polite, friendly and helpful person. We are very thankful for all the good advices he gave us. It deserves more than 5 stars.

Zomba forest lodge is number 1 of the places I’d been too during my time in Malawi. The lodge is a beautiful haven right on the plateau where you can escape the world. You won’t miss electricity! The food is stunning- all freshly made. Tom and Petal are wonderful hosts along with their two friendly dogs Loki and Beebs. The staff look after you well. The rooms are clean and cosy. If you like being in nature, peace and quiet, hiking and eating amazing food you won’t regret a visit to ZFL. One night is not long enough! Until the next time ❤️ Thank you for everything.

The lodge is located on a magical place halfway up the zomba plateau. The rooms, garden and the rest of the lodge are just amazing, it oozes tranquility. The owners, Tom and Petal, are super friendly and amazing hosts (the staff were very friendly to! They make z great team). From the moment we arrived until we were planning our departure they were very helpful and gave us a lot of good tips for the rest of our journey. It's a great place for hiking, we went on a lovely but fiesty day hike on the zomba plateau with guide Simon (Tom organised it), even walking in their gardens was amazing (it feels like a mini-jungle). And the best thing above all is the food 😍, simply amazing!!!!

We had a wonderful stay at ZFL with Tom and Petal. The hospitality is friendly, personal and kind from all members of the staff. The food is amazing. The lodge itself is extremely cozy, well kept and has beautiful surroundings. Perfect spot for hikes and relaxation. If travelling through Malawi, and want an experience in the forest - we can highly recommend the ZFL.

Stayed for only one night here, although it was a quick trip we enjoyed every second, the location is beautiful with great hiking routes. Petal and Tom were so welcoming and very interesting people we thoroughly enjoyed their company. The best part for me was the food, words cannot describe how incredible the food is, and enjoying it in the beautiful garden made it taste even better. Would go back in a heartbeat.

What to say. There are so many excellent review. They are all true. But you still do not get a felling for the magic and peacefulness of this wonderful place Petal and Tom have created. You won’t miss the electricity or your Smartphone. Just walk around the tracks in the forest directly attached to this place, watch the monkeys and the birds, play with the 2 lovely dogs, enjoy the delicious food by candlelight, read your favorite book and enjoy your stay. We - a family of 5 with three little kids - did this for 2 nights. Next time we will definitely stay longer.

We had such a lovely stay at Zomba forest lodge. Tom and Petal were kind and friendly hosts. We enjoyed a delicious family style dinner with other travelers next to the warm fire and traded travel tips and stories. The gin cocktails and food were top notch. Tom and petal helped us arrange an amazing hike with a guide across the plateau. The highlight was the phenomenal views and the roasted veggie sandwiches on fresh bread they packed for us. (Please send recipe Petal!) Highly recommend Zomba forest lodge for its warm cozy feel, warm welcome and delicious home cooked meals.

We stayed 2 nights at the Zomba Forest Lodge. The area is great for walking and it is wonderfully quiet. We ate and slept very well. Nice hot showers! Petal and Tom are super nice and excellent hosts. They told extensively about the area and helped us with our next stay. It was very "gezellig"! We laughed a lot.

Above and beyond with literally everything. From giving us some helpful information when we first started planning our trip, to unbelievable meals (including vegetarian!), a stunning location, and a great just home feel. We absolutely loved our time at Zomba Forest Lodge. The grounds are beautiful, the people wonderful, and the dogs adorable. Also felt like we learned a lot about the realities and challenges of the area. Tom and Petal helped set us up with both a local taxi company (picked us up all the way up in Cape Maclear!) and a guide for hikes onto the Zomba Plateau, both of which are exemplary.

What a wonderful place! We arrived (late) from our flight at the beginning of our holiday and immediately knew we’d made a brilliant choice to start our time in Malawi. The most amazing food (Petal, you were right - we never ate so well again!), lovely people (and dogs), and a very special, simple spot in the heart of the forest. This is not the place to come if you want a standard hotel experience, but if you want to breathe, live amongst the trees, watch some wonderful sunsets, and be part of an impressive community, it hits the spot. Our son joined us from Blantyre and tackled the slackline challenge, we detoxed from our frenetic lifestyles, and admired everything this inspirational couple are doing in Zomba. Petal’s warmth and enthusiasm is infectious. Thank you so much for a really memorable stay. If we are ever back in Malawi we’ll be back. One of the highlights of our trip.

I am late writing this review. I stayed at the Zomba Forest Lodge in early March 2020. I can not say enough positive things about my stay here. Lovely hosts, always there to help you, make you a beverage, or help with arrangements. The FOOD is outstanding!! It deserves a Michelin star at least. The lack of electricity was not an issue. They have solar lights, hot water and all comforts needed in this beautiful area! I will definitely be back !

One of the nicest places to stay for lovers of peace, tranquility, amazing food (including for those with special diets) and REAL nature - and one of the best places to support as Tom and Petal are some of the most genuine and hands-on conservationists and "quiet advocats" of Zomba mountain and its forests.

What a wonderful place! Incredible food, delightful hosts and magnificent nature all around! The best food on our trip so far by a mile! Petal was also extremely helpful putting us in touch with a great driver and accommodation options in the next places we were going to visit. Highly recommended!