Butterfly Space is a small lodge and community project on the north side of the bay, set up by a Malawian-British couple in 2008. Beyond the bandas and the lakefront bar, it runs a programme of volunteer-supported work with local children — homework clubs, art classes, sports, a basic library — that gives travellers a useful way to spend time if they end up staying longer than planned.
Visitors are welcome to drop in for a drink at the bar, which has one of the best lake views in town, or to ask about the various activities they coordinate (kayak trips, hikes up to the surrounding villages, drumming and dance evenings). The setting alone, with the lake immediately below the deck, is worth the short walk from the centre.