As with most places be careful walking at night and do not carry all your cash with you, especially walking between the town and the lodges to the south. A frequent problem is Rastas trying to sell marijuana who are working with police to shake down tourists for bribes.
Note that while guesthouses may claim that Nkhata Bay is Bilharzia-free there is evidence that this claim may not be entirely accurate. Since treatment is simple and inexpensive travelers are recommended to not take chances and take the single-dose medication within a month of contacting the water. Delaying treatment until symptoms appear can cause irreversible problems since Bilharzia is a parasite the makes your organs bleed. It cannot be medically detected until 6 weeks after exposure. Anyone going into the water is advised to take the medication as it costs roughly $2 in most African countries.
contact
There are two Internet cafe in town, on one of the side roads off the main road. The speed is very slow, although better than some other places in Malawi. It costs 400 Kwacha/hour. A new one has opened up at Butterfly Lodge. The fastest one is at Aqua Africa but there are only two computers and it cost 600 Kwacha/hour.