Malawi: Travelling

Entry Requirements

Passport and Visa Service: Malawi Department of Immigration

For Further Information: Diplomatic Missions of Malawi

Check IATA Travel Website for visa requirements and health advices.

Organising Your Trip

Transportation From Airport to City Centre:

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car Rental
Lilongwe International Airport (LLW)	21 km/13 Miles	MWK 2200/USD 15 - 20 mins	No offical bus lines but hotels operate courtesy shuttle services / Local buses and minibuses run from the commercial part of the airport (200m from the terminal) to the Old Town. Cost: MWK 150	n/a	Available
Blantyre Chileka International (BLZ)	16 km/10 Miles	MWK 1500/USD 10 - 15 min	Local buses from Blantyre to Chikela village pass by the airport gate. Cost MWK 50	n/a	Available

Major airlines

Name	Type	Domestic Flights	International Flights
Malawian Airlines	National	Yes	Yes

You Can Consult The EU Air Safety List. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Visiting

Different Forms of Tourism

Historical: The Chongoni Rock Art Area was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006 and consists of 127 sites in the Malawi plateau with depictions of rock art and paintings of the farmer community of the Late Stone Age and the Iron Age period.
Cultural: Malawi offers several cultural attractions. The main museums are the Chichiri Museum in Blantyre (also known as Museum of Malawi), the Cultural & Museum Centre in Karonga, the Lake Malawi Museum
Kungoni Centre of Culture and Art in the Dedza district.
Nature: Malawi's nature is the main attraction for many tourists that visit the country each year. Some of the major attractions include Lake Malawi, Mulanje Mountain and Zomba Plateau. National parks in the country include Kasungu National Park, Liwonde National Park, and Nyika National Park.
Religious: Malawi is a country with a mix of religions, where Christians are the majority, followed by Muslims and some Hindus. Among the main religious sites, there are the St. Michael's and All Angels Church in Blantyre, the Shree Satyanarayan Hindu Temple also in Blantyre, the Al Madinah Mosque in Mpingwe and the Limbe Cathedral of our Lady of Wisdom.
Thermal: Malawi is not rich in mineral and thermal water, however the country has some hot springs, like the Kawira ones.
Beach: Although totally landlocked, Malawi has several lakes whose beaches became renowned tourist attractions. The most famous are the Chitimba beach, Cape Maclear, Monkey beach and Nkhata Bay.
Winter Sports: The climate of Malawi is not suitable for winter sports.
Outdoor Activities: Malawi can offer a wide array of outdoor activities, including rock climbing in the Mulanje Massif, trekking in the Nyika Plateau and the Viphya Highlands, horseriding in most national parks and fishing (lake Malawi alone has more than 400 species of fish). Kayaking, sailing and boat trips are also gaining popolarity.
Shopping: Malawi has several shopping centres, including the Four Seasons Centre in Lilongwe, the Mandala House in Blantyre (which displays contemporary work by local artists, sculptures, old maps and prints, and carved wooden thrones), the Katundu workshop in Likoma Island (where single mothers and orphans handcraft a range of items such as cushion covers, throws, table runners, art and accessories using local materials).

Top Highlights in the Main Cities
Chichiri Museum
St. Michael's and All Angels Church
Shree Satyanarayan Hindu Temple

Top Highlights of the Country
Lake Malawi
Chongoni Rock Art Area
Kasungu National Park

Tourism Organisations: Malawi Tourism

Living Conditions

Health and Safety

Health Precautions: There are no specific vaccination requirements to enter Malawi (except for vaccine against yellow fever which is required from travellers over one year of age arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission and travellers who have transited more than twelve hours through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission). Nevertheless, WHO and foreign ministries of various countries recommend the following vaccines before entering the country: Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Malaria and Rabies.
For Further Information on Sanitary Conditions: CDC - Health Information for Travelers to Malawi
For Further Information on Safety Conditions: U.S. Department of State - Malawi Travel Information
Government of Canada/ Malawi Travel Advice
OSAC - Malawi Crime and Safety Report

Emergency Numbers

Police	997
Fire	999
Medica	998

Time Difference and Climate

Time and Time Difference: It is %T:%M %A In Lilongwe (GMT+2)
Summer Time Period: There are no Daylight Saving Time clock changes in Malawi.

Map of the Time Zone

Time zone

Type of Climate: Malawi is located south of the equator and is a mostly hilly and mountainous country. It has a tropical climate (or sub-tropical at high altitudes), with a hot and rainy season from mid-November to April, and a relatively cool, dry winter season from mid-May to mid-August. In most of the country, annual precipitation is generally between 800 and 1,300 millimetres, and it is generally more abundant in the north. The far south of the country is a flat region, hot and humid due to the low altitude. Temperatures are higher before the rainy season from September to November.
Hotel reservation websites: Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment

Average Annual Temperatures and Rainfall

Climate

Eating

Food Specialties: Malawian cuisine is relatively free from foreign influences and hence is really traditional. Moreover, in most cases ingredients used are produced by the cooks themselves (especially outside big cities).
Dishes are normally based on carbs, while the country's specialty is fish from Lake Malawi. Other typical dishes include: nsima (thick staple from maize flour), ndivo (sauce or stew prepared with vegetables or meat), dwizala (fried grasshopper), nthochi (bread made from mashed banana) and several fish plates (like utipa or chambo).
Drinks: Among the main traditional drinks of Malawi, we can list mawehu (a non-alcoholic drink made from maize meal), chibuku (a beer made from fermented maize served in milk cartons, with the consistency of porridge), thobwa (a fermented drink made from white maize and millet or sorghum) and kuche-kuche (a light beer).
Dietary Restrictions: Muslims normally do not eat pork meat (unless it is “halal”, which means it is permissible or lawful in traditional Islamic law) nor drink alcohol.

Paying

Domestic Currency: Malawi Kwacha
ISO Code: MWK
To Obtain Domestic Currency: Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change, and authorised hotels; however, rates tend to be unfavourable. It is possible to withdraw Kwacha from ATMs, which normally accept Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro cards and can be found in most cities and towns. ATMs dispense a maximum of MKW 40,000 per withdrawal, but cards are allowed a maximum of three withdrawals in a row, thus making MKW 120,000.
Possible Means of Payment: Visa cards are accepted at some but not all of the big hotels, high-end lodges and top-end restaurants. Where they are accepted, a 5%-10% surcharge is often added to the bill. MasterCard is less commonly accepted.

Speaking

Official Language: English and Chichewa
Other Languages Spoken: Chinyanja, Chiyao, Chitumbuka, Chisena, Chilomwe, Chitonga
Business Language: English

Useful Resources

To Find a Job: Careers24 Malawi
Glassdoor Malawi
Job Search Malawi

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