Country Dossier for Malawi The Facts Brief History IMPORTANT: GBP (£) are not accepted at border crossings so bring US ($) cash for any visa expenses at the border. Arrival in Malawi Money Local Currency In general, Visa is the only credit card that will work everywhere in Africa. Master Card, AMEX and Cirrus will work in some countries but not in others. We recommend that you bring cash/travellers cheques in US Dollars only. When changing money, it is a good idea if at all possible, to get small denomination notes and coins in the local currency as often there is a lack of change when you are making purchases and no-one in Africa ever seems to have change. On arrival at either the border or the first town that we stop at, your tour leader will explain where to change money and how to obtain the best rate of exchange. Working Out Your Budget Optional Excursions Entrance Fees Local Transport Geography & Weather Check the weather chart on our website or visit www.worldclimate.com to get an idea of what the weather will be like on your trip. Security Photography Food & Drink All drinks such as water, soft or alcoholic drinks are at your own expense at all times. The following is a guideline for drinks bought at the campsites that we use. If bought from shops in the street, prices are likely to be cheaper, but in restaurants and hotels can sometimes be more than double the prices specified below; 1 litre of water - US$1.50 You should be wary of drinking the local tap water. Bottled water and carbonated soft drinks are widely available and are generally safe to drink. There are various brands of beers found only in Malawi including Carlsberg - either Green, Brown or Stout and the larger 500ml bottles of Kuchi All of the campsites / hostels that we use have bars or serve alcoholic drinks but if you want to venture out from the campsite, then there is sure to be a local bar near by. Beware imported spirit prices as they are very expensive so always ask for the local equivalent spirit if you want to remain within your budget! Typical Local Meals Vegetarians Tipping Shopping There is a large array of traditional wooden carvings found throughout Malawi. The Malawi chairs are very popular along with chess boards, salad bowls, masks, fisherman figures and much more. We spend ample time in several markets along the way to satisfy even the most avid shopaholic! National Holidays Please remember that on public holidays, banks, museums and shops will be closed and often public transport is less frequent than usual. Please note that this number is a service for emergency calls only. We respectfully request that you consider the urgency of your enquiry. Non-urgent enquiries should be made during office hours. Please be considerate of time zones. Alternatively please contact our Operations department at the Tucan Travel office in London (office hours - 9am to 5.30pm local time): Last Updated 05/06/09
Migrations of Tumbuka and Phoka people followed the Bantu arrival of the first millennium, while the southern region was later dominated by the Maravi people. The early 19th century brought invasions of Yao people from western Mozambique, Zulu from the south and Swahili-Arab slave traders. The first Europeans to arrive were Portuguese explorers of the 16th century however the most famous explorer was Scotland’s Dr Livingstone, who brought missionaries in the 1850s. In 1866 he set out on a quest to find the source of the Nile and met Henry Stanley, who uttered the immortal phrase ‘Dr Livingstone, I presume’.
British colonialists forced out the slave traders and improved health conditions, but later settlers forced indigenous people from their land, resulting in the displacement of thousands of Africans.
Malawi gained independence in 1964 and Dr Hastings Banda became the self-nominated ‘president for life’, ruling as dictator until Malawi became a democracy in 1994. The current president is Bingu wa Mutharika, taking office in 2004.
Visas
Currently EU, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens do not need a visa to enter Malawi. However, it is your own responsibility to check all visa requirements before travelling to make sure that all information is up to date. Any nationalities that do require a visa must obtain them before arriving at the border as they will not issue them there.
We will enter and exit Malawi by land, crossing from / to Tanzania and Zambia. There are no fees to pay when entering by land but there will be border formalities to complete.
Prices quoted in this country dossier are in United States Dollars (US$), unless otherwise specified.
Please note: It is very important to ensure that you obtain enough US$ cash to cover your local payment, visas and optional excursions before you travel. It can be very difficult to obtain US$ in Africa, even in major cities like Cape Town. Tour leaders cannot accept any notes that are marked, torn or older than the year 2002, and you may have difficulty exchanging these notes elsewhere in Africa, so please check your cash carefully at the point of purchase.
The monetary unit in Malawi is the Kwacha. For up to date exchange rates with your own currency visit www.oanda.com or www.xe.com.
For more information about the best way to carry your money please see the Africa pre departure information (which will be sent to you with confirmation of your booking).
Our Africa pre departure information includes a general list of all the things you should take into consideration when budgeting and an estimate of what you should allow per day for spending money. Below are some specific notes relevant to our trips in Malawi.
Most excursions and entrance fees are NOT included in the local payment and you can therefore choose as many or as few optional excursions as you like! A full list of the main excursions available on each tour can be found on the optional excursions guide, available to download from our website. All prices given are approximate and are likely to change due to local inflation or exchange rates.
Generally speaking most entrance fees will be covered by the recommended spending money. If you have an International Student Card you will often be entitled to reduced entrance fees.
There is a normal bus service between all major towns in Malawi as well as smaller mini vans which are called Motolas .The Motolas also run around the larger towns but are always very crowded and not particularly safe. Un-metered cabs are recommended for longer journeys around town and always at night, although as always, remember to negotiate your fare before you set off. However in the towns that we visit everything is centrally located and most things can be reached on foot.
Malawi is long and thin and has the Great Rift Valley running the length of the country. Lake Malawi, the third largest lake in Africa, runs down the centre of the Great Rift Valley and forms the border with Tanzania and Mozambique to the East. The lake also forms more than 20 percent of the total area of Malawi. To the west of the lake are high plateaus which are between 900 – 1200m above sea level. In the south of the country however, the land lies only 60-90m above sea level.
The climate is sub-tropical and is hot and humid from October to April, especially along the lake but less so in the south, and from June to August, the lake area and further south is comfortably warm but the rest of the country can be distinctly chilly, especially at night.
The rainy season runs from November to April with little or no rainfall during the rest of the year.
Overall, crime is not a great problem in Malawi, but it is one of the poorer African countries and you do need to be aware that most locals will see you as being a “rich tourist”, even if by western standards, you are not.
This does not mean that you should expect to be robbed at every corner, but it does mean that you need to exercise caution. Don’t walk around lonely back streets, especially on your own, don’t wear expensive looking jewellery or a classy watch and don’t carry a wallet in your back pocket. Don’t carry your camera openly; always have it in a small day pack which is firmly attached to your body, preferably in the front in crowded places. Always wear a money belt or leave your valuables, including your passport, in the campsite security box or truck safe.
Caution should be taken when taking photos in and around the city. Locals should always be asked prior to taking a photo and it is not uncommon for them to ask for a small donation. Never take photos of police, military personal or buildings. The same goes for any government buildings, banks, post offices or the railway station.
Most meals are included when camping and lunch is usually included on travelling days in the truck. When staying in hotels or hostels, all meals are at your own expense. As a guideline a simple snack (e.g. a sandwich) can cost as little as US$1.50 and a light meal will cost around US$3-6.
30cl bottle of soft drink - US$0.60
30cl bottle of beer - US$0.90
50cl bottle of beer - US$1.10
(All glass bottles taken away from shops in Malawi will have a deposit added on which varies.)
Nsima is one of the staples of the Malawi diet and is made from white maize, then prepared in the same way as the Ugali in East Africa. It is served with vegetables and occasionally chicken, fish or beef. Casava is another staple especially along the lake shore where it is more difficult to grow maize. It is a root crop that is either roasted whole or ground into flour and then prepared in much the same way as the Nsima, but the flour can also be used for making cakes. Casava has a “unique flavour” but should be experienced at least once! Along the lake shore the variety of fruit and veg is limited but in the highlands the selection is more varied. Potatoes, beans, tomatoes, egg plant, carrots, peppers, onions are usually plentiful in the markets as well as bananas and pineapple.
Whilst on the lake shore you will have the opportunity to visit a local village and join them for a traditional evening meal which is a great way to experience village life as well as trying the food first hand. In Lilongwe, western style takeaway as well as restaurants and bars are becoming more popular.
If you are a strict vegetarian you may experience a distinct lack of variety in the food available, especially in small towns. You might find that you are eating a lot of omelettes and other egg dishes. Our tour leaders will do their best to provide interesting vegetarian alternatives when arranging group meals in the campsite, but your patience and understanding is requested.
Tipping, as a rule, is not required in Malawi restaurants although if you do get good service it is always appreciated. As with every country, check to see if the service charge and other taxes are included in the menu price. The campsite restaurants that we use, do include all the taxes but restaurants in the larger cities usually do not.
Haggling is expected in Malawi and hunting for bargains can be a real highlight. For tips on bargaining and shopping etiquette please see the Need2Know information.
1 Jan - New Year's Day.
15 Jan - Chilembwe Day.
3 Mar - Martyrs' Day.
10-13 - Apr Easter.
1 May - Labour Day.
14 Jun - Freedom Day.
6 Jul - Republic Day.
21 Sep - Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
13 Oct - Mothers' Day.
25 Dec - Christmas Day.
26 Dec - Boxing Day.
Emergency Contact
In the case of an emergency please contact our East & Southern Africa Destination Manager on: +44 (0) 78 9984 3645 (please be considerate of time differences).
Tel: +44 (0) 208 896 6700
Fax: +44 (0) 208 896 6701
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