The people of Malawi are genuinely friendly and open. In general, visitors find this little country very open to foreign visitors. Strikingly beautiful, especially along its 300 mile lake Malawi, the country is in every way a traveler's dream. The Liwonde National Park at the southern end of the lake is well known and well worth a visit to explore. Diving and snorkeling in Lake Malawi is also quite good.
Capital: Lilongwe
Population: 10,000,416 (July 1999 est.)
Area: 118,480 sq km (land 94,080 sq km)
Language: English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally
Time: GMT +2
Electricity: 240 volts AC
Geography: Malawi borders Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km. Malawi is slightly smaller than Pennsylvania and has a narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains.
Tipping: Tipping is not suggested except in upscale hotels and better restaurants.
Shopping: The shopping day begins at 9 AM and ends at 5:30 - 6:30 PM. Some shops will close at lunch. Most stores remain open on Saturday and very few on Sunday. Woodcarvings are very good to buy in Malawi.
Food and Drink: Best to avoid tap water and stick to bottled water and soft drinks. Beer is usually available.
Social: The people are quite friendly and outgoing. Do be careful, however, in built up areas. 90% of the population lives in rural areas. There are several tribal groups with the Chewa being the largest. These groups get along fairly well.
Business: Light business suits are recommended. Business cards are essential. Business with visitors is readily conducted in English.
Money and Banks
Banking: Banks are open by 9 AM and close at about 4 PM in most cases.
Currency: 1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala
Money Exchange: Best to do at banks.
Credit cards: Visa and Master Card are widely accepted. American Express and Diners Card are gaining greater acceptance.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Kasungu National Park: famous for elephants. Livingstonia.
- Majete Game Reserve: dramatic scenery includes Mpatamanga Gorge, Kapichira Falls and Hamilton Falls.
- Mulanje Plateau: spectacular hiking area, well known for cedar trees, rock hyrax, klipspringer, blue monkeys.
- Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve: spectacular woodland and rainforest.
- Nyika National Park: good for walking and game spotting.
- Zomba Plateau: good hiking.
CURRENCY:
Kwacha, divided into 100 tambala. Can change travellers cheques at banks in main cities. Credit cards can be used mainly at tourist spots. Bring most of your money in travellers cheques so they can be refunded if lost or stolen. Bring cash in US dollars or SA rand.
EXCHANGE RATE:
£1=23 Kwacha
LANGUAGE:
English is official language, ChiChewa is the national language.
GETTING AROUND:
Malawi has one of the best public transport systems in Africa. Internal flights at least twice a day between Lilongwe and Balantyre. Main roads are in good condition. Buses cover most routes. Rail is slow and crowded, and same price as bus. Taxis in main towns only. Passenger boats steam up and down Lake Malawi.
DRESS:
Women are advised not to wear trousers, except for sporting purposes, as it offends the locals. Does not apply by the lake shore or trekking in the mountains.
FOOD:
Staple diet is nsima (mieliemeal), a stiff porridge made from pounded maize boiled in water. But restaurants also serve portions of rice or potato chips, usually with a small serving of chicken or beef stew, to travellers. | 