Malawi

Understand

History At the end of the 15th century, the Maravi Empire existed on the southwestern shores of Lake Malawi as a kingdom by the Chewa people. The slave trade was introduced in the 19th century when the Swahili-Arabs moved into the area to obtain slaves and ivory. One of the first Europeans to visit Malawi was Dr. David Livingstone, a Scottish missionary and explorer who was credited with a leading role in ending slavery in Africa. Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi on 6 July 1964. After three decades of one-party rule by Hastings Banda, the country held multi-party elections in 1994 under a provisional constitution, which took full effect the following year. National multi-party elections in 1999 and 2004 elected president Bingu wa Mutharika. When he died in 2012, Joyce Banda (no relation to Hastings Banda) was elected as the first female leader.

Climate Much of Malawi is plateau, often reaching to 1,000 m (3; 000 ft), and the temperature in these highlands is moderate, with the hottest period occurring during the autumn rainy season and the coolest and chilliest in winter. The hottest region in the country is the lower Shire River Valley well south of Blantyre. Temperatures along scenic Lake Malawi are generally warm, but with a cooling breeze, especially in the evenings. Winters (May till July) are dry. The rainy season begins in mid-October to early November and generally runs until March.

Culture Malawi's people are its greatest asset - friendly, welcoming, colourful and vibrant. It is impossible to visit and not to become engaged with the people, but there are now opportunities to spend time in real villages (including staying overnight) for a first-hand experience of the cultures, traditions and daily life. This is an option pretty much everywhere in Malawi, and one well worth taking. There's also much to see of Malawi's history, beginning with the pre-history remains of the Karonga distri

Getting there

Entry requirements Nationals of the following countries do not require a visa to enter Malawi for up to 90 days: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Grenada, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Nationals of Hong Kong do not require a visa for visits of up to 30 days. Citizens of most other countries may obtain a $50 visa on arrival or via en E-Visa system, but this is not applicable to citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Yemen who are required to obtain a visa in advance, which can be applied for at Malawi's embassy in your country. A six-month, multiple entry visa on arrival can also be obtained, which costs $150, and a twelve-month version of the same visa costs $250.

By plane Malawi has relatively few international flight connections, with most travelers connecting through either Johannesburg, Nairobi, or Addis Ababa to fly into Lilongwe or Blantyre.

By train

There are no international trains to Malawi.

By boat A ferry runs twice a week from Likoma Island to Cobué and Metangula in Mozambique.

By car The main road (M1) runs from the northern border (Kaporo) through Karonga, Mzuzu, Lilongwe and finally to Mchinji and is in excellent shape. There is an excellent road from Lilongwe to Mchinji on the Zambian border (120 km).

By bus From Mozambique, in the south, you can take the bus from Tete (north-west Mozambique) to Zobwe. After crossing, take another bus from the border to Blantyre. This crossing is quite hectic, and it is close

Getting around

Compared to its neighbours, the main roads in Malawi are in surprisingly good shape and travel times between major destinations should be reasonable. The volume of traffic is low and most people drive reasonably slowly. Road travel after dark is not advisable as road markings are poor to non-existent and not all cars have headlights. While there are few vehicles travelling at night a very significant number of their drivers will be heavily intoxicated, particularly outside of Lilongwe and Blantyre. The Malawian police force have roadblocks, checkpoints and speeding checks along many of the major roadways and at the airports. By and large, they are looking for illegal activities and bribes. Expect to be stopped on occasion, particularly if you are clearly not local, and asked where you are going. Fines for traffic offences range from 2,000 MK for poor tyres or faulty lighting, to 8000 MK for speeding, to seizure of the vehicle for licensing/registration/insurance offences. Payment is expected to be made to a bursar at the roadside, and a numbered receipt from a duplicate book should be given. If a passenger in a vehicle being driven by a local the police may question the driver or other passengers in a local dialect in order to establish what can be got from you. You should not have any problems if you are polite and have the correct documentation (passport; driver's licence; permission to use the vehicle; etc.) available if they ask. Before using any vehicle be satisfied that all tyres are in good condition, lights are working (including brake lights) and that you have a road warning triangle and fire extinguisher. Do not leave quantities of food or beverages, toys, etc visible in the vehicle as they will be sought in exchange for passage. Allow extra time for journeys to the airport as the police are aware that people in a rush will pay. Speed checks are often carried out on the roads away from major towns (i.e. at the points where the speed limit is due to in

See

Malawi has a massive diversity of beautiful landscapes. The highest peaks in Malawi touch 10,000 ft (3; 000 m) while the lowest point is barely above sea level. This range of altitudes in a small area help to make the landscape of Malawi one of the most varied in all Africa. It is generally a green, lush country, with plateaux, highlands, forests, mountains, plains, escarpments and dramatic river valleys. The Rift Valley is the dominant feature, providing the vast chasm that Lake Malawi fills, and extending to the south of the country following the Shire River that drains the Lake. The flatter areas of the Rift Valley in South Malawi are home to some important wetlands, including Elephant Marsh, down in the Lower Shire Valley. To the west of the Lake and either side of the Shire Valley in the south is the Central African Plateau. The transition from Rift Valley floor up to the Central African Plateau is characterised by a series of dramatic escarpments, such as at Nkhotakota Wildlife Re