Africa for beginner or minibus driving for advanced (Malawi)

Member Name: chris-afrika

Product:	Malawi
Date:	23/04/03 (45 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Not to difficult to travel, little tourism, freindly people

Disadvantages: bad medical maintenance, hard to change money

Africa for beginner or the warm heart of Africa that are the slogans with which Malawi tries to attract visitors .

Both slogans are at least a bit true but it is not as easy to travel as the slogan want’s you to believe.

But for now lets start with the facts. Malawi is a relative small country in the south eastern region if Africa that is landlocked by Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania.
Main target for travellers in Malawi is the lake with the same name (Lake Malawi) which is host for 80% of the aquarium fishes. At least Lonely Planet says so. The people of Malawi are for sure one of the friendliest I ever met. Even if everybody tries to make money with tourism. No wonder if you the wealth differences between locals and tourists. The leads me to my first tip. The typical income of a local is around 1700 Kwacha a month, bear that in mind if you bargain for a wooden carving (the favourite gift from Malawi) or for handpainted postcards (100 Kwacha per postcard are definitely to much I paid 25 Kwacha for 3).

Normally you will arrive at the international airport of Malawi, if you are not on your one year trip trough Africa.
There you have to fill out the typical entrance card. Be careful what the customs officer stamps in to your passport. It does happen that he stamps a to short time and you end up arguing when leaving the country.
My first surprise in Malawi was that there was no chance of bargaining about the taxi price at the airport. After trying for a bit of time I accepted the price and was confirmed at my first accommodation this price is fixed even if it is the only fixed taxi price in the whole country.

The currency is the Malawi Kwacha with a changing rate of 80 Kwacha per Euro in November 2002. Money and traveller checks are best changed at forex bureau’s if available. That is much faster and normally you and up with more money then in a bank. You although have to check out where there is the next ban
k on your route. There are for example no banks or forex bureau’s in Cap Maclear and Nkhata Bay both tourist centres of Malawi.
To get money from a credit card is not possible in every bank and it needs a lot of passion if possible at all. They need to arrange a telephone line to south Africa and it is not sure that it works everyday.
To change money on the black market is possible but much less interesting then in Zimbabwe. The only exception is at the border post between Zambia and Malawi if you want to change Malawi Kwacha against Zambian Kwacha or the other way around. That happens directly in front of the customs officer and knowbody really cares.

Now about how to travel in Malawi. Either you hire yourself a car what is expansive (55US$ per day at least), drive with the big buses what can be very time consuming (personal record a 6 hours drive for 140km) or use the minibuses or pick-ups really cheap (for example 130 km from Lilongwe to Selima costs 2 US$) totally filled up before leaving (up to 30 persons on a normal pick-up) and bear a bit of risk (they do have accidents sometimes).
While some interesting targets are only reachable per minibus or pick-up that way was my main way of transport. Normally they leave at the Minibus station or close to the bus station for the big busses. They leave the moment the bus is totally occupied, what means your hardly able to close the door (breath out hold your breath close the door breath out). In some place to some times that may take a while but I was always lucky. You pay the cashier how sits with you in the bus or on the back of the of the pick-up. Prices are fixed but it does help to check what the others are paying just ask to get your change back it always worked (for calculation price should be about 1 Kwacha per km)

Nearly everywhere on the tourist route there are backpacker for accommodation and if not you can sleep for minimal costs in a local resthouse. The more touristy the
more expansive like every where on the world. Very important check the quality of your mosquito net above the bed!

Internet: The modern traveller at least the long-term traveller sometimes want to stay in contact. Therefore he or she needs the net. Are there Internet Connections in Malawi? Yes, there are but they have to be found. I found same in Mzuzu and Lilongwe and there should be same in the commercial capital Blantyre. The cheapest I found was in Lilongwe where after a two day break down of all connections (I was just arriving after) I got a minute for 7 Kwacha.
At the lakeside even if I was told there would be same. I didn’t find any internet cafes or connections.

Health! Main problem in Malawi for tourists is malaria. I haven’t met so many tourist been sick because of malaria then in Malawi (and I’m travelling a lot around Africa). That means it is important to where long sleeves in the evening, use mosquito repellent and take your malaria prophylaxe. That reduces the risk to a minimum. Another problem is Bilharzia a worm which gets you probably when your swimming in the lakes. I was told it is no big problem . Let your blood be checked for it when you come back home. More about that you can get from your tropical doctor. Visit him early enough before you make your trip.
For the locals and all interested in a sexual affair is AIDS I was told that the percentage of infected people in Malawi is somewhere between 30-75 %. The true is probably somewhere in the middle but knowbody wants to be tested. Even if I’m not looking for that kind of adventure practise safer sex if you mean you have to practise it at all. The other main problem for the locals is food shortage. That shouldn’t be a reason for you to stay away. You want starve in Malawi and by being there you want increase the problem for the locals. Bringing money to the people, not only to the big tour companies helps them buying food and reduces the
problem.

Now I will give you just a short information about hospitals in Malawi. I had the questionable pleasure to get a selective view of the hospitals in Malawi (and Zambia). If you can prevent it stay away from public hospitals except they are managed by missionaries. Try to get to a private hospital preferable in the capital there you will find real doctors and at least in some degree acceptable conditions. If you have to go to an hospital and are not serious ill before you will be afterwards.

At the end a short summary. Malawi is despite a view difficulties always worth a trip. The highlights of the places I will describe shortly. How goes to Malawi should know where he is going to but then it can be a holiday to remember.

Have Fun in Malawi

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