Malawi - Malaui

Introduction Malawi (in English and Chichewa, Malawi), officially the Republic of Malawi (in English, Republic of Malawi; in chichewa, Dziko the Malawi) is a country located in the southeast of Africa, formerly known as Nyasaland. Borders with Zambia to the northwest, with Tanzania northeast and with Mozambique to the east, south and west. With these last two countries it is separated by the lake malawi, one of the largest on the continent.

Capital Lilongwe Idiom English Y chichewa Surface 118 484 km² Population 13 931 831 (2008) Currency kwacha Time zone UTC 2 Telephone prefix 265

Understand

History

In the late 15th century, the Maravi Empire existed on the southwestern shores of Lake Malawi as a kingdom of the Chewa people. The slave trade was introduced in the 19th century when Swahili Arabs moved to the area to obtain slavery and ivory. The first person to visit Malawi was Dr. David Livingstone, a Scottish missionary and explorer who was credited with leading the role in ending slavery in Africa.

Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi on July 6, 1964. After three decades of one-party rule by Hastings Banda, the country held multi-party elections in 1994 under an interim constitution, which it came into full force the following year. The multi-party national elections of 1999 and 2004 elected President Bingu wa Mutharika. When she died in 2012, Joyce Banda (no relation to Hastings Banda) was chosen as the first female leader.

Weather

Much of Malawi is a plateau, often reaching 1000 m (3000 ft), and the temperature in these highlands is moderate, with the hottest period during the autumn rainy season and the coolest and coldest in winter. . The hottest region in the country is the lower part of the Shire River Valley, south of Blantyre. Temperatures along picturesque Lake Malawi are generally warm, but with a refreshing breeze, especially in the evenings. Winters (May to July) are dry. The rainy season begins in mid-October to early November and generally runs through March.

Culture

The people of Malawi are its greatest asset: friendly, welcoming, colorful and vibrant. It's impossible to visit and not engage with the people, but now there are opportunities to spend time in real towns (including staying overnight) to get a first-hand experience of cultures, traditions, and everyday life. This is an option practically everywhere in Malawi and is well worth taking.

There is also much to see in Malawian history, starting with the prehistoric remains of the Karonga district and the Stone Age cave paintings near Dedza. The Karonga Museum and Cultural Center is well worth a visit. Elsewhere, the colonial period is preserved in buildings dating from the time of David Livingstone and the defeat of the Arab slave trade is well documented in the museums of Blantyre. Other museums across the country include a Lake Museum in Mangochi, a mission museum in Livingstonia, and a postal services museum near Zomba.

Regions

• North Malawi
• Central Malawi
• South Malawi

Cities

• Lilongwe - Malawi's political capital and seat of government
• Blantyre- The economic capital and largest city with an interesting downtown, decent nightlife and music, a variety of hotels, from posh to rest houses, and a vibrant street and market culture.
• Mzuzu: the largest city in northern Malawi. For most, it's just a stop for cash and the internet on the way to or from Nkhata Bay or further south, and the Tanzanian border.
• Karonga- Charming town not far from the intriguing hills of Misuku and a short distance from Lake Malawi and growing rapidly due to the recent development of a uranium mine.
• Mangochi- Medium-sized city, formerly known as Fort Johnston, and a starting point for resorts and lodges on the shore of Lake Malawi, on the way to the Cape Maclear peninsula.
• Nkhotakota, On the shores of Lake Malawi in the Central Region, is where explorer David Livingston sat down with Swahili Arab slave traders to try to negotiate an end to the slave trade. Nkhotakota was a slave entrepôt, from which slaves were transported across Lake Malawi to the eastern shoreline to resume their overland journey to what is now the coast of Tanzania. Nkhotakota is a compact and fascinating city, ancient in its own way and true to the ethnic diversity of this region of Malawi.
• Zomba - Former colonial capital of Malawi known for its British colonial architecture, the University of Malawi, and the remarkable Zomba Plateau that rises immediately west of the city.

Other destinations

• Cape Maclear - Quiet fishing village on the tip of a peninsula jutting out into the southern part of Lake Malawi. The Cabo has excellent sandy beaches and crystal clear waters perfect for swimming, and is a favorite with backpackers, boaters, and sun worshipers. However, this area is known to have a high level of schistosomiasis and visitors must be well informed.
• Kuti Community Wildlife Park - 90km from Lilongwe on Salima Road where you will find yourself closer to the zebra than anywhere else in Africa.
• Islands Likoma and Chisumulu: great aquatic life and a back door to Mozambique. These islands are only accessible to tourists by private boat or the public ferry that only leaves once or twice a week and is the only means by which locals can send supplies to and from the islands; So if you take the ferry to or from Nkhata Bay, buy a deck or cabin ticket unless you want to fully immerse yourself in the typical Malawian carrier lifestyle.
• Mua
• Zomba Plateau
• Monkey Bay - A large and popular town as you make your way up Lake Road from Mangochi towards Cape Maclear
• Nkhata Bay , a rocky bay to the north of the lake, check into one of the lodges and you could be here for a while.

National parks and forest reserves

• Lake Malawi National Park
• Liwonde National Park : 550 km² of virgin forest along the banks of the Shire River. The best way to approach the national park is from the town of Liwonde. A half-hour boat trip through the Comarca will showcase some of the extraordinary wildlife of the region, especially hippos, elephants and ospreys.
• Majete Wildlife Park
• Mount Mulanje (Mulanje Massif): It is the highest peak south of Kilimanjaro and a favorite among climbers trying to reach Sapitwa Peak, the highest of the Mulanje peaks. It is within the Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve
• Nyika National Park - Malawi's largest national park is located on the 1800m high Nyika Plateau
• Ntchisi Forest Reserve : breathtaking rainforest in an unspoiled rural area

To get

Entry requirements

Citizens of the following countries do not need visa to enter Malawi for up to 90 days: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Grenada, Ireland, 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. Hong Kong citizens do not require a visa for visits up to 30 days.

Citizens of most other countries can get a 30 day visa for $ 75 upon arrival, but this I dont know applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan from the South, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Yemen who must obtain a visa in advance, which can be applied for at the Malawian embassy in their country. You can also get a six-month multiple-entry visa on arrival, 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 via Johannesburg, Nairobi, or Addis Ababa to fly to Lilongwe or Blantyre.

By train

There are no international trains to Malawi, though CEAR operates a weekly train from the border town of Nayuchi, along northern Mozambique.

Boat

A ferry leaves twice a week from the island of Likoma to Cobuè 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 condition. 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 (northwestern Mozambique) to Zobwe. After crossing, take another bus from the border to Blantyre. This crossing is quite hectic and is closed at night so plan to get there early and try to stay cool with all the border vendors.

Direct buses run from Lusaka, Zambia to Lilongwe, but best avoided (or done in sections) if 18-20 hours on a bus doesn't sound like your idea of ​​a good time. There is also a minibus from Mbeya in Tanzania to the border. From the border at Malawi Side, take a taxi to Karonga. The cost is around 400-500 MK depending on the negotiation. From Karonga bus station, take a bus or minibus to other destinations in Malawi. The bus is cheaper than the minibus. The easiest way to take a direct bus from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Mzuzu or Lilongwe.

There are no direct buses from Mbeya to Malawi, although scammers at the Mbeya bus station will tell you and sell you tickets. You must take a bus to the border and cross.

Intercape, which has the largest inter-city route network in southern Africa, has buses from Mzuzu, Mangochi, Blantyre, Lilongwe through Tete and Harare to Johannesburg. A one-way ticket from Mzuzu to Johannesburg costs 960 rand.

Travel

Compared to its neighbors, Malawi's main roads are surprisingly in good shape and travel times between major destinations should be reasonable. The volume of traffic is low and most people drive reasonably slowly. It is not advisable to travel by road after dark as road markings are poor or non-existent and not all cars have headlights. While there are few vehicles that travel at night, a very significant number of their drivers will be heavily intoxicated, particularly outside Lilongwe and Blantyre.

The Malawi police force has barricades, checkpoints and speed controls along many of the main roads and at airports. In general, they look for illegal activities and bribes. Expect to be stopped from time to time, especially if you are clearly not local and asked where you are going. Fines for traffic violations range from MK 2000 for poor tires or faulty lighting, up to MK 8000 for speeding, up to vehicle impound for license / registration / insurance violations. Payment is expected to be made to a roadside treasurer, and a numbered receipt from a duplicate book must be submitted. If a passenger in a vehicle driven by a local, the police may question the driver or other passengers in a local dialect to establish what can be obtained from you. You shouldn't have a problem if you are polite and have the correct documentation (passport, driver's license, permission to use the vehicle, etc.) available upon request. Before using any vehicle, make sure all tires are in good condition, lights are working (including brake lights), and you have a road warning triangle and a fire extinguisher. Do not leave quantities of food or drink, toys, etc. visible on the vehicle as they will be searched in exchange for your ticket. Allow extra time for trips to the airport, as the police know that people in a hurry will pay. Speed ​​checks are often held on highways away from major cities (that is, at points where the speed limit needs to be increased), and urban speed limits can be well extended to rural areas, often 10 to 12 km outside the main cities. s license, permission to use the vehicle, etc.) available upon request. Before using any vehicle, make sure all tires are in good condition, lights are working (including brake lights), and you have a road warning triangle and a fire extinguisher. Do not leave quantities of food or drink, toys, etc. visible on the vehicle as they will be searched in exchange for your ticket. Allow extra time for trips to the airport, as the police know that people in a hurry will pay. Speed ​​checks are often carried out on highways away from major cities (that is, at points where the speed limit needs to be increased), and urban speed limits can be well extended to rural areas, often 10 to 12 km outside the main cities (license, permission to use the vehicle, etc.) available on request. Before using any vehicle, make sure all tires are in good condition, lights are working (including brake lights), and you have a road warning triangle and a fire extinguisher. Do not leave quantities of food or drink, toys, etc. visible on the vehicle as they will be searched in exchange for your ticket. Allow extra time for trips to the airport, as the police know that people in a hurry will pay. Speed ​​checks are often carried out on highways away from major cities (that is, at points where the speed limit needs to be increased), and urban speed limits can be well extended to rural areas, often 10 to 12 km outside the main cities. the lights work (including brake lights) and it has a warning triangle on the road and a fire extinguisher. Do not leave quantities of food or drink, toys, etc. visible on the vehicle as they will be searched in exchange for your ticket. Allow extra time for trips to the airport, as the police know that people in a hurry will pay. Speed ​​checks are often held on highways away from major cities (that is, at points where the speed limit needs to be increased), and urban speed limits can be well extended to rural areas, often 10 to 12 km outside the main cities. the lights work (including brake lights) and it has a warning triangle on the road and a fire extinguisher. Do not leave quantities of food or drink, toys, etc. visible on the vehicle as they will be searched in exchange for your ticket. Allow extra time for trips to the airport, as the police know that people in a hurry will pay. Speed ​​checks are often held on highways away from major cities (that is, at points where the speed limit needs to be increased), and urban speed limits can be well extended to rural areas, often 10 to 12 km outside the main cities. Allow extra time for trips to the airport, as the police know that people in a hurry will pay. Speed ​​checks are often carried out on highways away from major cities (that is, at points where the speed limit needs to be increased), and urban speed limits can be well extended to rural areas, often 10 to 12 km outside the main cities. Allow extra time for trips to the airport, as the police know that people in a hurry will pay. Speed ​​checks are often carried out on highways away from major cities (that is, at points where the speed limit needs to be increased), and urban speed limits can be well extended to rural areas, often 10 to 12 km outside the main cities.

The use of seat belts is mandatory. Local laws dictate that passengers cannot have any limbs dangling from a vehicle. Although many local vans have additional passengers in the cargo area, visitors should not do so unless the vehicle has the appropriate additional government documentation to allow it.

Malawi experiences fuel shortages, so you have to stock up in neighboring countries unless you want to queue for a long time (without actually getting anything) or use the black market, with fuel prices almost double, even triple those. usual prices. If you stay in one area for some time, try to establish a relationship with the condo staff at one establishment, but keep in mind that you occasionally buy small quantities at other outlets. Often times, the staff will give preferential treatment to regular customers in times of shortage.

In rural areas, be careful around children playing and animals, especially chickens on the road. While small animals cannot damage the vehicle, they can cause a family to lose a source of income or nutrition and create a very hostile situation when payment is requested.

By car

Like many other former British colonies, traffic moves to the left in Malawi and most cars travel on the right side.

Local car rental companies:

Apex Rent-a-Car Malawi .Sedans, 4x4, buses. Edit

SS Rent-a-Car .Salons / sedans, 4x4, 16 and 26-seater buses, motorcycles. Edit

Sputnik car rental .4x4, buses, trucks. Edit

Many car rentals in South Africa do not allow you to enter Malawi with their cars. You may have the best chances if you rent a car in Zambia.

Car rentals that allow you to enter Malawi:

• Kwenda , 17 Samantha Street; Strijdom Park; Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, ☏ [44 533 5717], ✉ [[1]]. Edit
• Bushtackers , PO Box 4225, Rivonia, 2128, Johannesburg, South Africa, ☏ [11 465 5700], ✉ [[2]]. Allow you to enter Malawi upon request by email. Edit

Boat

Traveling by boat is without a doubt the most fun way to get around Malawi. The ferry of Ilala travels north from Monkey Bay to Chilumba on Fridays at 10:00, arrives on Sunday at 6:30 pm and returns south along the same route, leaving Chilumba on Mondays at 2:00 am, arriving back at Monkey Bay on Wednesdays at 2pm. Prices go up every year, but so does the reliability of the ferry.

By train

Malawi has a passenger service very limited, with departures between 1 and 2 times per week between Blantyre and smaller towns in southern Malawi. No passenger train serves the capital, Lilongwe. All trains are operated by CEAR.

To buy

Money

Malawi Kwacha Exchange Rates As of January 2020: FOB Price: US $ 1 ≈ MK740 € 1 ≈ MK820 UK £ 1 ≈ MK970 South Africa R1 ≈ MK50 Exchange rates fluctuate. Current rates for these and other currencies are available on XE.com

The local currency is Malawian kwacha , sometimes abbreviated " MK "(ISO international currency code: MWK). The currency can be freely converted (but it is impossible to get rid of it outside the country).

Almost everyone will accept "hard" currencies (forex), especially for larger purchases. In order to lower the cost of living, expats living in Malawi might consider transferring specialized currency from companies that focus on global reach, such as those found on MTC.com if you bring foreign currency into the country. and violates the law by trading on the black market. - in Lilongwe, this is by using the people outside Metro (opposite Spar / Shoprite), they can give you an extra 40-50 kwacha (use it as a general idea of ​​how much you should get) to US dollar, pound or euro. Take the taxi here on the way from the airport!

You can exchange Malawian Kwacha for Zambian Kwacha at the border, either at banks or on the black market.

Larger foreign banknotes are favored and can fetch much higher rates. Sometimes it can be easier to not even go to the black market and just make purchases with foreign currency.

Credit cards: Mastercard and Visa and are accepted by large hotels and large supermarkets.

You can withdraw cash with a Mastercard or Visa card in many ATMs from the Standard Bank, Ecobank and National Bank of Malawi.

It is best to have a Visa card if you are located outside of the larger cities, as many ATMs only accept Visa.

Traveler's checks they can no longer be used.

Eat and drink

To eat

Nsima with three seasonings: rapeseed and peanuts (top left), cabbage (bottom left) and kapenta (Bottom right)

Traditional Malawian food revolves around a staple food, the corn , served in a way, nsima (n'SEE-ma). Nsima is basically a type of thick porridge, rolled into balls with the right hand and dipped in a variety of stews known as condiments . Those who can afford them eat beef, chicken, or fish, but those who can't settle for beans, tiny dried fish ( usipa ), pumpkin leaves ( chibwabwa ) and other vegetables. For breakfast, the nsima can be served diluted in a soup, perhaps with a little sugar. Local restaurants will serve you nsima and enjoy for less than MK500.

The food options in the main cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre are good. Fast food, including hamburgers, pizza, and fried chicken, is very popular in Malawi. For sit-down meals, ethnic restaurants (thanks to a significant expat population) are popular. In many restaurants, the products of pork they are not used to accommodate the Muslim population.

Outside of the larger cities, however, you might be a bit disappointed in the food options. Along the main roads, you'll find "shops" offering packaged cookies or takeout meals (meat patties or sausage buns, for example) that may or may not satisfy you.

Lastly, in terms of hygiene Outside of major cities, you are unlikely to find a suitable toilet with running water. They will probably give you a bowl of water, a piece of soap, and a (wet) towel. Therefore, some travelers bring small bottles of antibacterial hand soap.

To drink

Refreshments

A traditional local drink worth trying is the maheu, a somewhat gritty and vaguely yogurt but refreshing drink made from cornmeal. Factory-produced maheu is sweet, comes in plastic bottles, and is available in a variety of flavors including banana, chocolate, and orange, while the homemade versions are generally tasteless and less sweet.

The variety of soft drinks in Malawi is very popular: there is Coke, Sprite, Tonic, Ginger Ale, Soda Water, Cherry Plum, Cocopina and the very tasty and sugary Fantas (which comes in orange, grape, exotic, passion and pineapple flavors) . These are manufactured by SOBO, the glass bottles are in a deposit system. Expect to pay MK50 extra per bottle unless you bring some 'empty'.

Alcohol

The only beers you will find are generally brewed in Blantyre by Carlsberg , and its products are available in restaurants and stores across the country. A normal Carlsberg is known as "green", but the company also produces Special Brew, Stout, Classic, Elephant, Light and Kuche Kuche. You can also buy imported drinks like Heineken, Kronenbourg, Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi Breezer, and some ciders at certain bars. Malawi also produces its own spirits, notably Malawi Vodka, Malawi Gin, Malawi Rum, Gold Label Brandy, and Powers cane spirit. Malawi Gin & Tonic is a very nice and popular drink for expats in the country.

external links

• Wikipedia has an article on Malawi.w: Malawi
• Wikimedia Commons houses multimedia content about Malawi. Commons