Where to Stay?
Malawi has a good variety of well-run bed and breakfasts, lodges and hotels, including the absolute handpicked gems that Malawi Travel shows you in the Souther Region, Central Region, Lake Malawi and the Northern Region. Those displayed all meet the (western) safety and service standards set by Malawi Travel. Malawi doesn’t have mass tourism and the places to stay are concentrated in towns, around the lake or parks. There is usually some level of choice for your budget and in every Location.
Blantyre, the capital of Malawi’s southern region and the Blantyre district is Malawi’s business hub and centre. The city of Zomba is the stately former colonial administrative Capitol of Malawi. Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi. These cities are good location to start of your Malawi adventures. They have good accommodations, good groceries and shopping and great restaurants. It’s surrounding green landscapes, mountains and plateaus' are stunning and the parks and Lake Malawi are a very pleasant drive away. While traveling Malawi, you can either go from one place to another or use your Blantyre, Zomba or Lilongwe home away from home and tour the country. Beware, along these trips it is where you will fall in love with Malawi.
Car Hire in Malawi
Car hire companies are based in Lilongwe and Blantyre, with desks at the airports. Cars can be delivered to and collected from any other location. Standards of vehicles vary and hiring can be expensive.
With relatively short distances between places of interest, reasonable road surfaces and little traffic, Malawi is a good country for self drive. Most of the main roads are tarred, with reasonably maintained surfaces. Potholes can occur on any road and speeds should be adjusted with this in mind. However, the general quality of roads is good by African standards. Driving is on the left. Expect to find people and animals on any road. Driving at night is to be avoided. Breakdowns are traditionally indicated by placing bush or tree branches at the side of the road behind the vehicle, but red triangles are strictly needed. Petrol is widely available but tanks should be filled when the opportunity occurs as soon as the indicator falls below half. More information about road safety can be found in Safety and security.
For tourists who choose to hire a vehicle in Malawi, breakdown cover is offered by the AA Autoclub at very affordable rates. Temporary full membership is available entitling tourists to free vehicle recovery and other services whilst they are visiting the country. If you are a member of the AA in your own country then a 50% discount is offered for AA services used whilst in Malawi. In order to receive this discount you must be able to prove membership within your home country, whilst in Malawi.
Air Travel in Malawi
Malawian Airlines flies a number of times every day between Lilongwe and Blantyre as well as connecting Malawi to its regional neighbors (Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and further afield through its alliance with Ethiopian Airlines. Malawi also has air charter companies which link most of the tourist destinations in the country as well as the main towns, including Bush & Lake Aviation. If using light aircraft for domestic transport, there is likely to be a baggage limit of 10-12 kg per person.
Public Transport
There is a good network of inexpensive public buses throughout the country. Small mini-buses (for locals) offer local journeys while larger coaches for the longer distance routes.
Taxis
Taxis in Malawi are mainly found in the main cities, though some can be located in the rural areas if you ask around. Fares are usually fairly low by international standards. We can recomend our featured taxi comapnies per region.
Lake Ferry
The famous Ilala, a 620 tonne vessel that can carry 400 passengers has traditionally travelled the length of Lake Malawi (365km) and provides a vital life line for the many communities that live around the lake. Ilala offers affordable transport allowing travellers to take in the stunning scenery at a leisurely pace. Passengers can hop on and off at various locations including Nkhata Bay and Likoma Island. The Ilala currently operates between Monkey Bay in the south and Chilumba in the north, calling in at Likoma and Chizumulu Islands both northbound and southbound.
