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Malawi Travel DirectoryREPUBLIC OF MALAWI BACKGROUND INFORMATION Malawi located in southeastern Africa is a landlocked country. The Great Rift Valley traverses the country from north to south. The country is bordered in the North and East by Tanzania, on the west by Zambia east and to the south and southwest by Mozambique. In this deep trough lies Lake Malawi, the third-largest lake in Africa, comprising about 20% of Malawi's area The country has palm fringed beaches, enclosed by sheer mountains, making it a focal point for tourists.
PRACTICAL DETAILS: Currency: 1 Malawian Kwacha=100 tambala Main Health risk: Maria GEOGRAPHY: Capital: Lilongwe. Other cities: Blantyre (the commercial
capital), Zomba, Mzuzu. Vegetation: savannah woodland, Evergreen forests
Major National Park: Lake Malawi national park Main Exports: tobacco, tea and sugar. Terrain: Plateaus, highlands, and valleys. Lake Malawi (formerly referred to as Lake Nyasa) comprises about 20% of total area. HUMAN STATISTICS: Language: English (official), Chichewa (official),
regional dialects, i.e., Chitumbuka, Chiyao, Chilomwe. Religion: Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 3%, other 2%. Income per capita: $150.90. Ethnic groups: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European.
President:Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika National Flag: Red represents the blood Malawians shed during their struggle for independence, Green represents vegetation and black means black race. Government: Multi-party democracy.
Malawi can be visited at any time of the year as its always beautiful. However, be warned that country roads are often impassable to normal vehicles during heavy rains. The country is more attractive in the wetter, greener months. Bird watchers enjoy their best sightings in October and November. May and June months combine the best of both seasons - cooler, still green with great visibility Game viewing is best in the hottest times of the dry season when the animals are forced to visit water sources. GETTING THERE AND AWAY: The country has several Airports with International flights which land in Malawi's capital; Lilongwe. Flights, especially those from Johannesburg and Harare, land at Blantyre, the business centre of Malawi. Malawi has several European Airlines and African Airlines flying into the country. These include British Airways and KLM (via Nairobi with Kenya Airways), African Airlines flying to Malawi include Air Zimbabwe, Air Malawi, South African Airways, Air Tanzania, Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways. Domestic departures are charged for of MWK100 and all travellers pay an airport departure tax of US$20 when leaving the country. VISA AND PASSPORT GUIDELINES All visitors to Malawi should have a valid passport. This should be at least six months to expiry date. Visas are not obtainable at points of entry and must be organised prior to travelling through the nearest Malawian Embassy or High Commission. Visitors passes are required by all foreign passport holders and these can be obtained, free of charge, at the point of entry. Visitors require Visas to enter Malawi, except nationals of Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Grenada, Iceland, Israel, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, USA, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Visitor's passes are valid for 1 month and can easily be extended, up to a maximum of 90 days, at any of the immigration offices which can be found in most major towns.
Malawi has several Tour and travel companies/Tourist offices which offer Airline tickets and also offer other services. GETTING AROUND Malawi has a good road system that links the country to others, and city to city. Bus services are available throughout Malawi daily. Train Services are also available, with a railway connecting Lilongwe to Blantyre via Salima and Blantyre to Nsanje near the border where it extends into Mozambique to Biera. There are vehicles for hire, and there are two ferries, the MV Ilala and MV Mtendere,which travel once a week between Monkey Bay and Chilumba.
Malawi has a wide range of accommodation. The country has several hotels including Protea Hotel Ryalls, Le Meridien, Mont Soche in Blantyre, Le Meridien Livingstonia Beach in the Southern Lakeshore, Le Meridien Capital, Le Meridien Ku Chawe.
ATTRACTIONS There are several attractions found in Malawi like Lake Malawi with several fish Species, the Beaches with Scuba diving and water sports. Malawi has nine National Parks & Wildlife Reserves like Kasungu National Park, Lake Malawi National Park, Nyika National Park with a variety of wildlife, Kamuzu Academy (the ‘Eton of Africa’) and Likoma Island.
The country has several banking services in most major towns. Travellers cheques and the South African Rand widely exchanged and accepted. Credit and charge cards are accepted, in hotels and banks.
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