Language: English is the official language, but Chichewa is more commonly spoken.
Currency: The official currency is the
Malawi Kwacha (MWK), which is divided into 100 tambalas. Travelers cheques and foreign currencies are accepted by banks, authorized hotels and other institutions in the main town centers; bureaux de change are also available. The US dollar is the easiest currency to exchange. Credit cards are not widely accepted and ATMs are scarce and should not be relied upon. Exchanging currency on the black market is not recommended.
Time: Local time is GMT
+2.
Electricity: Electrical current is 220/240 volts, 50Hz. Three-pin, rectangular blade plugs are standard.
Communications: The international dialing code for Malawi is +265. The outgoing code is 101 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 10127 for
South Africa). There are no city/area codes required. The telephone system is not very reliable, but Internet, email and fax are available in most towns and tourist areas. The GSM 900 cell phone network gives coverage to most of the country and is compatible with most international operators.
Duty Free: Travelers to Malawi do not have to pay customs duty on 200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco. For travelers over 18 years 1 liter spirits, 1 liter beer and 1 liter wine can be brought into the country without incurring duty fees.
Getting Around: You can travel around Malawi by air, road, rail or boat. Distances between major centers are short but in recent years several stretches of road have become very badly potholed, making driving difficult and sometimes dangerous. The best mode of transport is however by car, and there are various international car rental companies in Malawi. The main road through Malawi runs from the north down to Mzuzu, then through the center of the country to
Lilongwe, and onto
Blantyre and the south. Taxis are available in and around town but there are also bus services available. The train in Malawi is slow, crowded and limited (there are no passenger trains to Lilongwe). Every week, the Ilala passenger ferry chugs up and down
Lake Malawi between Monkey Bay and Chilumba, stopping at a dozen towns and villages (contact Malawi Lake Services).
Tourist OfficeMalawi Ministry of Tourism Parks and Wildlife, Lilongwe: +265 (0) 177 5499
EmergencyEmergencies: 997 (Police); 998 (Ambulance)
Embassies
Malawi Embassy,
Washington DC,
United States: +1 202 721 0274.
Malawi
High Commission,
London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 8458 7714/ 8455 5624.
Malawi High Commission,
Ottawa,
Canada: +1 613 236 8931.
Malawi High Commission,
Tokyo,
Japan (also responsible for
Australia): +81(0)3 3449 3010.
Malawi High Commission,
Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 342 0146.
United States Embassy, Lilongwe: +265 1 773 166.
British High Commission, Lilongwe: +265 1 772 400.
Canadian High Commission,
Lusaka,
Zambia (also responsible for Malawi): +260 (0)1 250 833.
Australian Embassy,
Harare,
Zimbabwe (also responsible for Malawi): +263 (0)4 852 471.
South African High Commission, Lilongwe: +265 1 773 722/597.
Embassy of
Ireland, Lilongwe: +265 1 706 405/408.
