General: Malawi

Malawi - A love affair

In October 2001, I fell in love. Not with one man, but with a few million of them, plus an equal number of women, loads of kids and even more fish, birds, butterflies, grasses, flowers, trees, bushes, rivers, hills, villages and towns and one lake (well at least there I get back to being monogamous). It's not for nothing that Malawi calls itself 'The warm heart of Africa' - it is an extraordinarily friendly, ...
...planned on writing has grown far too long and turned into a series. For more details on various subjects I refer to my other opinions on the subjects, which I'll list at the end of this one.

The hard facts:

1. Geography and bits
Malawi is a small landlocked country in southeast Africa with borders to Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia. Of the almost 120’000 km2, more than 24’000 km2 is water, mainly Lake ... more

Malawi - A love affair

In October 2001, I fell in love. Not with one man, but with a few million of them, plus an equal number of women, loads of kids and even more fish, birds, butterflies, grasses, flowers, trees, bushes, rivers, hills, villages and towns and one lake (well at least there I get back to being monogamous). It's not for nothing that Malawi calls itself 'The warm heart of Africa' - it is an extraordinarily friendly, warm-hearted country indeed.

The one opinion I planned on writing has grown far too long and turned into a series. For more details on various subjects I refer to my other opinions on the subjects, which I'll list at the end of this one.

The hard facts:

1. Geography and bits
Malawi is a small landlocked country in southeast Africa with borders to Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia. Of the almost 120’000 km2, more than 24’000 km2 is water, mainly Lake Malawi (aka Lake Nyasa). About 10% of the country are National Parks and Game or Forest Reserves. Due to the high population density, you will not find much big game, but Malawi is famous for its vast number of bird and fresh water fish species.
2. Population:
Having about a population of around 10 Million, Malawi is one of the more densely populated countries in Africa. Its past as one of the centers of slave trade is still visible in the fact that there are a large number of tribes represented in Malawi. You will find Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni and Ngonde, to just name a few.

Even though the current president and the majority of the government belong to the Chewa tribe, which is considered the most powerful tribe, there are no problems between the tribes. One theory says that this is due to the fact that the Malawi tribes are all farming tribes (as opposed to warring tribes like the Massai or Zulu). Among resident farmers, cooperation and low violence problem solving has a longer tradition than with nomad tribes who needed to re-establish grazing rights constantly.

3. Income, education and life expectancy
Malawi is one of the least developed and therefore among poorest countries in the world. An average daily income is about 50p.

About 40% of the adult population cannot read and write. Almost all boys and about 80% of the girls will get some formal education nowadays.

Even though there's no famines, malnutrition is widely spread, due to very limited variety in food, mainly Cassava nsima (porridge) with a bit of fish or vegetables. This in combination with various parasites, such as Malaria and Bilharzia and, more recently, the very high rate of HIV infection (about 30% of the population), average life expectancy is as low as 38.

The travel tips:

1. When to go
Malawi, being a tropical country, has the typical rainy / dry seasons with a 'windy season' added for fun. The dry season lasts from May through to October, with June/July being the 'windy season'. During windy season there is a very strong permanent wind blowing, which can really get on your nerves after a few days. This is also the one time where water sports, such as diving and sailing are not recommended, as there are VERY high waves in the lake. Some campsites will even have surfboards for rent!

The best time to visit Malawi is between August and November. Towards end of October, early November it does get quite hot (up to 40°C). However, there's almost always a light breeze along the lakefront and it's quite a bit cooler in the hills and mountains. We slept in a tent for the entire month and found the temperature absolutely bearable.

In November the 'Mango rains' start. These are light, short rains coinciding with the ripening of the mangoes, hence the name. These rains do not actually present a problem, as even sand and gravel roads dry out quickly and driving everywhere is still possible. It will, however, become very hot and humid, which is not for everyone. On the other hand, it is now, that the whole country explodes in greens and flowers, which must be a fantastic sight. I will definitely try and go back for that some time.

December through to April is rainy season. Each morning there are heavy rains for several hours. During this period, most National Parks are closed and many places cannot be reached easily, even with a ‘heavy duty’ 4x4. Camping and hiking is not much fun either.

2. How to get there
Malawi is not one of the major tourist destination and there are no direct flights from Europe. Lilongwe and Blantyre are normally reached via Johannesburg, Nairobi or Dar Es Salam. Even though I usually book all my trips via the Internet, I used a travel office for this one.

3. How to prepare
As always, preparation is half the fun and will help you get much more out of a trip. So get some books (e.g. Lonely Planet) and surf the web (some sites are listed below). Even if you are not very interested in birds or fish, it is well worth the effort to at least browse a book on the subject, as you will get to see an abundance of these creatures. We will definitely take our own book next time.

Visit a center for tropical diseases or vaccination center about 2 months before travelling. There are no mandatory vaccinations, but some things, such as tetanus or hepatitis should be up-to-date. If you travel to Malawi through countries where Yellow Fever is found, you may be required to show proof of a respective vaccination. Malaria is a major problem in Malawi and a lot of the strains are chloroquine-resistant. In mainland Europe, Lariam seems to be the drug of choice, but I had some very bad side effects (see separate op). People living in Malawi take Paludrine (proguanil) in combination with Nivaquine (chloroquine). This is available in South Africa as combination pack under the name Daramal-Paludrine.

4. What to do there
Basically, anything you like! The lake, covering a good quarter of the country is famous for water sports such as sailing, water skiing, rowing, some of the best diving and snorkeling available world wide, swimming. There's great hiking in the southern mountains and the hills further north. Various places offer horseback riding, horseback trekking and even polo crosse (Kande). Malawi is excellent for bird watching and has quite a few national parks that offer game drives, as well as river and walking safaris. There is not much 'big game' in Malawi, but trips to the (relatively) nearby South Luwanga National Park in Zambia leave regularly from Lilongwe. But even if you just want to hang out and relax, Malawi is just the place for you with its many beautiful, vast beaches.

5. What to take
You will not need much, but some thinking should go into packing. 'Proper dress' is very important to Malawis. You will never find a badly dressed Malawi in public unless s/he's really down and out. Clothes may be worn out and mended, but they will always be very clean and 'formal'. If you go into a village or town, you (both men and women) should not do so in shorts, mini skirts, skimpy tops etc. No Malawi will ever remark on 'improper' dress, but you will not gain any respect either. I was always wearing a sarong or long trousers and a loose t-shirt, which seemed fine.

On the beach swimmwear, shorts etc. are ok but topless or nude sunbathing is a big NO. Sandals are a must, as the sand will get VERY hot. In the evening long trousers and a loose, long-sleeved shirt is the best option. This, in combination with sprays, will prevent you from mozzy-bites and, therefore, acts as a Malaria precaution. Solid boots are needed whenever you venture into the bush or forest, as there are plenty of snakes.

Wearing a hat, sunglasses and high factor sun lotion will make your stay much more enjoyable. You will be able to actually sleep at night, rather than tossing and turning on a newly burnt back!

Malawi is very suitable for camping holidays with many well-appointed and beautiful campsites. Most of these campsites also have dorm beds and bungalows for rent and there are quite a few wonderfully luxurious (but affordable) lodges for those seeking even more comforts. It may be sensible to bring your own moskito net, although we found them to be in good condition everywhere we stayed. Needle and thread for on-the-spot fixes will come handy, though.

If you plan on travelling around, it's worth buying a map in Europe, as the ones available in Malawi are not always very good.

If you don't Camera and binoculars you will certainly end up wishing you had!

6. Shopping
I prefer to buy consumable souveniers. There is very nice Malawi highland coffee (Mzuzu Coffee) and teas available. For some 'hot' moments, why not buy the local NALI chili sauces (Labeled: The hottest sauce in Africa - Friends beware). There is also a 'mild' and 'garlic' variety available. Apart from that, you can find very nice carvings and baskets as well as stoneware figurines. If you do buy carvings don't leave them out in the sun and do oil them as soon as you get home, as they may crack otherwise.

Very colourful are the local cloths with beautiful and sometime really funny prints (prada handbags!). On the local markets you will quite often be able to pick up last year's designer gear (yeah, Oxfam) at really low prices - if you fancy a pair of Calvin Klein jeans but don't want to spend more than one pound, here's the unique

7. Contact
the Malawis are a very friendly and polite people. If you show respect, too, it is very easy to get talking to the local
People, as almost everyone speaks some English. Addressing a person as 'Sir' or 'Madam', when asking for directions will go a long way. Be careful though, Malawis do not like to say 'No'. So if you are given directions, it may be worth the effort to confirm this with a second opinion. Quite often people will make something up in order to not disappoint you!

Be street wise in bigger cities, though. Lilongwe especially has a high crime rate, and you will not receive quite the warm-hearted welcome there.

I hope that this has wet your appetite a bit and wish you a nice trip, to Malawi or wherever it is that you are going. (Even if it's just down to the pub).

Cheers - Garlicpress

Interesting websites:
general information: http://www.newafrica.com/travel/Highlights/details.asp?countryID=30
travel information and reservations: http://www.malawiholiday.com/
fish: http://malawicichlids.com/index.htm
languages of Malawi (15!): http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Malawi
government page: http://www.maform.malawi.net

I will add the following opinions:

• Malawi – Arriving
• Malawi – Be open for ...
• Malawi – Community
• Malawi – Downside of ...

Not really part of the Malawi series, but still interesting if you intend to go
* Malaria – To Lariam or not to Lariam (Information on Malaria and Prophylaxis)
 

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