TRAVEL
TIPS
| Driving |
U.S
Driving Permit accepted |
| Currency |
(MWK)
Malawian Kwalha |
| Electrical |
230 Volts |
| Telephones |
Country
Code 265 |
Climate:
Varies from cool in the highlands to warm around Lake Malawi.
Winter (May to July) is dry and nights can be chilly, particularly
in the highlands. The rainy season runs from November to March.
Around Lake Malawi, in winter, the climate is particularly dry
with pleasant cooling breezes.
Clothing:
Lightweights are worn all year in the Lake Malawi area, with warmer
clothes advised in the mountains, particularly during winter and
on chilly evenings elsewhere. Visitors to Nyika and Zomba should
note that the nights can be cold. Dark or ‘natural’
coloured clothing should be worn for game viewing.
Food
& Drink:
Fresh fish from Lake Malawi is the country’s speciality,
chambo (Tilapia fish) being the main lake delicacy. There are
trout from streams on the Zomba, Mulanje and Nyika plateaux. Hotel
restaurants and many of those in the cities are of a good standard.
They offer a wide choice of dishes including European, Korean
and Chinese as well as authentic Malawi dishes and haute cuisine,
the unique Lake Malawi dishes. Poultry and dairy produce are plentiful
and tropical fruits are abundant in season.
The local beer is very good and imported beer and soft drinks
are widely available. Malawi gin, which is well known and inexpensive,
and tonic have reached almost cult status. Wine is imported largely
from South Africa.
Shopping:
Malawi produces a variety of colourful arts and crafts. Items
are invariably handmade and there is no factory production of
curios. Purchases include woodcarvings, wood and cane furniture,
soapstone carvings, decorated wooden articles, colourful textiles,
pottery, beadwork, cane and raffia items. The standard of woodcarving
is one of the highest in Africa. The Mua Mission, south of Salima,
where carvers are trained, has an excellent shop. Traditional
musical instruments are also sold throughout Malawi. Shopping
hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1700. Markets and roadside stalls function
every day.
Currency:
Kwacha (K) = 100 tambala. Notes are in denominations of K500,
200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of K1 and
50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 tambala.
Credit
& debit cards: Acceptance of credit and debit cards
is very limited, although in Lilongwe and Blantyre and in main
hotels Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and American Express can
be used. Check with your credit or debit card company for details
of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.
Travellers
cheques: As with major currencies, including US Dollars,
Euros and Sterling, travellers cheques can be exchanged in banks,
hotels and other institutions. In remote areas, the Treasury Office
of Local District Commissioner’s offices will cash travellers
cheques. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers
are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars, Euros, Pounds
Sterling or South African Rand.
