Malawi

+-Overview

Malawi is a country defined by geography; a long sliver of mostly mountainous land surrounding the whole length of beautiful Lake Malawi.  This land-locked country that is about the size as Cuba, was first explored by the redoubtable David Livingstone and as a British Colony until the mid-1960s was known as Nyasaland.  Primarily pastoral, its rural areas are home to the majority of its population.  The capital, Lilongwe is a leisurely place with one foot well entrenched in the past, and the other tentatively testing the modernity of the 21st Century. 

Most visitors to Malawi spend their time on the beaches of Lake Malawi where many resorts from the simple to the elegant have been built but there are lots of activities for those whose are looking for some adventure.  You can go climbing in the mountains or you can hike for days through tea-planting country where the vistas are breathtaking.  In some of the national parks it is possible to walk everywhere due to the lack of lions and elephants.  This means you can have wonderful encounters with many antelope, warthog, monkeys, giraffe and even the shy leopard while trekking across the open grasslands.  Malawi may be only a small part of Africa but it has a big heart as express by its friendly, welcoming people.

+-Travel Information

Country facts

Official name

Republic of Malawi

Capital city

Lilongwe

Population

14,268,711

Time Zone

UTC +2

Phone Code

+265

Electrical

230 voltage; 50 frequency

Language

Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6%

Religion

Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12,8%, other 3%, none 4.3%

Weather

Sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)

Geography

Located in Southern Africa, east of Zambia
Total 118,484 square km.
land 94,080 square km
water 24, 404 square kim
Slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Coastline 0 km

Visa information

The following information on entry and exit requirements has been confirmed with the Malawian authorities. However, these requirements are subject to change at any time. It is the traveller’s responsibility to check with the High Commission of the Republic of Malawi  and its consulates for up-to-date information.

A valid Canadian passport is required for Canadians intending to visit Malawi. The passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your expected return to Canada.
A visa is not required for Canadians Citizens traveling to the Malawi.

Health information

Health requirements can change at any time The Public Health Agency of Canada strongly recommends that your travel plans include contacting a travel medicine clinic or physician six to eight weeks before departure. Based on your individual risk assessment, a health care professional can determine your need for immunizations and/or preventive medication and advise you on precautions to avoid disease. Travelers are reminded to ensure that their routine (childhood) immunizations (e.g., tetanus, diphtheria, polio, and measles) are up to date. 

Travellers arriving from a yellow fever affected country are required to carry evidence of a yellow fever vaccination.

Falciparum malaria poses a real danger in Malawi. Consult your physician before travelling to Malawi, and bring the appropriate preventive drugs with you. Take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

+-Our Tours in Malawi

We offer 1 tour in Malawi. Contact us at 1.888.887.9710 or email info@myescapades.com to customize your own.

Tour Listing

  • Cape to Kenya Safari

    41 days, 40 nights

    The poet T.S. Eliot once wrote: “The journey not the arrival matters.”  This is an appropriate definition of this Cape to Kenya overland adventure that will be profoundly exciting and rewarding as you travel through seven of Africa’s most captivating countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya.  It’s only when you have the opportunity to travel through…More