Malawi Getting There & Away

Getting There & Away

By plane Malawi's largest international airport is in Lilongwe, although there are also some flights from Blantyre to regional destinations. Most travelers connect via Johannesburg (South Africa) or Nairobi (Kenya). State carrier Air Malawi claims to be "Africa's Friendliest Airline", but its limited network covers only nearby countries plus Middle Eastern hub Dubai. There is a $30 departure tax payable when you leave the country by plane. This must be paid in cash in US dollars. While it is usually possible to convert your remaining kwacha to dollars at the airport the exchange rate is poor. It is much better to put aside the money at the beginning of your trip. By train There are trains twice a week from Blantyre to Cuamba and Nampula in northern Mozambique, although a 77-kilometer stretch of track between the Mozambique border and Cuamba is out of commission and must be covered by truck. By boat A ferry runs twice a week from Likoma Island to Cobuè in Mozambique. By car There is an excellent road from Lilongwe to Mchinji on the Zambian border (120 km). By bus To get into Malawi from Mozambique, in the south, one can take the bus from Tete (north-west Mozambique) to Zobwe. After crossing, take another bus from the border to Blantyre. This crossing is quite hectic, and it is closed at night, so one should plan on getting there early, and trying to keep it cool with all the border-hawkers. Direct buses run from Lusaka, Zambia to Lilongwe, but are best avoided (or done in stretches) if 18-20 hours on a bus doesn't sound like your idea of a good time. Malawi's national airline is Air Malawi (QM). There are connections from Amsterdam to Lilongwe on KLM. There are also connections between Malawi and Kenya Mauritius South Africa and Zimbabwe. Lilongwe (LLW) (Lilongwe International) is 22km (13 miles) from the city (travel time 20 minutes). Taxis and a bus service are available to the city from the airport.