Friends of Malawi: Learn About Malawi: About Traveling in Malawi

Most people in Malawi travel by matola (small pickup trucks), lorries (large commercial trucks), minibuses, coaster buses, or large buses. Private vehicles are not widely available. Moreover, most Malawian families are lucky to have one, single-speed bicycle.

While there are a variety of transportation options, there are a few main modes of transport in Malawi . The great challenge with choosing one form over another is weighing the likely frequency, speed and safety of the various options. There are usually options for transport available in every location, although occasionally there is only one consistently available type. It is important to be smart about your transportation—consider your safety and use your common sense. Many people feel that travel is their highest risk activity in Malawi , and a common accompaniment is prayer. Traveling early in the day provides the most options.

Large buses run at pseudo regular times from the capital cities of the districts. They are usually packed with more people, katundu (luggage), chickens, and other things than you would think physically possible. The seats are uncomfortable for the most part, they go quite slowly, and break down often. However, if you are not in a hurry to get anywhere, their slow speed is can be an added safety feature.

Small minibuses (conversion vans stuffed with extra seats) run all over the country, departing whenever they get full. Sometimes they take 15 minutes to fill, and sometimes 2-3 hours. They go very fast for the most part, and usually you can find one with semi-comfortable seats and a tape deck that might be functional—perhaps even available for your cassettes. However, many are in rough condition, since the roads they travel can be heavily potholed and the vehicles are stressed by overloading. It’s best to inspect the tires, doors, and driver’s breath before choosing a minibus. Also, “full” means 20-24 people, so they can be quite crowded. (Note: if you get a window seat you should be fine.)

Coasters are medium-sized buses. They are generally in the best condition of all three bus options, and travel at a reasonable speed. In a recent transport survey (Feb ’01), between 70-80% of Peace Corps volunteers in each region rated mini-buses as the least safe form of transport, and about 50% said that coasters were a fair form of transport. Of course, those are not promising statistics. So what, you may ask, offers a better option?

Private transport was consistently rated the safest form of transportation, by as many as 90% of the Central Region Peace Corps volunteers. “Private transport” comes in many forms: work-related vehicles like ambulances or government district office trucks, local NGO cars, or the private vehicles of citizens. Usually, this means hitchhiking. In the Central and Southern Regions there are plenty of cars on the main roads, and it is relatively easy to get a ride from one district capital to another. In the Northern Region, passing cars are fewer and farther between, but prearranged rides can come in handy. Important rules to follow when hitchhiking are: hitching in pairs is better, don’t hitchhike at night or even at dusk, and trust your gut.

Malawi 's principal highways are generally in good condition, though the lack of shoulders constitutes a safety hazard. Secondary roads are in poor repair and may be impassable to all but four-wheel drive vehicles during the rainy season (November-April). Given Malawi 's high road-accident rate, travelers should drive defensively and avoid road travel outside cities at night. Road support networks for stranded drivers do not exist. Travelers are encouraged to convoy with other vehicles if possible. Persons traveling overland to Malawi should contact the U.S. Embassy consular sections in both Malawi and the proposed countries of transit to ensure that they have the most current information.

For specific information concerning Malawi driver's permits, vehicle inspection, road tax and mandatory insurance, contact the Embassy of Malawi in Washington , D.C. on 202-797-1007. For international driving permits contact AAA or the American Automobile Touring Alliance.

For additional information about road safety, see the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs home page road safety overseas feature at http://travel.state.gov/road safety.html.

Most Peace Corps volunteers are based in rural areas, away from the main towns (called bomas), of their districts. For some, this means a 30 minute walk or bike ride on a paved road to the nearest grocery, while for others it means one truck going once a week on a dirt road for 5 hours. All Peace Corps Environment and Health sector volunteers are provided with Trek bikes in good condition for personal and work-related use. Peace Corps does not necessarily provide Education sector volunteers with a bicycle—they are only given to those for whom it is deemed necessary (for example, if the volunteer lives more than 1 hour from the nearest market or more than 20 minutes from the school). Peace Corps will reimburse volunteers for their own purchase of a local bike up to about $40. Unfortunately, for that amount of money, you can’t buy anything that will still be in good shape a rainy season later. Even the Treks take a lot of punishment over a two-year period. But a bicycle can be a real asset, regardless: when you travel in Malawi you quickly learn to appreciate just how much stuff can be put on one. It’s not uncommon to see four or five crates of glass soft-drink bottles stacked on the back of a bicycle.

AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT

As there is no direct commercial air service by local carriers between the U.S. and Malawi at present, or even economic authority to operate such service, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Malawi’s Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with international aviation safety standards for oversight of Malawi’s air carrier operations. For further information, travelers may contact the Department of Transportation within the U.S. at 1-800-322-7873, or visit the FAA's website at http://www.faa.gov/avr/iasa/iasa. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) separately assesses some foreign air carriers for suitability as official providers of air services. For information regarding the DOD policy on specific carriers, travelers may contact DOD at 1-618-229-4801.