Here's my feedback on Malawi, visited in June 2026. A "Top Tips" blog post will follow on Sunday.
Itinerary
My 12-day itinerary was as follows. Where I have named the hotel or the tour provider, I recommend using them. Costs given are either in Malawian Kwacha (MWK) or US Dollar (USD). 1 USD was about 1730 kwacha (official rate) or 3500 kwacha (black market rate):
D1: Arrival in Blantyre from Johannesburg with Airlink flight. Airport taxi to the city (70k MWK). ON Blantyre (Casa Mia Lodge)
D2: Day trip to WHS of Mulanje Mountain with car+driver. 3h hiking tour with Snowden of Mulanje Tours (30 USD). ON Blantyre.
D3: Long day trip to TWHS Lake Chilwa and Chisi Island with car+driver and guide Jonas (30 USD). ON Blantyre.
D4: Transfer by car+driver to Liwonde NP (3h). ON Liwonde (Liwonde Safari Camp).
D5: 4h jeep safari in Liwonde NP organized by Safari Camp (60 USD single use + 30 USD park entry). ON Liwonde.
D6: Shared taxi to Nkopola (25k MWK, 2 hours). Stayed at the lake and walked through the village. ON Nkopola.
D7: Shared taxi to Monkey Bay junction (15k MWK, 1 hour), motorbike to Cape Maclear (25k MWK, 0.5 hour). ON Cape Maclear (Mfoza Lodge)
D8: Three Islands Boat Tour in Lake Malawi WHS organised by lodge (65 USD for single use, 6 hours). ON Cape Maclear
D9: Motorbike to Monkey Bay junction (20k MWK), shared taxi to Dedza (35k MWK, 3.5 hours, potholed road), motorbike to lodge (8k MWK). ON Dedza (Dedza Pottery Lodge)
D10: Half-day tour to Nanzeze and Chentcherere clusters of Chongoni Rock Art WHS (95k MWK car + 20k MWK guide), organized by lodge. ON Dedza
D11: Shared taxi to Lilongwe (20k MWK, 2 hours), motorbike into city center (10k MWK). ON Lilongwe
D12: Half-day Lilongwe City Tour including Tobacco Auction Floors with WayneB EcoTours (120 USD). Afternoon flight back home via Johannesburg with Airlink.
Overall it was a relaxed itinerary that worked out well. To improve it, I'd stay overnight in Zomba on D3, and skip Nkopola and the second night in Dedza.
Visa
Many nationalities are eligible for the e-visa and the visa on arrival. The e-visa has a form that asks for too much information, but "how much are you going to spend in Malawi" is quite honest (implying: if it isn't much, stay home!). On questions requiring a "covering letter", you can just upload a Booking.com reservation. Cost is 50usd plus a 2.50 processing fee. For me, it took only 5 hours before the visa was mailed to me. It shows up as being handled by an obscure Nigerian provider on your credit card statement.
Communications
The (costly) Airalo e-sim that I bought beforehand failed to connect with any tower in Malawi. After 2hours in the chat with them, I got my 35 USD back. I then bought a physical SIM + 6 GB data from an Airtel seller on the streets for 11,500 kwacha (3 EUR black market rate), which worked well (also for tethering). Wifi isn't available "everywhere", especially not in the lower to mid-budget accommodations.
Transport
I used AnakeTaxis for the 3 longer rides on D2, D3 and D4. I found them reliable and using good 4WD cars, but it's a pricey method (about 130 USD per day all-in).
For public transport, I found shared taxis the most easily available option. They just drive up and down the main roads between the larger cities. I always got the front passenger seat and VIP treatment, so probably overpaid a bit; looking at what others were paying, it wasn't much (and certainly worth it). The cars they use have been modified to take as many passengers as possible, with a second bench where the trunk would be. They do fit in 4 persons in a row. For the last mile(s) to get you to your lodgings, motorbike and bicycle taxis are plentiful.
Renting a car and driving yourself can also be done, but I'd recommend a 4x4 or at least a high-clearance vehicle to get to Mulanje, Lake Chilwa and Chongoni. Main roads are generally OK, but there are stretches with a lot of potholes. There are numerous police checkpoints; they mostly seem to look at car insurance and valid driver's licenses. Fuel is expensive. | 
