Blantyre

Blantyre is the economic capital of Malawi.

Understand
The name Blantyre originates from the birthplace of the missionary Dr David Livingston, who was born in Blantyre, Scotland. Blantyre is the main commercial city in Malawi.

By plane
Malawi airlines has flights between Johannesburg (South Africa) and Blantyre. Air Malawi also flies to Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Harare (Zimbabwe), Lusaka (Zambia), and Nairobi (Kenya). there are taxis to city centre. or you can walk to the highways and get a bus.(kwacha).



By train


Rail services to Blantyre are close to non-existent and not practical at all for the everyday tourist. However, for the intrepid traveler, Central Eastern African Railways offers some possibilities for arriving by train in Blantyre. The border with Mozambique at Nayuchi/Entre Lagos is a mere 22 hours away including a change at Balaka, and services are once a week. That there are no trains from the capital Lilongwe.



By car
Take the M1 south from Lilongwe.

By bus
From Lilongwe International Airport get a luxury bus to Blantyre Bus depot on Chileka Road. Intercape runs bus services from Johannesburg in South Africa, journey time is up to 35 hours.

Get around
For the budget traveller there are basically two ways of getting around Blantyre: by foot or by minibus.

By day it is quite safe to walk around Blantyre provided you don't look like a rich tourist, in which case you may be unpleasantly tailed by street vendors and beggars. It is possible to explore the entire city of Blantyre on foot within a couple of days, and unless you are travelling to Limbe or to the outer suburbs of Blantyre, then it is unlikely you'll require even the minibus.

In the event that you do, then minibuses are very cheap, travelling between Blantyre and Limbe costs MK 350 (as of January 2018). Or you may consider hiring a bicycle if you are that way inclined.

It is unsafe to walk around Blantyre during the night and you should obtain the phone numbers of a few reliable taxi drivers (talk to some of the locals). Taxis are relatively more expensive, and the price also depends on how far the driver has to come to pick you up, but this is much preferable to being mugged in a dark Blantyre street late at night. As a general rule all taxi drivers begin at the Mount Soche Hotel.

See




Learn

 * Society of Malawi (Situated above the Mandala House) is a great place to visit if you enjoy a quiet, historic place to research life both past and present in Malawi and Africa in general. The library and archives are open weekdays from 9AM to noon and the last Thursday of the month from 6-7:30PM. See their website for more updated details regarding special functions, a searchable index of scholarly papers available, etc.

Buy
Blantyre is the commercial center of Malawi and travelers come in from all over the region (including neighboring Mozambique) to stock up on supplies—food, construction materials, electronics, etc. The downtown area is full of Asian (Indian) run shops, as is nearby Limbe. A bustling market area popular with locals offers all kinds of fruits, veggies, used clothing, construction materials, etc. on the cheap. Newer Western-style shops are available for those who just want to get in and get out (i.e. Game hypermarket part of Walmart USA. and Shoprite South Africa, Chichiri Savers Choice is a well-stocked Asian run store heading toward Limbe that caters to the expat community with hard-to-find food items, a good bakery, an ice-cream bar and candy shop. Prices for the same thing can often vary from shop to shop and an abundance of counterfeited products flood the market, so it's best to shop around and stay on guard.


 * Ecobank Victoria Aveune has a no withdwaw fee Mastercard and visa card atm.

Budget

 * Vendors are all over the streets in Blantyre. They sell a range of food items from fried chips, chicken, to hard boiled eggs, bread (mostly milkscone variety and yellow buns), biscuits (locally made from Universal Industries), and so on. Plenty of ripe fruit and vegetables are also readily available for a good price. On the whole, however, street food is nowhere near as tasty as many other African countries tend to offer.

Mid-range

 * Chez Maky, a delightful out-of-the-way respite from the city, is a great place to get together with business associates or a few friends (space is available for conferences). Situated on a multi-level wooden deck protected from rain, the proprietor is a delightful host originally from Cameroon who makes everyone feel right at home. Grilled meat is particularly well-done here (some of the best in the country) and real coffee with desserts are a nice addition to any meal. Located on Kabula Hill Road past Seventh Day Adventist Hospital (just go past the hospital, which will be on your right, go on the road straight till you see a sign on your left, go straight on that road, third house on your left. Open every day from 8 to 10PM. +265 9203029, +265 1833764
 * China Da Restaurant and Lodge is a newly opened restaurant, the largest Chinese restaurant in town with an expansive menu. The roast duck is a must try. They are open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and meals can be had for less than 1000 MK. There are 5 private dining rooms for parties, complete with television and karaoke. A full liquor bar serves Western spirits as well as Chinese varieties. For a truly luxurious experience, go for a Chinese massage in the attached massage parlor before you enjoy dinner. The location is very convenient, centrally located between Blantyre and Limbe, directly across the street from Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital. The address is Ginnery corner (Johnstone Road) behind People's Trading Center. Phone +265 888953333 or 1880882 Email carey808020@hotmail.com

Splurge

 * 21 Grill, at Ryalls Hotel. The attention the servers give you is alone worth a reason to go (far superior to most other places where 'service' is not really a thing people know about). +265 1 820 955.

Budget

 * Kabula Lodge, Hardman Rd. An old family run establishment 10 minutes walking distance from the centre of Blantyre. Rooms start from 15 USD/night. Standard rooms have two single beds and common bathroom facilities. If you would like to have one of the cheap rooms it is recommended to book at least 6–8 weeks in advance and confirm by email, though they have been known to overbook. All rooms have ordinary mosquito nets (no permethrin). There is a laundry and ironing service (MK 1000), but take tough clothes, as everything is done by hand! Safe-keeping facilities are available and US dollars can usually be exchanged for Kwacha if necessary. Skyband wi-fi access on patio, though you must purchase access cards (MK 500 for 30 minutes). Turn left at the top of Victoria Avenue (where the Mount Soche Hotel is) and walk approx. 100m up Glynn Jones Road. Turn right onto Kabula Hill Road (follow the signs) and then turn left onto Hardman Road. Walk up then down the hill and you will reach two unsealed dirt roads proceeding left. Both are signposted, the second leads to Kabula Hill Lodge which is the second-to-last residence at the end of this road. Do not walk this road after sunset, call a taxi. Phone: +265 991 39 15 01 Email: kabulalodge@africa-online.net, kabulalodge@yahoo.com
 * Kabula Lodge, Hardman Rd. An old family run establishment 10 minutes walking distance from the centre of Blantyre. Rooms start from 15 USD/night. Standard rooms have two single beds and common bathroom facilities. If you would like to have one of the cheap rooms it is recommended to book at least 6–8 weeks in advance and confirm by email, though they have been known to overbook. All rooms have ordinary mosquito nets (no permethrin). There is a laundry and ironing service (MK 1000), but take tough clothes, as everything is done by hand! Safe-keeping facilities are available and US dollars can usually be exchanged for Kwacha if necessary. Skyband wi-fi access on patio, though you must purchase access cards (MK 500 for 30 minutes). Turn left at the top of Victoria Avenue (where the Mount Soche Hotel is) and walk approx. 100m up Glynn Jones Road. Turn right onto Kabula Hill Road (follow the signs) and then turn left onto Hardman Road. Walk up then down the hill and you will reach two unsealed dirt roads proceeding left. Both are signposted, the second leads to Kabula Hill Lodge which is the second-to-last residence at the end of this road. Do not walk this road after sunset, call a taxi. Phone: +265 991 39 15 01 Email: kabulalodge@africa-online.net, kabulalodge@yahoo.com

Stay safe
Night time muggings or robberies do occur. Private taxis are cheap and readily available. Ask around and bargain.

Connect
There is an internet cafe (and library) near Phoenix International School. Come off Chileka Road either at St Michael and All Angels Church or at Phoenix School. From there ask around for directions to the 'Resource Centre and Library' - or failing that ask for directions to Phoenix School.

From the Phoenix International School entrance itself you would head down the gentle slope (away from the main road - which would be down a steeper slope) and there is a building directly in front of you. That is where the internet cafe, resource centre and library is located. The entrance to the school faces directly towards the Phoenix School gates.

Lewis (+265 999 220 572) is the manager and will quickly get you online for a modest fee.

Consulates

 * 🇬🇷 Greece

Go next

 * Cape Maclear
 * Majete Wildlife Reserve
 * Tete, Mozambique
 * Zomba

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