Visa and travel

• Malaria – we recommend that visitors to Malawi take malaria prophylactics.
• Tetanus, polio, typhoid and the hepatitis vaccinations are recommended. Yellow fever immunization is required only by visitors entering Malawi from a yellow fever zone.
• It is advisable to know your blood group in case of an emergency; a hospital is located on the island or a larger facility 1.5hours flight away
• Guests need a full valid passport to enter Malawi.
• Most visitors require a visum, which is available on arrival and costs $75 single entry or $150 multiple entry. If you need any visa information, please do not hesitate to contact us so we can assist you.

Climate

May: lovely clear blue skies, the rains have mostly finished. The lake is full and temperatures are around 28 degrees.
June - August: Our coolest season. We have a prevailing wind that blows through for a few days at a time keeping temperatures down to 20-25 degrees in the day and as low as 16 at night. The mornings tend to be calm and then by midday the wind picks up occasionally producing a swell not much different from the sea.
September - December: It slowly warms up to up to about 35 degrees, the water reaching 20+ degrees. Clear blue skies during the day and starry nights.
December - April: Our rainy season although it doesn't tend to rain much during the days. The rain normally starts around 9 at night and stops by 5 in the morning, no guarantees though. The temperature is cooler than November as the evening showers cool down the land. Temperatures during the day reach about 30 degrees with medium humidity.

Getting Here

By Air: You'll need to get to Kamuzu international airport, Lilongwe. The favoured routes being via Lusaka, Nairobi, Addis or Johannesburg, Proflight flight (from Lusaka), Kenya Airways (from Nairobi), Ethiopean Airways (from Addis) and South African Airways (from Johannesburg). Once at Lilongwe, you'll need to clear customs (we can have someone meet you and guide you through if you would like) and then on to a light aircraft to bring you over to Likoma Island. It's about an hour's flight from Lilongwe to Likoma with beautiful scenery all the way. For more information regarding flights and rates please get in touch and we can help to find the best option. Water transportation; how about jumping aboard a 1956 converted steamer, the Ilala. Once you arrive in Lilongwe we can arrange for a vehicle to take you down to Chipoka, or Nkhotakota. From there the ferry can pick you up and bring you up to the Island. It's a 24 hour trip with a few stops on the way. It's how the locals get out to the island and is always an interesting experience. Be warned it is not the most reliable form of transport and it only visits the island once a week (departing Friday, arriving Saturday). To get from Ila Safari Lodge to Kaya Mawa, via Lusaka or Mfuwe (South Luangwa) will take around one day (1 drive, 2 short flights or 3 short flights). Please ask your travel agent or ground handler for advise. All transfers can be arranged by Green Safaris.

What to bring

• Swimming attire
• Hat
• Shorts
• T-shirts
• Light pair of trousers
• Light jumper (if you come in the cooler season)
• Sandals/flip flops
• Prescription drugs
• Toiletries bag
• At least two good books
• Spare glasses/sunglasses/contact lenses
• Sunscreen protection
• After sun if you forget the sunscreen!

Please note that your weight allowance on the light aircraft is 15kg and soft bags must be used. It is always advisable to pack in your hand luggage a change of clothes and anything you may require on a daily basis whilst away, just in case your luggage is misplaced en- route. It is advisable to make sure that you have full travel insurance whilst travelling in Africa.