How to Find Luxury Hotels in Lilongwe, Malawi

Lilongwe is the capital city of the southeastern African country of Malawi. Here, you will find two separate areas of the city. The Old Town (in the south part of the city) includes markets run by African and Asian merchants as well as hotels and local eateries. The New Town (to the north of the city) features government facilities, International Aid offices, the headquarters of the Reserve Bank and diplomatic missions. There are also commercial businesses in New Town, including shopping, hotels and night sports. Read on to learn how to find luxury accommodations in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Things You'll Need

• Computer With Internet Access
• Passport

Instructions

Prepare for Your Trip

1. Fly into Kamuzu International Airport, located north of the city.

2. Take a taxi from the airport. The taxis here charge a flat rate of $20 each way to local accommodations.

3. Be prepared to pay a cash fee of $30 for an international departure tax upon leaving.

Look for Luxury Accommodations

1. Locate luxury accommodations in the New Town area near the Crossroads Complex and the Mchinji Roundabout. Here, rooms generally cost far below $200 a night and include wireless Internet, pools and other amenities. Contact the Malawi Tourism Association by calling 011 (+265) (0) 1 770 010 or by visiting the link below for information on travel and booking accommodations. One place to consider is the Madidi Lodge. See the Resources section for a link to the property.

2. Book a semi-luxury room for a moderate price at locations in the center of Old Town. There are more mid-range accommodations available for much less than $100 a night.

3. Choose a guest house near the city center or on the outskirts of town. These neighborhoods offer well-manicured properties located near shopping and food. Nightly rates are $50 to $150, with the cheaper rates being found on the edges of town.

4. Save money and camp out south of Old Town near the Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary. These locations also have cabin-like dorms if you don't want to be outside on your own.

Tips & Warnings

• Know that Lilongwe is a spread out city, so be prepared to use taxis. Popular spots to find a taxi are in front of the Lilongwe Hotel in Old Town and the Capital Hotel in the Capital City area.

• While the luxury accommodations in Lilongwe are no more than three-star rated, the prices are typically well under $200 a night, and many hotels don't charge more than $100 a night.

• Know that the Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary separates the Old Town from the New Town areas.

• All phone numbers include the United States international prefix "011." When calling internationally outside the United States, substitute that "011" with "00."

• All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.

• Beware of drivers who don't use headlights at night here.

• Be aware that some mid-priced accommodations will cost more for a private bath and a television set.