Travel Smart
Honest, sourced guidance so you travel confident. Most of any country is calmer than the headlines suggest.
Safety
Countrywide advisory (Government of Canada)
Exercise increased cautionExercise a high degree of caution
Source: Government of Canada · Verified 2026-07-26
Lake Malawi and Beaches
Exercise normal precautionsLake shores and beach villages are safe and welcoming. Petty theft is rare. Water-borne illness risk exists; use safe water sources.
Common scams: Unofficial boat guides may overcharge; negotiate prices in advance.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Lilongwe and Blantyre
Exercise increased cautionCapital and second-largest city have petty theft and occasional robbery in certain neighborhoods, especially at night.
Avoid: Avoid walking alone after dark in City Centre and Kanengo township areas. Do not display valuables.
Common scams: Taxi overcharging, fake money changers.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Southern Highlands and Tea Country
Exercise normal precautionsMountainous southern regions around Liwonde and Thyolo are safe and scenic, with few tourists and welcoming communities.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
4 zones rated separately against Government of Canada, UK FCDO. Oldest check on this page: 6 July 2026.
Emergency Contacts
Malawi Police Service
police
The UK Foreign Office lists both 990 and 997 for police. It also states plainly that emergency numbers are unreliable in Malawi and advises asking your hotel or the local police station for numbers that work in the particular area you are in. Do that on arrival rather than assuming the national line will answer.
SourceAmbulance
ambulance
998 is the ambulance number according to the UK Foreign Office. Note that 999, which many visitors assume is the ambulance, is the fire line in Malawi. The Foreign Office warns that emergency numbers here are unreliable, so ask locally for a number that works where you are staying.
SourceFire brigade
fire
999 reaches the fire service in Malawi, not the ambulance. The UK Foreign Office warns that emergency numbers here are unreliable.
SourceKamuzu Central Hospital
hospital · Lilongwe
The main public referral hospital for the capital, listed by the UK Foreign Office among medical providers in Malawi. Given the Foreign Office's warning that national emergency numbers are unreliable here, calling a hospital directly is often more effective than dialling 998.
SourceQueen Elizabeth Central Hospital
hospital · Blantyre
The main referral hospital for Blantyre and the south, from the same UK Foreign Office list. Blantyre Adventist Hospital, on +265 1 820 113, is the private alternative in the same city on that list.
SourceMzuzu Central Hospital
hospital · Mzuzu
The referral hospital for the northern region, which matters for anyone travelling the Nyika plateau or the northern lakeshore, where Lilongwe and Blantyre are both a long drive away.
Source