Take a Trip

You will be staying at a conference center or guest house near the beautiful Zomba plateau. The center has a dining area, lodging, and conference space. There is access to electricity and hot water, and there are mosquito nets over each bed.

Breakfast and dinner are provided where you'll be lodging. Typical breakfast includes fried eggs and potatoes; bread and peanut butter. A typical dinner might be rice, sautéed greens, and chicken or goat.

Pack snacks for during the day. Please bring extras to share with the Malawian VIP staff with whom you will be working. Instant coffee and tea are available in the morning and evening. Feel free to bring your own instant coffee packets, flavored tea, or hot chocolate. Bottled or filtered water is provided. Bring a refillable water bottle.

In Malawi, the rainy season begins in November and lasts into March. During the rainy season, it is often sunny in the morning and rainy in the afternoons. June, July, and August are the coolest months with highs in the mid 70’s and nighttime temperatures getting down to the 40’s and 50’s. The hot season begins again in October.

During travel and while on safari, you may wear whatever is comfortable. However, in the village, we honor Malawi’s cultural dressing norms:

Women: Long dresses and skirts only, well below the knee. Do not bare shoulders; absolutely no yoga pants. T-shirts are fine. One Sunday outfit. Light jacket or sweatshirt needed. Sturdy sneakers or shoes for rough terrain, plus sandals.

Men: Casual, light pants, t-shirts, and collared shirts. No shorts. Bring one dress shirt and tie for worship. Work clothes, sturdy sneakers or shoes for rough terrain, plus sandals. Light jacket or sweatshirt.

Ground Fees include all costs while on the ground, such as accommodations, food, water, transportation, luggage handling, translators, cell phone availability, internet availability, trip coordinator, and an overnight safari.

These Ground Fees are $1,450-$1,650 per participant, depending on the trip. The first $500 is payable as a non-refundable deposit to reserve your place on the trip. (Full payment is due 45 days before departure.)

Airfare must be obtained separately by individual participants. We recommend searching with an online tool like Google Flights to book with United, Ethiopian Airlines, or South African Airways.

You'll also need to carry $50 cash to purchase a visa upon arrival in Malawi.

Pro tip: Over half of our participants receive scholarships to cover the cost of their trips from their home church, school, or family members. We can also help you fundraise for your trip with letter templates and even your own crowdfunding page, where your friends can make tax-deductible gifts toward the trip.

We recommend the following course listed below. (Note: Your doctor or health-care provider will determine what you will need, depending on factors such as your health and immunization history.)

To have the most benefit, see a healthcare provider at least 4–6 weeks before your trip to allow time for your vaccines to take effect and to start taking medicine to prevent malaria.

Effective June 5th, 2023, the Malawi Government no longer requires proof of COVID vaccination or a negative PCR test to be allowed entry or to exit the country.
If you are not up to date with routine shots such as the measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, etc., it is recommended that you start there. The following vaccines are suggested for travel to Malawi:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Typhoid
• Anti-malaria medication (Tell your doctor the length of your trip, and follow their recommendations on when to start and finish the anti-malaria medication treatment.)

A rabies vaccine is not necessary for travel to Malawi.

NOTE: Every trip participant is required to provide their own travel health insurance. If your health insurance does not provide coverage overseas, a per-trip Medevac policy is an affordable option. (Examples include Travel Guard MedEvac Insurance, Gallagher Charitable International Services, or HCC Medical Services.)