Before we go, let's just check we've got everything we need for our big adventure:
money and travel documents
vaccinations and anti-malarials
packing: carry on, hold-all and donations
travel itinerary.
Money and travel documents
Local currency is Malawi Kwacha but US$ are also accepted. k1000 (equivalent to £1) would buy you a couple of cokes or a bracelet at the market. Aaron gets us a great deal with Happiness at Blantyre Market, so the best thing would be for us to organise an exchange each night!
Make sure your passport expiry date is at least six months after the date of our return. We've organised your visas for you but if we've forgotten anyone, you can get one on arrival.
Vaccinations programme
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, MMR, Hepatitis A &Typhoid; Tetanus and Hepatitis B x 3; Rabies x 3; Yellow Fever
Anti-Malarials
Malerone or Doxycycline
Packing list
One holdall, one day sack and an extra bag for donations
Ticket, passport, money belt and phone
Malaria pills, first-aid kit, any other medicines you might need, toiletries and wet wipes.
Sun cream, sun hat and mosquito protection to protect the skin
Sleeping bag, pillowcase, mat and mosquito net
Cup, bowl, plate and spork.
Nalgene water bottle. Not a good idea to drink tap water.
Suitable clothing for hot days and cool nights - and protecting our modesty from a culture that considers bare legs to be fairly scandalous.
PJs, underwear, towel
Sensible walking shoes (and socks) for climbing rough ground and easy slip-ons for everywhere else
Waterproof jacket, trekking trousers and base layers
Swimmers
Binoculars, camera, walking poles - optional
And no sharp knives. It has been known ...!
Partner donations
Children's clothing - lightweight; shoes
Sports equipment: trainers, football boots, sports strip, footballs, tennis balls, frisbees
School books; pens & pencils; bubbles, colouring books; digital devices
Toiletries: sudocreme, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste
Medicines: vitamins, paracetamol, calpol, E45
Baby items: plastic plants, bibs, toys, plastic bowls, spoons, cups, bottles, blankets
Top tip: take as much as you can in your hand-luggage. you never know when you will see your suitcase again!
Travel itinerary
Day one: welcome from Aaron and focus on tourism
Day two: tour through the industrial area and focus on economy
Day three: introducing Achikondi Clinic and focus on healthcare
Day four: drive to Blantyre and focus on Mozambique
Day five: introducing Trinitas of Tina Pads and focus on secondary education
Day six: meeting the village chief and Open Arms and focus on Blantyre
Day seven: cultural tales from Aaron and Paul and focus on Mulanje
Day eight: Petal updates us on reforestation and focus on Zomba
Day nine: Reflections on Lake Malawi and focus on fishing and village life
Day ten: introducing Rita and Thom and focus on primary school
Day eleven: out on safari and focus on animal conservation
Day twelve: meeting the team and focus on sport
Day thirteen: farewell and focus on democracy
Flight plan
Brace yourself for a 24 hours of travel, with multiple stops and snoozes on benches. Typically fly to Amsterdam in time for a pizza lunch in Schipol airport, then board an overnight flight to Nairobi, landing over the giraffes for a cooked breakfast and a snooze at the airport. And then a quick hop to Lilongwe airport.
It's a good idea to bring neck support and eye mask, reading material, head-phones, portable battery and a spare change of clothes. Plus any medicine and malaria pills. And don't be tempted to watch the videos on the night flight - you'll regret it in the morning!
Malawi's relationship with Scotland
Malawi's connection with Scotland tracks back to the 1850s when the Scottish explorer, David Livingstone, became the first European to discover the southern region of Africa.
Livingstone's discovery led to the colonisation of Africa with this region established as the British colony of Nyasaland.
It was only in 1964, that the region secured its independence under president Banda and was given the name Malawi.