Ulendo Travel Group

Placement organization

Name of organization: Ulendo Travel Group
Town/city: Lilongwe
Country: Malawi
Website: http://www.ulendo.net

Student

Name of student: Enelita Silva Lopes

Specialist area: ITTI
Placement period: 2017-2018

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Tour Operator – Travel Agent – Ground Handler.
Organization’s activities: Operates as an intermediary between accommodations within Malawi + Zambia and clientele. Also operates charter flights under Ulendo Airlink, flying to most of the airstrips in Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.
Target group of the organization: High-End Customers, mainly Internationally aimed.
Company culture: Very informal, there is a hierarchy in place, but communication is very flexible. Good balance between serious work atmosphere and humor.
Number of employees: ± 50 – including staff members.
Dress code: formal
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? Yes.

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working?

Marketing, Accounts, Operations.

All-round employee really.

Brief description of your daily activities: – Guiding incoming groups
– Lending a hand in Accounts
– Loading fares into the system
– Requesting and filing rates for the upcoming operating year
– Drawing up brochure quotes and itineraries
– Coming up with new templates for several different documents in use
– Re-documenting aircraft and pilot files
Brief description of your company assignment: Finding a new tourism software program to use within the company.
Additionally had to research the history of technology in tourism, it’s present state and future trends.
Also had to draw up a comparison report to highlight the best program features according to the company’s requirements.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: You will have a lot of freedom in carrying out the tasks, either given or found on your own.
Often got tasks through e-mail which I had to carry-out in a certain time frame.
There will always be time to ask questions and therefore to learn from the experience.
Feedback is given accordingly as well.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Independent, Flexible, Open-Minded and at times stress-proof.
Additional company requirements for this placement? None per se, just general knowledge of Microsoft Office. You will learn to use many other programs during your placement.
English: Advanced
Spanish:
French:
German:
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Airplane.

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? The company provided accommodation.
How did you go to work every day? Usually got a lift from a colleague, or was picked up by one of the drivers.

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? Yes, this would be the Single-Entry Visa.
Do you need a work permit? No.
How did you arrange the necessary documents: Upon arrival, the company arranged the visa for me directly at the airport, I only needed to provide the money. Was told, during my transfer in Italy that I wouldn’t be able to enter Malawi without a valid Visa, this was however not the case.
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? About 10 minutes upon arrival.
Did you need certain vaccinations? Yes
How long in advance? About 3 weeks to a month prior to departure. I, however, strongly advice for you to weigh your options when it comes to Malaria Pills. I chose Lariam and had severe side-effects including: paranoia, sleep deprivation and light-headedness for about 3 days every week after taking the pills. Some people do not experience the same side-effects, therefore make sure to test the pills well in advance.

Language course

Did you take a language course before you started your placement? No
Would you recommend to have a language course prior to this placement? No.

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € About €550 for a One-Way Ticket. Travelled through Johannesburg on the way back, so wouldn’t know the exact prices for a return ticket.
Accommodation (monthly): € N/A.
Local transport (monthly): € N/A, unless you go out on your own with the taxi, which also depends on the distance you have to go.
General costs of living (monthly): € ± €300
Costs of visa: € ± €60 ($75) – for a period of 3 months
Costs of work permit: € N/A.
What did the company pay for/to you? Housing, Transportation, Renewed Visa, some company outings and an Amadeus refreshment course.

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I just researched it on the internet, was part of the placement plan as well.
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? No.

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: enelitalopes@gmail.com

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: DO’s
– Be open-minded in terms of going out, trying new out new food and going beyond the gate of your premises.
– Strike up a conversation with people when going out, the majority is really friendly.
– Make sure to visit the highlights of Malawi such as the Lake (+Likoma), Mulanje and Blantyre. Also visit local bars such as Visions, Harry’s and Double Visions.
– Have deep conversations about the culture and the daily lives of the locals. Especially about the things that have surprised you or strike you as odd, do make sure to do it politely without judgement.

DONT’s
– Just make sure, whenever you do use a taxi, that you don’t get ripped off. They can charge you more when they notice that you are not a local, same goes with fruit and vegetables along the side of the road.
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: Like I mentioned:
– Visions and Double Visions
– Blantyre
– The Lake (Likoma, Salima and Cape Maclear)
– Harry’s
– Mulanje

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link