Nyika National Park

Malawi's largest national park, a highland grassland above 2,000 meters with herds of zebra and antelope; orchids bloom everywhere in the rainy season, and game drives, hikes and horseback rides are on offer.

Nyika National Park lies in Rumphi District in northern Malawi. At about 3,200 square kilometers, it is Malawi's largest national park and covers almost the entire Nyika Plateau. Its western side connects with Zambia's Nyika National Park. The plateau sits mostly between 1,800 and 2,600 meters, with its highest point, Mount Nganda, at about 2,607 meters. The landscape is made up of rolling mountain grassland, moist valleys called dambo and scattered mountain forests, and it differs sharply from the tropical scenery of the Lake Malawi shore. It is often compared to the Scottish Highlands of Africa. Highlights include herds of zebra, roan antelope, eland, oribi and other antelope on the plateau, and leopard density is said to be high. During the rainy season, from December to April, more than 200 orchid species and many wildflowers bloom across the grasslands.

Almost all visitors use Chelinda, the park headquarters, as their base. You can stay at Chelinda Camp or in the cabins, and in the surrounding area take early morning and evening game drives, guided walking safaris, horseback rides, mountain biking and trout fishing. Day trips include Lake Kaulime, Mount Nganda, Fingira Cave, Chisanga Falls and the Jalawe Rock viewpoint on the east side. About 60 kilometers south, Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve is famous for elephants and hippos and is often combined with Nyika in a single trip.

Getting there: From Mzuzu or Rumphi, it takes 4–6 hours on dirt roads to reach the plateau. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is essential, and conditions are worse in the rainy season. You can also fly in a small plane to Chelinda airstrip. Best season: the May to October dry season, when animals gather and roads are easier to drive. June and July nights can drop to near freezing, so bring warm clothes. September to November is also pleasant. Plan 2-3 nights. Facilities are limited, so book accommodation in advance and bring enough fuel, cash and food. Mist known locally as Chiperoni can reduce visibility sharply, so drive carefully.

Top sights

• Nyika Plateau Game Drive – Game drives by car or on foot across rolling grassland at more than 2,000 m elevation, offering close views of herds of zebra, reedbuck, an…
• Chelinda Camp – The headquarters of Nyika National Park and its only accommodation hub, with log cabins, campsites, and pine forest. It is the starting poi…
• Jalawe Rock Viewpoint – A granite viewpoint on the northeastern edge of the plateau, overlooking the rift escarpment, with a view of Lake Malawi on clear days.
• Lake Kaulime – A small highland lake west of Chelinda, where local legend holds that a serpent guards the water and where antelope and zebra often come to…
• Chelinda Dams & Pine Forest – Two dams beside the Chelinda campsite and a pine-forest trail, offering rainbow trout fishing and birdwatching walks, with zebra and antelo…
• Nganda Peak – The highest point on the Nyika Plateau, at about 2,607 metres. From the summit you can look over rolling grassland, and on clear days you c…
• Fingira Cave – A cave among granite boulders on the southern plateau, where human remains and stone tools about 3,000 years old have been unearthed. It ca…
• Chisanga Falls – A waterfall where the North Rukuru River drops off the northwestern edge of the plateau, surrounded by trees. It is a rare waterfall scene…
• Zovochipolo Forest – A patch of montane evergreen forest on the plateau with short nature trails, a great place to observe blue monkeys and forest birds.
• Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve – A lowland reserve on the southern side of Nyika. Along the shore of Lake Kazuni you can walk to see elephants, hippos and buffalo, and it i…

Where to eat

• Chelinda Lodge Dining Room – The only proper dining option on the Nyika Plateau. The fireside dining room of this log-cabin lodge serves English bre…