Tailor made holidays to Malawi including Nyika National Park - we are Africa and Malawi specialists!

Nyika National Park to the north of Malawi is an amazing contrast to the rest of the country - you would be forgiven for thinking you were in the highlands of Scotland instead of Africa!  The Nyika plateau is the largest area of high montane grassland and evergreen forest left in Africa.  It is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna which is mostly endangered or vulnerable.

Getting to Nyika requires determination as it's a long way from anywhere else in Malawi!  We can book you an internal charter flight to the airstrip at Chelinda in the middle of the park, but flights are often affected by low cloud or visibility so ask me to plan enough time either side of your stay here to allow for changes.  If you travel by road we can get you to the park via Mzuzu, in the north of the country.  It is possible to drive from Nyika to the northern lakeshore or vice versa in about 6 hours, so why not combine a 'bush and beach' for a circuit in Northern Malawi? Once the tarmac runs out on the way to Nyika you pass through remote rural villages, watch the kids playing football (join in if you like!) and feel your ears pop as you rise higher in elevation.  Once inside the park, it's around another 2-3 hours to Chelinda, the centre of communication and accommodation.

Nyika is a wilderness area with a feeling of isolation - perfect to escape the world.  It's a haven for birdwatching and botanists, but is very seasonal - ask me for the best times to see spring flowers, orchids or breeding birds.  It's fabulous mountain biking and hiking country and there are a variety of large mammals living here, including an incredible sighting in October 2011 when a parks scout reported seeing four wild dog near Chelinda Hill - fabulous news for the park. Leopard sightings around Chelinda are great, take a night drive for the best chance to see these elusive cats.

The Nyika was Malawi's first national park and was established in 1965. It is the largest of Malawi's five national parks and now covers 3,000sq-km. It is one of central Africa's most beautiful montane plateaux. Rolling grasslands interspersed with small streams stretch to the horizon and there are patches of relict montane evergreen forest along with waterfalls that cascade over the edge of the plateau. Wildlife is abundant - zebra, roan, eland, reedbuck, bushbuck, common duiker, bush pig and klipspringer are common and the Nyika is home to a small herd of about 45 elephants. Leopard and serval are also seen and at one time the Nyika had the highest concentration of leopard in Africa. Bird life is rich, with the highest number of species recorded in any of Malawi's national parks and game reserves. The wildflowers on the Nyika are spectacular and the park boasts over 200 species of orchid. Birdwatching holidays are popular in the Nyika, being an Important Bird Area (IPA) with around 430 species and many endemics.

The wildlife of the Nyika is also threatened due to subsistence poaching, particularly on the peripheries of the park. Historically, the Nyika has always experienced poaching but the significant increase in human population over the last 20 years has led to an increase in demand for poached bush meat. The ecology of the Nyika is also under threat from introduced plant species, especially the European pine. In the 1950's and 60's a pine plantation was established in the centre of the Nyika with a view to establishing a commercial logging and wood product industry. The venture was unsuccessful but its legacy is 1,200 acres of mature pine sitting right on top of the plateau at about 2,400 metres. This plantation is now managed and used for firewood in the park with a planting project replacing the pines with indigenous species in place.

Accommodtion in Nyika National Park is available at Chelinda, deep inside the park.  Chelinda Camp has basic parks chalets and a campsite by the dam, where you can try your hand at fishing.  Luxury accommodation with stunning views can be enjoyed at Chelinda Lodge around the corner on the edge of the pine plantation.The lodge overlooks rolling grasslands dotted with herds of grazing animals. The lodged has eight log cabins, each with fireplace for those icy highland nights, thick duvets and fluffy towels. There are some double storey Cabins with an open plan bedroom and lounge on the ground floor with en-suite bathroom, queen-sized beds, wing-back chairs and a veranda. Upstairs there is a viewing area which functions as additional living space and is ideal for children. One of the log cabins is slightly larger, offering ideal accommodation to families. All the cabins are connected by wooden walkways which are beautifully landscaped on the hillside.  The main building has a cosy dining area around the fireplace, a quiet lounge which opens onto an outside deck for sundowners.

Activities at Chelinda Lodge include day and night nature drives which explore the rolling hills and patches of evergreen forest of the Nyika Plateau. Nature walks and mountain biking are also very popular.

The Nyika Plateau rolls down to the lowlands of Vwaza Marsh Reserve which is linked to the eco-system of the Luangwa Valley in Zambia.  Many of the same species can be found both sides of the border including Crayshaw's Zebra.  There are walking safaris available which combine Luangwa and Nyika Plateau, ask me for details. You can also fly between Nyika and Mfuwe, making this a great option for a  tailor made Zambia - Malawi African Safari.