The Nyika Plateau National Park is a vast range of
high rolling hills sweeping wide valleys, dense pine
forest and flower-studded grasslands, and endless
clear views. The park is totally undeveloped with
antelope, buffalo, leopard, zebras, bushbucks,
reedbucks and roan antelopes, and you may also
spot warthogs, klipspringers, jackals and possibly
hyenas and over 400 species of birds. The main
feature of the park is the Nyika Plateau, with a
landscape and climate unique in Zambia, and
unusual in Africa.

The Nyika Plateau and two smaller highland areas
to the north are the only representatives in Zambia
of the Southern Rift montane forest-grassland
mosaic Eco region. Between September and April,
a wide variety of wildflowers can be seen in the
national park.

Lies in the north east of Zambia, on the wester...
The highest parts of the country and lies in nei...
The grasslands of Nyika are also rich in wildfl...
As a consequence of the colonial era when both
countries were administered by Britain, a cross-
border reserve was established on the plateau.
After independence it was divided into the large
Nyika National Park, Malawi and the much smaller
Nyika Plateau National Park, Zambia. The border
between the two parks is the north-south plateau
road, which is the only road access, and it starts
and finishes in Malawi. Consequently Zambian
visitors must enter Malawi to reach it. The nearest
Malawian entry points are at Chisenga and
Katumbi.

Ecology

The park extends across the great plateau which is
essentially a granitic dome, with an environment
that exists nowhere else in Africa. The name,
Nyika, means ?where the water comes from? as the
plateau?s elevation makes it wetter than
surrounding areas. Nyika Plateau National Park in
the north east of Zambia is one of these amazing
places, where you look at the scenery, the valleys,
mountains, forests and it does not necessarily say
?Africa? at all, until you see the silhouette of a
roan antelope in the distance. Very tall trees, 20
metres long at least, and pinecones everywhere.
The temperature is several degrees cooler than
most of Zambia, Up in Nyika, the air also felt
thinner after all, Nyika Plateau is 2500m above the
sea level.The rolling scenery is at its best in the
rainy season when over 200 types of orchids are in
flower.

Birding in Nyika National Park

There are over 400 species of birds that have been
recorded in the park .if you are a birdwatcher than
Nyika national park is the right place to visit. The
rare Denham?s bustard and the wattled crane are
among those to be seen, as is the red-winged
francolin – which is endemic to Nyika.

Mammals

The park has one of the highest densities of
leopard in Central Africa and there are a number of
species of smaller mammals such as warthog and
bushpig. Rather than just a place to watch wildlife,
what makes Nyika alluring is the chance to explore
a unique and preserved patch of African wilderness
in a variety of ways: on horseback, by bike, or
simply on foot. Common animals here include
zebras, bushbucks, reedbucks and roan antelopes,
and you may also spot warthogs, klipspringers,
jackals and possibly hyenas and leopards. Nyika
protects a rich diversity of mammals – almost 100
species have been recorded – including an
endemic race of Burch ell?s zebra, Equus burchelli
Crawshaii, and a very high density of leopard .The
montane vegetation attracts large numbers of
antelope from the diminutive duiker to eland and
roan. The lower slopes of miombo woodland
support good populations of buffalo and elephant,
though these animals only rarely move up to the
grassland of the plateau. Lion and cheetah are also
infrequent visitors to the plateau.

What to do

Nyika is wonderful for trekking, mountain biking
and horse riding safaris, as well as more
conventional 4?4 excursions. Relax by taking in the
spectacular scenery whilst spotting bird and
wildlife. Get around by four wheel drive, horseback,
bike or foot. Game viewing is good all year round,
and the open nature of the plateau ensures
excellent visibility. In the area around Chilinda, the
main camp, visitors are practically guaranteed to
see roan antelope, scrub hare, zebra, reedbuck,
bushbuck and eland. Your chances of seeing
leopard around Chilinda are good. Other attractions
include waterfalls, a Neolithic rock shelter, trout
pools and even a ?magic lake?.

Getting there

There are various ways to get to Nyika depending
on which season you go and what kind of vehicle
you have. In the dry season in April to October, the
park can be reached in a normal 2WD from
Chipata, via Lundazi. Cross over the border into
Malawi via Mzimba and Mzuzu and then onto the
Plateau. One can also approach from Mpika in
Zambia then on to Isoka, this is the last stop for
fuel in Zambia. On to Muyombe where you clear
Zambian customs, then over to Katumbi in Malawi,
clearing Malawi customs and to the plateau.
In the wet season, if in 2WD, one should approach
from Lilongwe in Malawi via Mzimba and Mzuzu.
If you?re approaching from Zambia in the wet
season, a 4WD is necessary to get up to Lundazi
from Chipata, through the border with Malawi at
Lusuthu then on to Mzimba, Mzuzu and the
Plateau. 4WD is recommended for the less
accessible areas in the park, but a 2WD is
adequate for most roads in the park in the dry
season. Extra fuel supplies are recommended
otherwise be sure to fill up in Rumphi in Malawi,
just before the plateau.By far the easiest way to Nyika is by air to Chilinda
airstrip via Mzuzu.

The views from the aircraft are
stunning, if you?ve picked a clear day with few
clouds, and you can clearly see the foothills, the
patches of natural forest, the plantations in
Linnaean symmetry and the open expanses of
rolling heathland.
Coming from Malawi, Chilinda Camp lies roughly
120km from Rumphi, and is reached along roads
which shouldn?t present any problem to a 2WD in
the dry season but which will require a 4WD
vehicle after heavy rains. The route is clearly
signposted: from Rumphi you need to follow the
S85 westwards for roughly 50km, then turn right
into the S10 to Chitipa. Thazima entrance gate is
8km along the S10. About 45km past the entrance
gate, a signposted left turn-off leads to the
Zambian Rest house, which lies about 2km from
the S10. Perhaps 50m further towards Chitipa,
you?ll see the turn-off to the right signposted for
Chilinda Camp. Chilinda lies about 16km from this
turn-off. The best place to stock up on food before
you reach Nyika is Mzuzu, and the last place where
you can be sure of fuel is Rumphi (although you
can often buy fuel at Chelinda during the dry
season). The drive between Lilongwe and Nyika
cannot be done in a day during the rains, and it?s a
very long (9 hours) slog even in the dry season.

Where to stay

There is a colonial-era rest house, built around
1946, which used to be the only accommodation in
either park. After independence, people from
Malawi staying there did not have to pass through
any border formalities, but paid a ?Zambia
entrance fee? along with their accommodation bill.
It closed in 1998, but was refurbished by a private
tour company and reopened in 2006 as the ?Nyika
House?, available only to pre-booked tour groups.
As they have already entered Malawi and there are
no formalities and restrictions at the boundary
between the two parks, visitors from Zambia
usually also visit the facilities and features of the
Malawian park. Due to the exclusive nature of the
rest house, camping is not encouraged unless large
groups of more than eight book the whole rest
house and the extra numbers are accommodated in
tents.

Best time to go

Any time of the year is good. The warm season
(not exceeding 21 degrees C due to elevation) is
from September to May, rains fall between
December and March. When the sun goes down,
even in summer, it can get very chilly.

The cold season is from June to August and frosts may
occur.

Lots of warm clothing is essential at this
time. The best colours occur from November to
March after the rains have come, the rolling brown
hills turn into carpets of green and flowers spring
up everywhere. Migrant birds also expand the bird
population dramatically. Game viewing however is
better in the dry season.

Ecology

Dense pine forest
Flower-studded grasslands
Montane forest-grassland mosaic
High rolling hills

Birdlife

Anchieta?s sunbird
Angola swallow
Arnott?s chat
Black lored charring
Black-eared seedeater
Böhm?s flycatcher
Cinnamon bracken warbler
Dusky lark
Dusky turtle dove
Hildebrandt?s francolins
Hooded vulture
Lappet faced vulture
Miombo barred warbler
Miombo pied barbet
Miombo rock thrush
Miombo tit
Olive headed weaver
Pale billed hornbill
Pel?s fishing owl
Pennant winged nightjars
Racket tailed roller
Rameron pigeon
Red faced crombec
Rufous bellied tit
Rwenzori nightjars
Scarce swift
Shelley?s francolins
Shelley?s sunbird
Singing cisticola
Slender billed starling
Southern hyliota
Souza?s shrike
Spotted creeper
Stierling?s woodpecker
Streaky seedeater
Stripe breasted seedeaters
Striped fluff tail
Swallows
Swifts
Wailing cisticola
White faced vulture
Yellow bellied cremomela
Yellow bellied waxbill

Mammals

Blue duiker
Blue monkey
Bushbucks
Bushpig
Cheetah
Common duiker
Eland
Elephant
Hyena
Jackal
Klipspringer
Leopard
Lion
Mountain squirrel
Reedbuck
Red duiker
Roan antelope
Scrub hare
Warthog
Zebra

Thank You.

Chabala Chisenga
Eco Generation Regional Ambassador To Zambia