Nyika National Park
Overview
Malawi Parks
Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many guidebooks to African destinations, including the Bradt guide to Malawi.
This vast national park on a high-altitude plateau is very different from all other parks and reserves in the country. The mountain scenery is a big attraction of the park – walking and mountain biking are popular activities, in addition to game drives. Although this isn’t a Big Five destination, there is a good amount of wildlife on the plateau.
Pros & Cons
Wildlife
Nyika is not a conventional wildlife destination: the attraction is more the combination of animals and a beautiful setting, rather than ticking off sightings. Lions are absent, but leopard is regularly seen both at night and during the day. Spotted hyena and other nocturnal creatures can sometimes be spotted on night drives. Crawshay's zebra, eland, roan antelope, common duiker and warthog are all common on the plateau.
Scenery
Nyika Plateau is possibly the largest area of high montane (mountain) grassland left in Africa. The rolling grasslands with pockets of indigenous forest and large stands of exotic pine and eucalyptus plantations are often compared to a European, specifically Scottish, landscape. Of note is the abundance of wildflowers, especially the roughly 200 orchid species which flower in January and February, of which 11 are endemic to Nyika.
Weather & Climate
Due to its high altitude, Nyika Plateau (the area of the park accessible to tourists) has a temperate climate. Temperatures are relatively uniform throughout the year, but there is a peak in October/November at the beginning of the Wet season. The yearly rainfall is almost entirely during the Wet season, from November to April. The Dry season (from May to October) is colder, and June to August can be bitterly cold at night.
Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit Nyika Plateau is during the Wet season months from November to April. At this time, fair weather makes morning and afternoon drives more pleasant. This is different to other parks in the region because of the Nyika Plateau’s high altitude and cold temperatures. Some animals tend to move to lower slopes in the Dry season, from May to October.
