Guide 2 Malawi

Nyika Most beautiful of Malawi's many parks is Nyika where the bird lover, the flower fanatic and the game viewer will be equally delighted. Proclaimed in 1965, rising to 2600m and covering more than 3000 sq kilometres, mountain grasses and bracken soften the contours of this high plateau. Over two hundred species of orchid are found in Nyika. Red and white proteas light the flower-scattered trail. Visitors may walk through these glorious hills or ride with Nyika Horse Safaris, for big skies, open country and vast panoramas combine to make the nyika the most preferred riding country. follow elephant trails down secluded steep - sided valleys, trot with herds of eland, roan, and zebra, canter the edge of the 500m high escarpment and gallop across the rolling hills of the plateau. The Nyika is suitable for riders of all levels of ability. When the heat is on elsewhere in Malawi, Nyika is cool. In real winter (May to July) there are even night frosts. Access to the park is now easier than ever with Air Malawi flights to Chelinda an excellent service from tour operators including the Nyika safari Company whose Chelinda Camp offers comfortable self-contained rooms and self-catering chalets.
	Dwarf Proteas


	Nyika Plateau

This vast wilderness area is home to eland, (herds up to 300 in the summer), the highest concentration of roan antelope in Africa, zebra, reedbuck, bushbuck, klipspringer, 3 species of duiker (red, grey and blue), warthog, bushpig and blue monkey. In remote areas of the park which are only accessible by foot or horseback, there are elephant, buffalo, kudu, Sharpe's grysbok, baboon and vervet monkey.

Predators include several striped jackal and there are very healthy populations of spotted hyena and leopard - more easily visible and seen on the open hills than in most other parks of Africa.

The Nyika is a must for bird watchers visiting Malawi with 435 species recorded - in a wide diversity of habitat. Grassland species include wattled crane, Denham's bustard and redwinged francolin. Many of the 70 species occurring in Malawi, but not elsewhere in Southern Africa, are even found here and in the Vwaza Marsh wildlife Reserve.