Formed in 1965, this is the highest and largest of Malawi’s National Parks, has scenery second to none, and offers superb views of the northern part of the lake. Nyika National Park is considered one of the most beautiful montane plateaus in Africa. The blooming wildflowers form a colourful blanket over the gently rolling hills. The horse riding safaris on offer here cater for all levels of riders and offer an intimate way to interact with the surrounding bush and animals. It is renown for one of Africa’s densest leopard populations.

This is the northernmost Park in Malawi and is situated on the Nyika Plateau north of Lilongwe, and borders onto the easternmost tip of Zambia.

100 different mammals are found here including strong population of leopard, bushbuck, red and rare blue duiker, herds of hundreds of eland, greater kudu, klipspringer, Liechtenstein’s hartebeest, puku, reedbuck, roan antelope in abundance, side-striped jackal, spotted hyena, warthog and zebra. Although elephant have been seen in the Park the numbers are very low. Nocturnal animals present in the Park are the hyena, jackal, serval and civet cats, porcupine, honey badger and aardvark. 

Around 400 species of bird have been recorded on the Nyika Plateau and include the migrants that arrive between November and December as well as 8 endemic species. The Chowo Forest is home to the rare bar-tailed trogon, red-breasted sparrowhawk, olive-flanked robin, bar-throated apalis, malachite sunbird, and white-tailed and blue flycatcher.

The Park lies on an ovoid plateau that forms the western margin of the East African Rift Valley and comprising wide plains and sweeping valleys. This is one of the most important water catchment areas in Malawi and the sources of four large rivers that drain into Lake Malawi cut the area with deep gorges and high waterfalls. The plateau lies at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level and affords wonderful views, and spectacular cloud formations can be seen on the horizon.