Nyika National Park
Encyclopedia
- For the portion of the park in Zambia, see Nyika National Park, Zambia
Nyika National Park is Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
’s largest national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
, with an area of 3200 km² (1250 mile2).
Location and road access
Nyika Plateau
The Nyika Plateau lies in northern Malawi, with a small portion in north eastern Zambia. Most of it lies at elevations of 2100 to 2200 m, the highest point being 2605m at Nganda Peak. It is roughly a diamond in shape, with a long north-south axis of about 90 km, and an east-west axis of about...
in northern Malawi, about 480 km north of Lilongwe
Lilongwe
Lilongwe, estimated population 902,388 as of 2009, is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It lies in the country's central region, on the Lilongwe River, near the border of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, and on the main north-south highway of Malawi, the M1.-History:The city started life as a...
and 60 km north of Rumphi
Rumphi
Rumphi is the capital of the Rumphi District in the Northern Region of Malawi. It is a lively town with a market which serves the widespread tobacco farming community....
by road. Access is by a single dirt road which branches north off the road from Rumphi to the Katumbi border post, and winds its way up the south-western scarp of the plateau, continues over the top, where it forms the border with Zambia, then descends the north-west scarp in a series of bends, and continues north to the Chisenga border post. On the top of the plateau, a spur goes east to Chelinda, the headquarters of the park nearer the centre. Although the park boundary comes within 35 km of Livingstonia
Livingstonia
Livingstonia or Kondowe is a town located in the Northern Region district of Rumphi in Malawi. It is 270 miles north of the capital, Lilongwe. The town of Mzuzu can be reached on tarred road in about 2-3 hours....
there is no access from the eastern side.
Features
The name, NyikaNyika
Nyika is a Swahili word meaning "bush" or "hinterland" . More specifically, it can refer to:* a collective term for nine ethnic groups in coastal Kenya, see Mijikenda* a desert in Kenya, see Nyiri Desert...
, means "where the water comes from" as the plateau's elevation makes it wetter than surrounding areas. The top is frequently in cloud in the rainy season which brings over 200 types of orchid into flower. The grasslands of Nyika are rich in wildflowers in other seasons as well.
Antelope
Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
from the diminutive duiker
Duiker
A duiker is any of about 21 small to medium-sized antelope species from the subfamily Cephalophinae native to Sub-Saharan Africa.Duikers are shy and elusive creatures with a fondness for dense cover; most are forest dwellers and even the species living in more open areas are quick to disappear...
to eland
Common Eland
The common eland , also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is the largest antelope in the African continent...
and roan
Roan Antelope
The Roan Antelope is a savanna antelope found in West, Central, East Africa and Southern Africa.Roan Antelope stand about a metre and half at the shoulder and weigh around 250 kilograms. Named for the "roan' colour , they have a lighter underbelly, white eyebrows and cheeks and a black face,...
. Zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
are common. The park has one of the highest densities of leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
in Central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
and there are a number of species of smaller mammals such as warthog
Warthog
The Warthog or Common Warthog is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past it was commonly treated as a subspecies of P...
and bushpig
Bushpig
The bushpig, Potamochoerus larvatus, is a member of the pig family and lives in forests, woodland, riverine vegetation and reedbeds in East and Southern Africa. Probably introduced populations are also present in Madagascar and the Comoros archipelago. Bushpigs are mainly nocturnal. There are...
. Elephants and buffalo
African Buffalo
The African buffalo, affalo, nyati, Mbogo or Cape buffalo is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear...
usually keep to the lower ground on the northern edge of the park but lions and elephants have recently been seen on the high plateau.
Wattled Crane
The Wattled Crane, Bugeranus carunculatus is a large bird found in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. It is monotypical for its genus.At a height of up to , it is the largest crane in Africa and is the second tallest species of crane, after the Sarus Crane. The wingspan is , the length is...
are among those to be seen, as is the red-winged francolin
Red-winged Francolin
The Red-winged Francolin is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.Elgon Francolin may be a hybrid between the Red-winged Francolin and...
- endemic to Nyika.
Other attractions include waterfalls, a neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
rock shelter, trout pools and even a "magic lake". The recently refurbished Chelinda Camp and the brand new log cabin lodge provide excellent accommodation and facilities. There is an airstrip for fly-in safari
Safari
A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
s.
The lower-lying Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve
Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve
Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve is a national game reserve in Malawi.In contrast to the Nyika National Park on the Nyika Plateau much of Vwaza is located on low lying flat ground although the eastern side of the park is hilly...
is only 50 km south of Nyika National Park and some visitors take in both on one trip.
The adjacent Zambian park
The land west of the plateau road as it traverses the top is in Zambia, which also calls its portion Nyika National Park, comprising just 80 km². As there is no other road, Zambians can only reach it via Malawi. The Zambian park includes a colonial-era resthouse with splendid views west. Once it was the only accommodation in either park, in those days 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. The rest house closed in 1998, but re-opened as the "Nyika House" in 2006, available only to pre-booked tour groups.World Heritage Status
This site was added to the UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Tentative List on May 17th, 2000 in the Mixed (Cultural + Natural) category.