Ntchisi Forest Reserve

Ntchisi Forest Reserve

Ntchisi Forest Reserve. The Ntchisi Forest Reserve in Malawi is on the eastern edge of the great East African Rift Valley. It is a mountain rain forest one of the few leftovers of its kind in Africa. As deforestation vice swept through the African continent in quest for firewood, farming settlement areas, the Ntchisi Forest served as a hiding place for the Chewa tribe as they hide away from Ngoni during the 19^th century.

This Ntchisi forest hosts an array of birds as the environment around the forest favors their survival. The forest is surrounded by undulating hills  with Chipati mountain to the north, Kirk ranges with Dedza mountain to the south and traditional villages

The vegetation of Ntchisi Forest Reserve is composed of rain forest cover occupying about 220 hectares, Miombo woodland on the lower areas, shrub land and Montane grassland at higher elevation. For any assistance in filming in Ntchisi Forest reserve, reach out to Africa Fixers.

Filming permit for Ntchisi Forest reserve in Malawi.

Filming in Ntchisi Forest Reserve Malawi requires you to first seek permission and get approvals and permits the permits as a Filmmaker and television broadcaster and pay the applicable fees as required. The filming permit has to be requested in a formal request letter and fees charged depend on the length of the project and also the number of crew coming. Once you write the application, our local Malawi fixer will submit it and follow up on the entire process until it is approved. Some locations are private and might require you to even seek further authorization to access them and also acquire the necessary location permits. For assistance getting a filming permit for Malawi please feel free to contact Africa fixers.

Media accreditation for Malawi.

Filming in Malawi requires you to have media accreditation for everyone on the crew. Everyone that intends to be on the filming team will be required to have their media accreditation worked on and approved before they start to do any filming work in the country. Requirements for the application include; Formal application letter on company headed paper, passport copies of all crew members, a digital copy of passport photo for each crew member, and list of gear they are traveling with. Media accreditation fees for filming in Malawi is USD50.00 per person. If you are planning to film in Malawi, let Africa Fixers assist you in getting media accreditation.

Brief History Of Ntchisi Forest Reserve In Malawi

The Ntchisi Forest Reserve in Malawi was gazette in 1924 as a forest reserve to protect it from possible human activities like farming, settlement and others. When the Ngoni worries used to wedge war on the Indigenous Chewa, they used this forested area as their refugee in the 19^th century.

Ntchisi Forest Reserve is one of the few surviving rainforests in Malawi as other area in Africa have been affected by the deforestation wave. This forest survived because of its significance to the people around it.

What is the area of Ntchisi Forest Reserve

The Ntchisi Forest Reserve covers an area of 75 square kilometers forest cover. The topography of this forest is composed of rolling hills that form that is the Ntchisi mountains and ranges. The escarpments form part of the western part of the Great Rift Valley.

How to get to the Forest Reserve

From Lilongwe city of Malawi, the Forest Reserve is about 75 kilometers in its North and Eastern direction. Africa fixers arranges transportation for film crews that are interested in filming in this reserve can contact us for help with organisint vehicle hire and transport services.

What to do and See in Ntchisi Forest Reserve

Birding

The rich birdlife of Ntchisi Forest Reserve makes it a key destination worth visiting while in Malawi. The presence of different vegetation types favors the survival of these birds that roost in the tall trees and the untamed vegetation.

Hiking Mountain Ntchisi

The mountain Ntchisi has its peak at 1702 meters above sea level with stunning views and unique vegetation. You need to arrange this guide hike through the Ntchisi Forest Reserve up the mountain in advance so that all necessary preparations can be made in advance.

On the way, you meet various vegetation zones that make up the entire Mountain Ntchisi. As you hike Mountain Ntchisi, you may spot the plain that borderslake Malawi on the east of the mountain. The Lilongwe plains  or central Region plateau can be seen on the western part of the mountain.

Nature walk

A guided nature walk in the Forest Reserve is unforgettable with so much you can spot. Other than the unique unspoilt vegetation, the forest also hosts some primates like olive baboons, Samango monkeys and others. You may also encounter bush pigs, bushbucks and others. Look for several fruits, colorful butterflies and so much more that the forest hosts. A black leopard has been sited in the mountains on which Ntchisi Forest Reserve sits. In case it is mushroom season or wild figs time , you may take your taste bags on a delicious tour and collect some of them.

Mountain biking

Experience the beauty of nature surrounding the Ntchisi Forest Reserve by engaging on a guided biking adventure. You take the routes that have been constructed by regular visitors to the park where you get to enjoy nature and the different features that make up the reserve.

When Is the best time to Visit the Forest Reserve

Ntchisi Forest Reserve can best be visited in the dry season when the environment favors different wild animals to move freely in the forest. The vegetation along the trail in the forest is generally lower allowing faster movement. As the different birds, primates and others animals may be seen because there is more sunray penetration through the dense canopy.

For those yearning to test their level of fitness, the dry season may provide the perfect timing as you may traverse the forest.

The wet season also has its advantages for visitors to Ntchisi Forest Reserve as it comes with chances of watching the blossoming wildflowers that decorate the slopes of the mountain. Orchids are expected to appear in the dry season. The green cover around the mountain is stunning especially during the wet season when more is received. Contact us for more information.

Is a Tour to Ntchisi Forest Reserve worth the time and money

A visit to the Forest Reserve is a time to get away from the usual hassle that is characterized by the polluted environment.  Time spent at the reserve is a life changing experience where you get to interact with nature.

keen birders have so much to enjoy from the long list of birds that have been recorded as residents. The stunning wildflowers that present themselves especially during the start of the rainy season are incredible. Test your level of fitness by hiking the Ntchisi mountain to learn more about its untamed wildlife which is hard to find elsewhere lately.

By paying entrance fees, you contribute to the conservation fund of Ntchisi Forest Reserve which aims at promoting its conservation.  Botanists have so much to identify in Ntchisi Forest Reserve because of the age of this forest reserve which has accumulated a lot over time. There is so much research you can conduct in Ntchisi Forest Reserve especially about wildlife. Even children have something to learn about the ecosystem but when visiting as a school, you need to make advance booking so that the ranger guides team can be allocated to the entire group.

How easy or Hard is the safari in the Forest Reserve

The Forest Reserve being a wild forest has so many surprises but you just need to open your mind to everything. The trails in the forest undergo timely maintenance but sometimes the vegetation overgrows to obstruct the way so you may be required to creep under or the ranger guide with a machete trims it.

During the dry seasons, the vegetation is generally lower allowing better visibility of the forest occupants and even crossing eye sight however, do not touch them because they are wild animals. in case you move in the forest without a ranger guide which is not acceptable, you may get lost and it is very dangerous too but memorable.

When severe wet season breaks in, the trails may get slippery so you need to be careful where you step so as not to slip.

How Much Is The Cost Of A Tour In Ntchisi Forest Reserve

The cost tour to the Forest Reserve varies with the activities to engage in while on safari, number of days, number of people traveling with, transport, accommodations and others. The safari package you choose for your safari to Ntchisi Forest Reserve also contributes to this cost that is luxury, mid-range or basic.

Our team of safari consultants at Encounter Africa Safaris can help you put together a Malawi safari inclusive of a visit to Ntchisi Forest Reserve when you contact us. Our safari package cuts across all budgets and we offer free advise about the different safari destinations where we operate.

How Long Is The Tour In the Forest Reserve

The time taken on tour in Ntchisi Forest Reserve varies with what you hope to engage in while in the reserve. During the dry season, walking in the forest is quicker because the trails are dry and vegetation is generally lower creating better visibility even from a far.

During the wet seasons, you may take more time searching for wildlife in the Ntchisi Forest Reserve as they keep in away from the rain. Even the regular birds may be quite hard to trace in the wet season. the trails in the forest are wet most of the time and slippery so you need to walk carefully during the wet season.

Which accommodations to book on the tour.

The Forest Reserve is situated very close to the town of Ntchisi so you have a variety of options to choose from. Note that most of the accommodations serve Bed and Breakfast or Bed only so you need to carry some hard cash to spend on other services like food, washing and others.

 Some accommodations of Ntchisi include Ntchisi Forest Lodge, Njaya Lodge, Fish Eagle Bay, Bua River Lodge, Kasungu Inn, Kumbali Country Lodge and others.

Credit cards are not easy to use on tour in Ntchisi Forest Reserve because of the long process of collecting money from them. Even those who can operate them or every power is not distributed in most areas of Malawi to recharge the card reader machine. Kwacha is the local currency used in Malawi but there are other approved currencies that you can use.

It is best to spend the night close to Ntchisi Forest Reserve especially if you have early morning activities to engage in so as to get the best results. Due to increased demand for activities in the high season, competition for accommodations in Ntchisi gets tighter as the season unfolds so advance booking is very necessary.

What Rule To Follow on A Tour to Ntchisi Forest Reserve

• No feeding the wild animals at the Ntchisi Forest Reserve because they have caregivers with the mandate to provide there meals
• Dumping garbage at the sanctuary is forbidden because this alters the nature of Ntchisi Forest Reserve especially indecomposable matter.
• Respect nature while on safari inNtchisi Forest Reserve and do over ride on it while in the park.
• Do not make noise or hoot while in Ntchisi Forest Reserve because you may scare the wild animals.
• Do not get out of your facility at night while in Ntchisi Forest Reserve because you may encounter some danger.
• Drive at the speed limit set by the Ntchisi Forest Reserve authorities as this helps not to knock down some animals.
•  Do not drive off track while entering or leaving Ntchisi Forest Reserve because you destroy nature.
• All walking safaris in Ntchisi Forest Reserve must be guided by ranger guide to avoid chances of encountering the dangerous animas in the sanctuary.
• Paying entrance fees to the reserve is a must as this is one of the ways to support sanctuary maintenance.
• Do not pick anything from the game reserve or leave anything but just carry memories, photos and experience rather than depleting the Ntchisi Forest Reserve natural environment.

Choose Africa fixers

Africa Fixers is a local fixing company that assists production companies and crews to film in Malawi. Our job as a fixer company is to make sure that your shoot process is seamless. Africa fixers has been helping crews organise their shoot in Malawi and other countries in Africa for over 10 years and we have gained a lot of experience in this field. We have stable connections with several authorities that are in charge of issuing our permits that are needed for filming in Malawi. Above all, we ensure that our clients have their shoots successful.