Nyika National Park

Nyika National Park

Nyika National Park is situated in the region of Malawi and the largest National Park of the country. The word Nyika locally means “where water comes from”. Other meanings of the word Nyika include “wilderness” or ‘short grassland”. The presence of the famous Nyika plateaus which stands straight up and can be experienced by taking a ride over the plateau itself. The Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve is situated on the lower part of the Nyika National Park.

The beautiful escarpments and northern hill areas descend to the lower altitude which appear dry in some seasons. The vegetation around this area is dominated by woodland, protea scrub, and grasslands especially in the Interzone.

Zambia is situated on the western part of the Nyika plateau and the part of this park on the Zambian side is also referred to as the Nyika National Park too. The Nyika National Park was added to the tentative UNESCO World heritage list in 2000 May. The Nyika National Park has a unique landscape, scenery, biodiversity and climate. The park also protects some endangered species including Hippogratus equinum, lexodanta Africana and others. This park is an amazing location for those interested in filming wildlife in Malawi. For any assistance in filming in Nyika National Park, reach out to Africa Fixers.

Filming permit for Malawi.

Filming in Nyika Park 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 submits it and follows up 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 who 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 Nyika National Park

The Park has lake Kaulime which is believed to be the dwelling place for spirits. There is a belief that the lake bears a humanlike being and snake through which the locals communicate with god. Within lake Kaulime are shells and stone artefacts which are stunning to view. The presence of the area which is in about 16 kilometers from Chelinda where iron smelting used to happen takes you into the past history of human existence.

What is the size of The Nyika National Park

The Park being the largest National Park of Malawi covers an area of about 3200 square kilometers. The top of the Nyika plateau is normally cold especially during the severe rainy season and cold dry season with chances of experiencing fog like appearance called Chiperoni.

When the Chiperon persist, it supports the blossoming of several orchids from more than 200 species into flowers. This creates a stunning bed of wildflowers worth adding to your photography collection.

The presence of escarpments that can best be enjoyed by hiking or biking provides a great opportunity to enjoy the surroundings and inhabitants of this park.

How To Get To Nyika National Park

From Lilongwe the capital city of Malawi, there is a distance of about 480 kilometers to Nyika National Park. From Rumphi Nyika National Park is about 60 kilometers away.  Follow the old dirty road that branches north from Rumphi to Katumbi border post. The roads then meanders up the Southwestern scarp of the Nyika plateau then carry on to the border with Zambia.

The route carries on descending the northwest scarp in series of bends, continuing northwards to the Chisenga border post. On top of the Nyika plateau a spur leads to Chilenda where the Nyika National Park headquarters are situated.  For the organization of transportation for your shoot in Nyika National Park, please feel free to contact our local Malawi fixers.

What To Do And See In Nyika National Park

Scenic viewing

Nyika National Park is a spectacle itself from the varied features around the park, including the plateau, escarpments, the lake Kaulime, wildflowers that blossom and much more. When you decide to enjoy the view of Nyika National Park you may fail to make options of which one not to pay attention to.

Hiking the Nyika plateau

While in the Park, you can take the option of making a guided hike on the Nyika plateaus to get another view of the surrounding from a more elevated point. You may get the chance to enjoy the colorful orchids from numerous flower species that grow in this area especially during the January to April season.  Different high lands form the topography of Nyika National Park which can be enjoyed on your way up.

Game viewing

Nyika National Park hosts a number of wild animals that are  supported by the rich montane vegetation that favor the survival of antelopes, duikers, elands, Zebras, roans, leopards, warthog, bushpigs, porcupines, small cats, buffaloes , elephants, lions and others.

Birding

A number of birds find safety in spending time in Nyika National Park. More than 400 birds species have been recorded as residents of Nyika National Park and these are supported by the rich vegetation that favors there survival. Some of the bird species include red winged Francolin, Denham’s bustards, wattle crane

Mountain Biking

Challenge yourself to a mountain biking experience in Nyika National Park where you may get the opportunity to visit the water falls, trout pool, the mysterious the lake Kaulime, amazing wild animals, Neolithic rock shelter to mention but a few.

When Accommodations To Book In Nyika National Park

While planning a safari to Nyika National Park, some of the accommodations you may get a chance to check out include

Chelide lodge, Mutunka safari lodge, Nyena Hill lodge, Zulunkhuni River lodge, Livingstonia lodge, Golden safari Beach lodge, Mikoma Beach lodge, Mutunka safari lodge, Lunyina Hotel and others

These accommodations are categorized into luxury, mid-range and basic.

When Is The Best Time To Visit the National Park

The Park is open for a visit any time however the dry season which is June to September is most preferred when there less precipitation in the atmosphere. The terrain of this park being rough makes it easier to navigate in the dry season especially of you engage in activities like hiking, mountain biking and others.

The resident wild animals in the Nyika National Park can best be spotted in the dry season when the vegetation is generally lower. The tracks in the park are quicker to navigate when you decide to do the 4×4 excursion and safaris. For those intending to take photos of film the stunning surroundings of Nyika National Park including the beautiful wild flower blossoms, the dry season would be fantastic timing.

This being the peak tourism season in Malawi, expect to share the same space with other tourists on safari in Nyika National Park in this season. The price of most logistics that support the tour in Nyika National Park is quite high in the high tourism season.

The wet season to is great for a visit to Nyika National Park even though some activities may not be fun to engage in during this period. The wet season is normally March, April and May when more precipitation is received in the atmosphere. The vegetation around this area is vibrant green in this season and flowers blossom beautifully creating a stunning scenery.

In the wet season, there are normally fewer people visiting so you may have more attention from the park staff. You do not have to compete for the best spots from which to view around amazing Nyika National Park. The west is the best time for those seeking tranquility on a safari in Nyika National Park. For more information to help you plan your shoot in Nyika National Park please contact Africa Fixers.

Is Nyika National Park Safe To Visit

The park is safe to visit as on ground there are park rangers who often patrol the park to maintain its security. There are guidelines every tourist is expected to follow while in the park in order to avoid falling into trouble.

At a personal level, every tourist is expected to pay attention to their safety by not stepping out of your facility especially in the night when carnivores and other animals are most active. In case you have children, ensure you are in the know of their way about all the time so that they are not lost in the wilderness.

Pack the right safari gear while on a visit to Nyika National Park in order not to get disorganized when on the ground. In case you have to hike, the plateau, you must be escorted by the ranger guides because they have some protective gadgets just in case of an emergency.

Can Children Visit Nyika National Park

The Park is open to people of all ages and fine for family visits. When traveling with children, they must be in company of a responsible adult and always be in the know of their way about. Do brief the children about what to expect while on the ground so that they are not shocked when on the ground. Ensure you pack their basic requirements away from their normal life.  Nosie making is forbidden in Nyika National Park because this may scare the wild animals.

What guide to follow on safari in Nyika.

• Respect nature while on safari inNyika National Park and do not over ride on it while in the park.
• Do not make noise or hoot while in Nyika National Park because you may scare the wild animals.
• Dumping garbage in Nyika National Park is forbidden because this alters the nature of the park where wild animals thrive. Do not pick anything from the park but only carry memories of this adventure.
•  Do not get out of your facility at night while in Nyika National Park because you may encounter some danger.
• Feeding the animals of Nyika National Park is forbidden because they are wild animals that must search for there own food.
• Drive at the speed limit set by the park authorities as this helps not to knock down some animals.
•  Do not drive off track while entering or leaving Nyika National Park because you destroy nature.
• All walking safaris in Nyika National Park must be guided by an armed ranger guide to avoid chances of encountering the dangerous animals in the reserve.
• Paying entrance fees to the reserve is a must as this is one of the ways to support park maintenance.
• Do not pick anything from the Nyika National Park or leave anything but just carry memories, photos and experience rather than depleting the reserve off its natural environment.

In case you wish to tour the Nyika National Park, book in advance so that all the necessary planning is done in advance. This helps to allocate the right ranger guide to be allocated to you in advance and also include your program for the of the day.

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.