Nyika is Malawi's largest national park, sitting on a vast high-altitude plateau (around 2,000m+). It's known for rolling grasslands, wildflowers, zebra, eland, roan antelope, and leopards. It's great for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback safaris, with a cool climate quite unlike the rest of Malawi.

Things to Do

Accommodation

International Arrival: Fly into Kamuzu International Airport (LLW) in Lilongwe, Malawi's capital and main international gateway. Some travelers also arrive via Chileka Airport (BLZ) in Blantyre.

Lilongwe to Mzuzu: From Lilongwe, you have a few options:

• Drive — It's roughly 350–380 km north (about 5–6 hours) on the M1 highway to Mzuzu, the main northern city and staging point for Nyika.
• Domestic flight — Malawian Airlines or charter flights sometimes operate to Mzuzu (Mzuzu Airport). This saves considerable time but availability can be limited.
• Bus — Public and semi-luxury coaches (like AXA) run the Lilongwe–Mzuzu route daily.

Mzuzu to Nyika National Park:

• From Mzuzu, it's about 130 km west to the park gate at Thazima, then another 55 km of dirt/gravel road up to Chelinda Camp on the plateau.
• A 4x4 vehicle is essential — the road up to the plateau is steep, rough, and can be very tricky in the rainy season (November–April).
• The drive from Mzuzu to Chelinda takes roughly 4–5 hours depending on conditions.

Practical tips:

• Most visitors either self-drive with a rented 4x4 or arrange transport through a tour operator or the park's managing company.
• There are also airstrips within the park (Chelinda) that can receive charter flights if budget allows — this is the quickest and most comfortable option.