Dzalanyama Forest Reserve

Dzalanyama covers a long strip of miombo woodland along the Mozambican border southwest of Lilongwe, and it is the main birding destination near the capital: the miombo specialists that are hard to find elsewhere occur here, and the reserve's bird list is among the longest in the country. A forest lodge operates in the reserve. Charcoal cutting has damaged parts of it badly and enforcement has been a long-running problem. The reserve runs for around sixty kilometres along the border ridge, which is part of why enforcement has been so difficult, and the lodge sits roughly in the middle of it.

What you actually see

• The miombo birds - the woodland specialists the reserve is known for.
• The miombo woodland - the brachystegia forest covering the reserve.
• The forest lodge - the accommodation inside the reserve.
• The border ridge - the high ground the reserve runs along.

When to go

May to October is the dry season and best for the roads. Birding is best in the early morning. The rains make tracks difficult.

Honest expectations

Charcoal cutting has degraded substantial parts of the reserve and continues. The road in is rough. Facilities are limited to the lodge.

Nearby

Lilongwe is northeast, and the Mozambican border is southwest.