Lengwe National Park

Lengwe sits in the hot lowland of the Shire valley south of Chikwawa, thicket and woodland rather than open savanna, and it was created to protect the northernmost population of nyala, a shy antelope whose range otherwise lies further south. Hides at waterholes are how the game is seen here: buffalo, kudu, bushbuck, warthog and the nyala come to drink through the late dry season when there is nothing else.

What you actually see

• The nyala - the antelope at the northern limit of its range.
• The waterhole hides - the built points where game is watched at the water.
• The thicket - the dense vegetation that makes game viewing here different.
• The Shire valley setting - the hot lowland the park sits in.

When to go

August to November is the late dry season when game concentrates at the waterholes. The rains disperse everything and make roads difficult. The valley is extremely hot in October and November.

Honest expectations

The thicket makes game hard to see away from the hides. Heat in the lower Shire valley regularly exceeds forty degrees late in the dry season. Facilities are basic.

Nearby

Chikwawa is north, and Majete is northwest.