Nyika Plateau

Nyika, Malawi's largest national park at about 3,200 square kilometres, is a plateau of rolling grassland above two thousand metres, with mist in the hollows at dawn, zebra and roan antelope on the slopes and leopards in the forest patches; it looks more like upland Britain than the usual picture of a safari. In the rains over two hundred species of orchid flower on the grassland, and the lodges offer horseback safaris. Trout dams and waterfalls are on the plateau, and Livingstonia's mission is a rough drive away.

What's there

• The whaleback grasslands - the high plateau rolling to every horizon.
• Roan and zebra - the montane herds on the open slopes.
• The orchid season - 200-plus species flowering in the rains.
• Horseback safaris - riding among game across the tops.

When to go

May to October for dry roads and crisp, clear days - nights genuinely freeze, pack accordingly; December to March swaps easy access for the orchid flowering and dramatic skies.

Before you go

The plateau is remote: the access road punishes vehicles and the fuel round-trip needs planning; accommodation choices are few, so book rather than hope. Game is present but dispersed highland-style - this is landscape-first safari. Nights are cold.

Nearby

Livingstonia's clifftop mission, Vwaza Marsh's elephants and Rumphi.

Key facts