Malawi, Nyika plateau te paard
Those who choose to collect their 4x4s in Lilongwe can thoroughly enjoy the pine forests, rolling hills and elephants. Why not visit Luwana Forest on the Viphya Plateau for example, which is the largest man-made forest in Africa. You will have a fair chance of seeing elephants in the Vwasa Marsh Game Reserve and Nyika National Park reminds many visitors of Scotland, until they spot the endemic animals.
The picturesque Luwawa Forest is located on the Viphua Plateau. The forest yields a very varied landscape that ranges from the high Viphya Mountains to waterfalls, and from winding forest paths to long-distance tracks. It is said that this forest is the largest man-made forest in all of Africa and it is located within four hours' drive from the capital of Lilongwe. It's very popular among the local people because the pine forests remind them of Europe and it's the perfect stopover on the journey to Nyika.
We can well imagine that European visitors would prefer to sample the charm of Africa, so fortunately you will also have the opportunity to take long walks through the endemic woodlands of Luwawa Forest. Wild proteas, orchids and traversing bush bucks soon make it very apparent that you really are in Africa.
In addition to walking, you can also undertake a whole variety of outdoor activities here, such as canoeing, kayaking, sailing, fishing and bird-spotting. Rock climbing, abseiling and mountain biking are also a few of the many sporting activities in which you can take part.
If you drive to Nyika National Park in a 4x4, it's a good idea to take a short break in Vwasa Marsh towards the south-west of the Nyika Plateau. This alluvial plain was once very popular with poachers because of the amount of ivory that was to be 'found' here. Fortunately, poaching has now been stopped; but Vwasa Marsh is still one of the best places to encounter elephants. We thoroughly recommend taking a guided walking tour in this area.
The South African journalist and writer Laurens van der Post explored the plateau during a journey that he later described in his classic book Venture into the Interior. 'It was like nowhere else in the world', he wrote. 'It was deep in the heart of Africa, full of African animals, but it was covered with the grasses of England.'
The rolling grass-covered hills of Nyika Plateau remind people more of Scotland; especially when they discover that the streams and dams are teaming with trout. When you see the endemic woodlands on the hills, the roan antelope, eland, zebra and water buck, however, you'll know for sure that you're still in Africa!
Nyika National Park, which is Malawi's largest and oldest national park, is located on the 2000-metre-high Nyika Plateau. Its height means that it's relatively cool here and this, together with its enormous game population, makes Nyika Plateau the perfect environment in which to undertake game drives or long walks. Exploring the plateau on horseback is, however, also highly recommendable.
Four rivers rise on the Nyika Plateau, which cascade over beautiful waterfalls and into the low-lying areas that are home to elephants, hyenas, jackals and owls. With a little luck you might even see a leopard.
Nykia Park is a must for bird-spotters: more than 400 different species have been identified. The plant kingdom of the park is also very impressive. In the summer a vast number of flowers grow in the grasses, including 200 different types of orchids. Twelve of these types occur nowhere else in the world.
The altitude on Nyika Plateau means that many of the animals have much thicker fur than normal. The hunting patterns are also completely different here: we've actually seen around seven hyenas force an antelope into a deep puddle, and keep circling it for hours until the antelope drowned in its exhaustion and could thus be eaten.
A day trip to the viewing point at Jalawe Rock is well worth the effort. Lake Malawi lies behind a deep valley that is covered with acacia trees, with the mountains of Tanzania in the background. Some guests have been lucky enough to see elephants in the valley, but even without elephants the view here is so very impressive that every visitor to Nyika would be well advised to pay a visit to this area.
