Chelinda Lodge, Malawi

Chelinda Lodge sits high on the spectacular Nyika Plateau of beautiful northern Malawi, taking in sweeping panoramas of rolling plains and endless blue horizons. Welcome to a refreshing oasis in a pristine, off-the-beaten-track wilderness where you can savour warm, genuine Malawian hospitality and enjoy a dreamy escape in nature. 

Embark on exhilarating game drives to see the diverse wildlife or explore the ecosystems on horseback and on walking safaris. Get the best deals and packages for gratifying Malawi accommodation with the online Voyage2Africa experts!

The homely yet luxurious Chelinda Lodge is a 16-bed highlands destination in tall pine trees offering 8 ensuite cabins made of local stone and pine wood complete with upstairs lounges and viewing decks, fireplaces and soft beds. Relax in the main guest lounge where meals are also served or choose to dine and game view from the expansive main deck with grassland views. Nyika is Malawi’s largest and most spectacular park, stretching a vast 3200 square km across a huge granite dome of what are known as whaleback hills divided by natural streams hiding indigenous forests.

Discover the Plateau landscape teeming with wildlife – rare Crawshay’s zebra, bushbuck, reedbuck, roan antelope and elephants. Spot eland, warthogs, klipspringer, jackals, duikers, hyenas and serval. You simply have to see a leopard as the park boasts the highest concentrations of these elusive cats in central Africa, especially in the forests behind Chelinda Lodge. Most elephants and buffalo can be seen grazing in the lower ground on the northern edge of the park but some make it up to the higher plateau.

Set off on Chelinda Lodge game drives, guided walks, mountain biking outings, the Livingstonia Trail, the Sangwala Trail and seasonal fly fishing. Guests can also visit a nearby school during their stay. Voyage2Africa recommends that you explore the Nyika Plateau on foot and do some vital birding and plant identifications too!

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Overview

Chelinda Lodge offers spacious log cabins promising sweeping views over Nyika’s rolling grasslands, often dotted with large herds of roan, eland and zebra. A pocket of endemic woodland and forest perfectly shelters this idyllic highland setting for your Malawi holiday.

Accommodation at Chelinda comprises eight warm double-story timber chalets created from pine trees and stone with a fireplace, en-suite baths and showers, and an upstairs viewing area, or room for accompanying children. Two chalets are joined to form an interconnected family unit and elevated wooden walkways link the cabins to the inviting main building. Hot water comes from an old traditional donkey boiler! Guests meet on the pretty outside deck for sundowners, convivial dining around a fireplace, or in the homely lounge area for quiet reflection or conversation.

Activities include game drives to discover the wonders of the park, informative walks, birding, and mountain biking. Visiting Chelinda Lodge is an exciting component to any visit to Malawi and, indeed, to the sub-region. We love the Nyika Plateau setting for this Malawi lodge, as high as 2300 m above sea level and boasting plenty of wild animals and birds. This is high-quality ecotourism where the guests contribute to the conservation of the region and community upliftment. 

The drive to Chelinda Lodge on the gorgeous Nyika Plateau takes time but that is half the fun of your mountain and safari experience in Malawi – get out on mountain bike rides, hikes, horses and in game drive vehicles to view the wildlife and vegetation!