# Nkhotakota Game Reserve Traditional authority – Villages & Map

> Source: https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/nkhotakota/nkhotakota-game-reserve/

Traditional authority · Nkhotakota District 

# Nkhotakota Game Reserve

Nkhotakota Game Reserve is a traditional authority area of Malawi in Nkhotakota District, Central Region. It covers **1,787.9 km²**. 6 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 1 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools.

- 1,788km²
- 1mapped services
- 960 mtypical elevation

## Where is Nkhotakota Game Reserve?

Nkhotakota Game Reserve lies in [Nkhotakota District](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/nkhotakota/), [Central Region](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/), [Malawi](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/). It borders 13 other traditional authorities: [STA Kalimanjira](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/nkhotakota/sta-kalimanjira/), [STA Kapichira](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/kasungu/sta-kapichira/), [STA Mdunga](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/kasungu/sta-mdunga/), [TA Chilooko](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/ntchisi/ta-chilooko/), [TA Kanyenda](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/nkhotakota/ta-kanyenda/), [TA Kapelula](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/kasungu/ta-kapelula/), [TA Khosolo Gwaza Jere](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/northern/mzimba/ta-khosolo-gwaza-jere/), [TA Malenga Chanzi](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/nkhotakota/ta-malenga-chanzi/), [TA Mphonde](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/nkhotakota/ta-mphonde/), [TA Mwadzama](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/nkhotakota/ta-mwadzama/), [TA Mwansambo](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/nkhotakota/ta-mwansambo/), [TA Nthondo](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/ntchisi/ta-nthondo/) and [TA Wimbe](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/kasungu/ta-wimbe/). By area it is the 3rd largest of 433 traditional authorities in Malawi. It covers 41.5% of [Nkhotakota District](https://wherepedia.org/malawi/central/nkhotakota/). The centre of Nkhotakota Game Reserve is about 125 km in a straight line from Lilongwe, the capital. It is about 27 km from Nkhotakota, the main town of Nkhotakota District. The centre point is at -12.8778° N, 34.0543° E.

Source: [National Statistics Office of Malawi via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO)](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ab-mwi).

## Villages and localities in Nkhotakota Game Reserve

Open gazetteers list **6 villages, towns and localities** in Nkhotakota Game Reserve. Settlements here lie between about 736 m and 1,067 m above sea level (median 960 m).

- Chipapika
- Luwanda
- Mposongwe
- Mwalala
- Tenje
- Tongoto

Source: [GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features](https://www.geonames.org/); [© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright).

## Landscape and landmarks of Nkhotakota Game Reserve

Named natural and historic features inside Nkhotakota Game Reserve, from the GeoNames gazetteer.

### Water

37 rivers and streams.

- Cabwato
- Camsani
- Chamchere
- Chanchepe
- Chapoli
- Chikoko
- Chilumba
- Chinthimbiri
- Chitete
- Dwali
- Dwatumi
- Funga
- Kabango
- Kamchere
- Kamilampheta
- Kangwa
- Kapupasa
- Katuta
- Khako
- Lilavwa
- Lisutu
- Livesi
- Liwala
- Lunguzi

…and 13 more.

### Hills and mountains

20 hills; 10 mountains.

- Chipata · 1,535 m
- Timbamluzu · 1,321 m
- Mbengwa · 1,295 m
- Kauwa · 1,272 m
- Mkazimkata · 1,212 m
- Kapapasa · 1,207 m
- Mtera · 1,193 m
- Kamizu · 1,184 m
- Manyani Hill · 1,164 m
- Chipala · 1,163 m
- Mpongosi Hill · 1,140 m
- Nkufi Hill · 1,113 m
- Njongombe Hill · 1,099 m
- Chisoti Hill · 1,005 m
- Dowe · 986 m
- Ngombe Hill · 976 m
- Masingwa Hill · 962 m
- Chuwi Hill · 919 m
- Madzanga Hill · 868 m
- Makonje Hill · 855 m
- Kute Mountain · 840 m
- Pumbati Hill · 837 m
- Chikolongo · 821 m
- Kasukusuku Hill · 812 m

…and 6 more.

### Forests and nature

1 wildlife reserve.

- Nkhota Kota Game Reserve

Source: [GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features](https://www.geonames.org/).

Places of worship are not listed. Elevations are from the GeoNames terrain model and are approximate.

## Weather in Nkhotakota Game Reserve and the best time to visit

Using the climate of Nkhotakota District, the warmest month is Nov (average 22 °C) and the coolest is Jul (14 °C), after allowing for this place being about 466 m higher than the climate reference point (about 6.5 °C per 1,000 m). About 1,066 mm of rain falls in a year; the wettest month is Jan (287 mm) and the driest Jun (2 mm). The most comfortable months for a visit are **April to November**.

- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec

Month Average °C Rain mm 

Jan 19 287 

Feb 19 213 

Mar 19 176 

Apr 17 54 

May 16 10 

Jun 14 2 

Jul 14 2 

Aug 16 2 

Sep 19 3 

Oct 22 11 

Nov 22 64 

Dec 20 240 

Source: [NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/).

## Nearest hospital, bank and fuel from Nkhotakota Game Reserve

Need Nearest mapped Distance 

Hospital NKHOTAKOTA DISTRICT HOSPITAL · Nkhotakota Boma 25 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=-12.92227&mlon=34.27800#map=17/-12.92227/34.27800) 

Bank Standard Bank · TA Malenga Chanzi 21 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=-12.90090&mlon=34.24848#map=17/-12.90090/34.24848) 

Hotel Tongole Wilderness Lodge · Nkhotakota Game Reserve 3.7 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=-12.91123&mlon=34.05029#map=17/-12.91123/34.05029) 

Police station Nkhotakota Police Station · Nkhotakota Boma 26 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=-12.93143&mlon=34.28941#map=17/-12.93143/34.28941) 

Source: [Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)](https://overturemaps.org/).

Straight-line distance from the centre of the division, within 40 km.

## Hospitals, banks and other services in Nkhotakota Game Reserve

Places mapped inside Nkhotakota Game Reserve in open map data, by type.

- Hotels1

Source: [Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)](https://overturemaps.org/).

Coverage depends on what has been mapped; contact details are not shown.

## Other traditional authorities in Nkhotakota District

- Nkhotakota Boma
- STA Kalimanjira
- TA Kafuzila
- TA Kanyenda
- TA Malenga Chanzi
- TA Mphonde
- TA Mwadzama
- TA Mwansambo

## Quick answers

- Where is Nkhotakota Game Reserve?In Nkhotakota District, Central Region, Malawi
- What borders Nkhotakota Game Reserve?STA Kalimanjira, STA Kapichira, STA Mdunga, TA Chilooko, TA Kanyenda, TA Kapelula, TA Khosolo Gwaza Jere, TA Malenga Chanzi, TA Mphonde, TA Mwadzama, TA Mwansambo, TA Nthondo and TA Wimbe
- How many villages are in Nkhotakota Game Reserve?6 named settlements (GeoNames, OpenStreetMap)
- What is the elevation of Nkhotakota Game Reserve?Settlements lie between 736 m and 1,067 m
- What is the highest point in Nkhotakota Game Reserve?Chipata (1,535 m, GeoNames elevation model)
- What is the best time to visit Nkhotakota Game Reserve?April to November
- Where is the nearest hospital to Nkhotakota Game Reserve?NKHOTAKOTA DISTRICT HOSPITAL, about 25 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest bank to Nkhotakota Game Reserve?Standard Bank, about 21 km from the centre
- What is the P-code of Nkhotakota Game Reserve?MW20208 (OCHA common operational dataset)