Nyungwe National Park

Nyungwe National Park

Nyungwe National Park is one of the Rwanda national parks that most travellers who visit Rwanda do include on their itinerary. Nyungwe forest is most known for chimpanzee tracking and is one if the best places to see chimpanzees in the world. Nyungwe forest is a forest, located in the south-west of Rwanda just at the border with Burundi and also south of Lake Kivu and west of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nyungwe forest national park, established in 2004, contributes greatly to the climatic conditions of Rwanda and is a great water catchment area in Rwanda, supplying water to about 70% of the entire country.

Nyungwe forest lies along the Western Great Rift Valley, and hosts a variety of wildlife. Nyungwe National Park Rwanda inhabits over 1064 plant species including 200 species of trees and 248 species of orchids, 85 mammal species including primates, 300 bird species with about 29 bird species being endemics to the Albertine Rift region, as well as about 120 butterfly species, 32 amphibians and 38 reptiles.

With all the above wildlife in Nyungwe National Park, there is so much to do in the park by any traveller who visits. The main attraction in Nyungwe forest remains the primates, especially the chimpanzees given that the park hosts about 500-1000 chimpanzees in the park, which can be tracked by travellers. Other primates that one may enjoy while in nyungwe National Park include the very acrobatic Ruwenzori colobus and L’Hoest’s monkeys.

Nyungwe National Park is also a birder’s haven, with over 300 bird species recorded in the park. Birders can spot a number of bird species per day, during nature walks or even canopy walk in nyungwe National Park.

Activities in Nyungwe National Park

Chimpanzee Tracking

Chimpanzee tracking is the most done activity in Nyungwe forest, and can be done here only in the whole of Rwanda. Travellers get to encounter the charter and noise as well as very active chimpanzees on a chimpanzee tracking adventure, which usually starts in the morning with a short briefing before embarking on the search of the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. It is not usually hard to spot them, given that they are noisy for they are first heard before even seen, and then travellers get to take that route from where the sound is coming from. It is only the habituated chimpanzees that travellers get to track on a chimpanzee tracking experience. One is required to have a chimpanzee tracking permit to be able to enjoy chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda, have your tour operator of choice book it for you.

Canopy walk in nyungwe

Nyungwe forest has a canopy walk way suspended between the higher slopes and giant trees only about 1km from Uwinka. This metallic walk way is about 200m long with a height of about 40m, giving travellers who have no fear for heights an opportunity to have a bird’s eye view of Nyungwe.

Monkey tracking

Nyungwe forest has about 13 primate species recorded in the park, which include the Rwenzori colobus, Dent’s Monkeys, Blue monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, the grey-cheeked mangabey and the silver monkey, which travellers can spot while on a monkey tracking activity in the park.

Birding in Nyungwe

With over 300 bird species in Nyungwe forest, birding is one of the most rewarding activities in nyungwe National Park. the handsome francolin, red-faced woodland  warbler, collared appalis, mountain masked appalis, Rwenzori batis, Albertine owlet and the red-collared Rockefeller’s sunbird and so much more are some of the bird species you shall encounter while on a birding safari in Rwanda, especially in Nyungwe forest.

Hiking

Nyungwe forest has a number of hiking trails in the park which visitors would use to explore the park on foot, extensively. These hiking trails give travellers an opportunity to see more of the park, even those things that may have been otherwise missed. The Bigugu trail, Isumo trail, Karamba trail, Ngabwe trail, are some of the most used hiking trails in nyungwe.

Getting to Nyungwe National Park

Nyungwe forest is possible with the well-developed road system in Rwanda, and aviation industry. Nyungwe can be visited by both road and air. By Road, Nyungwe forest is about 217km from Kigali. The drive is a scenic one where you shall spot the raving hills of Rwanda, as well as the locals as they get about their activities. There are a number of activities you may do en-route, like visiting the National Museum or stop at Nyamagabe. A 4WD vehicle is recommended.

By air, Nyungwe forest can be accessed by flying into Kamembe airport from Kigali, and then be transferred on a 49km drive, in less than one hour, to Nyungwe. RwandAir operates scheduled flights from Kigali to Kamembe airport throughout the week, be sure to book your seat if travelling by road is not your preference.

Nyungwe forest can be visited throughout the year, though the dry season is the best time to visit the park. Given that Nyungwe is a forested area, rains fall at any time, giving reasons as to why it is okay to visit Nyungwe National Park any time of the year.

Accommodation in Nyungwe National Park

Travellers intending to visit Rwanda and Nyungwe forest particularly should know that there are a number of accommodation facilities in and around Nyungwe in which they could stay at, say Nyungwe Forest lodge, Gisakura Guesthouse, Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel, among so many others.

Nyungwe forest is a beautiful Rwanda national park that travellers can include on their travel plans, for an opportunity to encounter 13 primates including chimpanzees, as well as the great array of bird species in the park and enjoy the highest canopy walk in East Africa.