Things to know before visiting Nyungwe forest national park 2024 : Nyungwe National Park is one of the oldest rainforests in Africa, covering 1,019 km2 of dense montane rainforests, bamboo surrounded with slopes, grasslands and wetlands. Nyungwe National Park is located in the south west of Rwanda on the border with Burundi in the south and the Democratic Republic of Congo in West on the shores of Lake Kivu. This national park houses   75 mammal species, 13 primate species including the chimpanzees, golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys among others, Chimpanzee trekking is the most done activity in the park. The park is a 6 hour drive from Kigali International Airport in the Capital city of Kigali, Rwanda. Nyungwe National Park has been in existence since 1903 and in 2004 it was then declared a National Park and one of the 4 national parks such as   Volcanoes National park, Akagera national park and Gishwati Mukura national park.

Below are things a traveler should know before visiting Nyungwe national park in Rwanda as follows;

Attractions in Nyungwe National Park

 You should put in your list that Nyungwe national park is a great tourism destination in Rwanda that is blessed with a wide range of attractions such as:

 Primates species ; the park is a home of 13 primate species which include chimpanzees, golden monkeys, silver monkeys, grey checked mangabey, red tailed monkeys,  owl-faced monkeys, Rwenzori black and white colobus,  vervet monkeys, olive baboons and bush babies. Primates in Nyungwe forest national park are commonly visited by tourist’s visiting the forest.

Canopy; Nyungwe forest national park is consists of 50 meters and 200meters above it’s through  the ground level canopy that   influences the Rwanda Development Board  a tourism body in Rwanda to construct  a metallic walkway which is the first of its nature in East Africa and the third of its king in Africa.

Birds ; Nyungwe forest national park  harbor over  300 bird species with over 120 forest species, 29 species endemic to the Albertine rift and 16 which are endemics to Nyungwe forest national park. Bird species in the park include white tailed blue fly-catcher, red collared mountain babblers, purple breasted sunbirds, dusky crimson wing,  Rwenzori batis,  black and white casqued among others.

Fauna ; Nyungwe forest national park is a home of mammal species including leopards, duikers, civet serval cats , giant forest hogs, golden cats, side stripped jackal among others.

Flora; Nyungwe forest national park also harbor about 1000 plant species which act as food for the animals of over 68 which are endemic to the park such as Mahogany, Militants holistic. Nyungwe national park harbors about 200 tree species with flowering plants, orchids, giant lobelia, vegetation zones including sub-alpine vegetation which is dominated by shrubs and bamboo.

Activities in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Chimpanzee trekking; chimpanzee trekking is the most popular activity in Nyungwe forest national park where visitors   move into the forest to trek the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking   in Nyungwe forest national park starts from three reception centers namely Uwinka, and Kitabi with a briefing at 5:00 am and you will later meet the park rangers and start trekking in the forest. Nyungwe forest national park is a home of about 60 habituated chimpanzees and trekking take about 2 to 6 hours or longer depending on the location of the chimpanzees since they love to move from one place to another in search of food and once found visitors are allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Only allows a maximum of 8 people to trek each habituated gorilla family and during the one hour

Birding ; Nyungwe forest national park is also known as a birders paradise for the bird adventurers , it’s houses  over 300 bird species with about 29 endemic to the Albertine rift valley. Birding in Nyungwe forest national park is best done in the morning with trained guides who will help you explain more about different bird species in the forest that you will come across including yellow-eyed black flycatcher, dusky crimson, black and white casqued hornbill, handsome francolin, Grauer’s warbler, Ruwenzori apalis, Ruwenzori batis, Shelley’s crimson wing, great blue Turaco, Rwenzori nightjar, among others.

Nature walks ; Nyungwe forest national park provides different trails for hiking for instance   hiking the highest point in Nyungwe forest national park which is Bigugu peak that takes  2950meters high. Bigugu trail is one of the noted difficult trails that needs the hiker to be physically fit and takes 6 hours to complete the hike. There also other noted trails were nature walks can be conducted excellently foe example Karamba trail, Ngabwe trail, and Isumo waterfall trail among others

Canopy walk; canopy walking tours gives you an opportunity to explore the Nyungwe forest where you will meet with the variety of wildlife species of your interest. Canopy walkway in Nyungwe is 50m high , it is built on the treetops and it is the largest in East Africa making it a thrilling adventure for adventurous visitors .other activities for example Gisakura tea plantation, monkey trekking alongside chimpanzee trekking can also be carried out here.

Best time to explore the Nyungwe Forest National Park

The best time to visit is during the dry season which is also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January, and February. During the dry month, the Nyungwe forest receives little or no rainfall therefore, all the safari activities will be promising such as money trekking, chimpanzee trekking, and nature walk among others. Nyungwe forest national park can, however, be visited during the rainy season in the months of March to May and October to November.

Safari Accommodation in Nyungwe forest national park,

Your list of things to know before visiting Nyungwe National park should not miss a note on the accommodation. When travelling to Nyungwe National Park, make sure you stay in an accommodation that matches your budget. Various accommodation facilities are available either within the National park or around the park that range from budget, mid-range and luxury accommodations. For example One & Only Nyungwe House, Nyungwe Forest lodge, Nyungwe top view Hotel, Emeraude Kivu resort located in Cyangugu and Ear guesthouse among others.

How to get to Nyungwe Forest National Park

When traveling to Nyungwe forest national park you can either use road transport or air transport means

By Car; Driving is the most popular option. The journey from Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, takes about 6-8 hours, depending on traffic and road conditions. The roads leading to the park are well- maintained, and the scenic views along the way are wonderful .You can rent a car in Kigali or hire a driver to take you to the park. .

By Bus; if you prefer public transport, take a bus headed to Ruzizi from Nyabarongo Bus Park in Kigali. The bus will take you to Uwinka Center, which is the main entrance to the park. The bus journey may take a bit longer about 8-10 hours.

By Flight; for those needs a luxury travel, consider taking a flight from Kigali to Kamembe Airport, located near Nyungwe Forest National Park. The flight duration is about 45 minutes, and there are several flights per week. Up on reaching Kamembe Airport, you can hire a taxi or take a bus to reach the park.

Nyungwe forest national park is a must-visit destination in Rwanda that offers amazing activities like chimpanzee trekking, canopy walk, nature walk monkey trekking among others hence giving you exciting and fascinating experiences on your Rwanda safari tour.