Travel guide to Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park

Travel guide to Rwanda's Nyungwe Forest National Park
Travel guide to Rwanda's Nyungwe Forest National Park

Nyungwe forest national park is a chimpanzee’s most certified home in Rwanda, Nyungwe forest national park is situated in the southwest of Rwanda, Nyungwe Forest is an African beautiful tropical rainforest occupying over 1020 hectares protecting approximately 13 primates, 300 bird’s species, 1000 plant species, and large biodiversity.

Nyungwe forest national park is just tucked in between tea plantations, it is surrounded by the biggest mountains, tropical rain- forest, Nyungwe forest national park is a vast destination to catch a glimpse of chimpanzees. Nyungwe forest is African’s most preserved forest and is mostly known for its biodiversity.

Nyungwe forest national park has breathtaking, amazing scenery, and is a vantage point pictorial view of the Virunga chained mountains. Nyungwe forest national park has nature at its best in ever-green lush vegetation, always seen by the cooling mists late in the evening or in the morning.

Top things To Do in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Chimpanzee Trekking

Chimpanzee trekking at Nyungwe forest national park starts in the morning with a briefing at the park’s headquarter, chimpanzee tracking is conducted in groups of eight people maximumly per chimpanzee family habituated just like mountain gorilla trekking. Chimpanzees at Nyungwe forest national park are habituated which means they are used to human presence. Nyungwe forest national park gets a large number of visitors to turn up yearly who are interested in meeting humans’ close relatives face to face as they spend some quality time with the chimpanzees. Travelers can add a chimpanzee tracking experience to their gorilla trekking expedition at volcanoes national park.

Colobus Monkey Tracking

Nyungwe forest national park protects about 13 primate species that include the occasional spotting of the Golden monkeys, colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked Mangabeys, Ruwenzori colobus Monkey species. Nyungwe forest national park colobus monkeys can be sighted in large troops of approximately 300 monkey individuals. As you enjoy tracking the playful colobus monkey troops, you may be lucky to spot other monkey species along your trekking trails. These other monkey species include L’ Hoest’s monkey, Mona monkey, the Owl-faced monkeys, and blue monkeys.

Nyungwe Forest Canopy walk

Nyungwe forest national park canopy walk is a top forest canopy walk in East Africa and standing third in Africa. After mountain gorilla trekking at Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, you can add a canopy walk at Nyungwe forest national park to your magical itinerary. Nyungwe forest national park canopy walk is about 50 meters above sea levels, this canopy walk takes place in the dizzying heights for many people who are interested in viewing many primates like monkeys slay around in the treetops, bird species flying above you, beautiful view of the huge Nyungwe forest. Nyungwe canopy walk is an amazing experience.

Bird watching in Nyungwe forest

Nyungwe Forest harbors over 300 bird species, 27 of these bird species are the endemics species that are located along the Albertine rift valley. Nyungwe forest national park Albertine rift is endemic include the Grauer’s Warbler situated within the mountain swamps such as the Kamiranzovou within Nyungwe Forest. Other Nyungwe forests national park bird species like Rwenzori Turaco, blue Turaco, sunbirds such as the purple breasted, and blue-headed sunbird.

Hiking in Nyungwe Forest National park

Nyungwe forest national park is a hiker’s haven with 13 available hiking trails standing over 130 kilometers on the forest floor. Travelers can spend some good weeks hiking different trails, as you explore this unique ancient tropical rainforest & discover the habitats, wildlife species situated in this African forest.

Nyungwe forest has other shorter private hikes that take from one to eight hours that can be done by anyone in a good physical condition. Nyungwe forest hiking offers visitors a chance to discover wildlife species within a prime tropical rain- forest that is simply amazing. Nyungwe forest national park offers wildlife species, bird species, primate species, plant species, flowers, butterflies, and ancient tree species.

Best time to tour Nyungwe forest National Park

Nyungwe Forest National Park is best visited in the long dry seasons that start in June to September yearly, same as from December to February is the short dry season when there is less rainfall being received. Rwanda’s rainy season comes with heavy rainfalls which make the forest trails muddy, slippery and hence making the foot trails hard to participate in chimpanzee trekking, monkey tracking, and canopy walk.