What is unique about Nyungwe Forest National Park? Yeah!! Nyungwe forest national park is one of the destination where you can go for chimpanzee trekking, colobus monkey tracking, hiking as well as birding. Nyungwe forest national park is located in the southwestern Rwanda, between Lake Kivu and the democratic republic of Congo, with the border with Burundi to the south. The park is located near Cyangugu town around 225 kilometer and approximately 5-6 hour drive from Kigali the capital city. 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. This article presents to you the all unique things in Nyungwe forest national park.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Chimpanzee trekking is one of the unique adventure activity done in Nyungwe forest national park. The chimpanzee population in Nyungwe Forest National Park is the second highest in Africa after kibale forest national park .The Park has various trails to walk through to search for these fascinating primates. During your trek, you will have the opportunity to see chimpanzees swinging in trees and mothers cuddling their babies. The trekking in the park begins early morning, that’s to say you must be at the trekking spot early in the morning for guidance on what to do and what not to do while in the jungle with the chimps. To hike chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park, you must first get a Chimpanzee permit, which may be obtained via your trusted tour operator or directly from the Rwanda Development Board, and you are recommended to move along with the trekking gears such as torch, insect repellent cream, camera water bottle, wet wipes among others
Chimpanzee trekking is carried out yearly and the best time for chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park is between June, July, and August, when the fig trees contain fruits that chimpanzees feed on often, making it simple to discover them. There are only two groups accessible for chimpanzee trekking, with each group housing 8 people; thus, you must schedule at least 3 to 4 months in advance to be able to perform chimpanzee trekking in this park.
Bird Watching in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Nyungwe forest national is a true birders paradise, the park is a home to over 322 bird species with over 120 forest species, 29 species endemic to the Albertine rift and 16 which are endemics to Nyungwe forest national park. For instance Great Blue Turaco, Red-Breasted Sparrow Hawk, White Headed Wood Hoopoe, Re-Throated Alethe, Paradise Flycatcher and the Gigantic Forest Hornbill, Green Pigeons, Ross’s Turaco, Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Red-Faced Woodland Warbler, the purple breasted and blue-headed sunbird, and the Rockefeller are among the 29 Albertine Rift Valley bird species that can be found in Nyungwe forest national park. Due to the fact that this is a dense forest, so finding birds may be difficult when you are alone, therefore you will be recommended to move with experienced guide during your walk through the forest to look for various bird species.
Canopy Walk in Nyungwe forest national park.
Canopy walk is one of the unique feature in Nyungwe forest national park, Nyungwe Forest is the biggest surviving tract of Tropical Afro-Montane rainforest in East Africa, covering 1019 square kilometers. One of the great activities not to miss out on during your visit to this park is the canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park, a 3 hour thriller on a 200-meter-long track perched 50 meters above the forest canopy. The view from the top of the trees provides an eagle’s eye view and a magnificent experience of the Nyungwe forest. You will also get the opportunity to witness several monkeys as they swing in the trees, various birds as well as the magnificent scenery.
Colobus Monkey Trekking in Nyungwe forest national park.
Nyungwe national park is the best and only national park in Rwanda where this fascinating apes are found. The park houses 13 different kinds of primates, with monkeys being the most numerous. This montane forest is home to the Rwenzori colobus monkey. You will also witness Grey-Cheeked Mangabey, Blue-Monkeys, L’Hoest Monkeys, Owl-Faced Monkeys, bush baby, Red tailed monkey, rare golden monkey and Mona Monkeys among others
Hiking trail experience in Nyungwe forest national park
The Landscape of the Nyungwe forest is amazing and unique with some hilly rock parts that adds beauty of this forest. This unique landscape has different hiking trails that adventure lovers can take on as they explore the forest. The hiking trails include Igishigishigi trail, Rukuzi trail, Isumo waterfall trail, Kamiranzovu marsh trail, Bigugu trail, Irebero trail, Muzimu trail, Imbaraga trail, Ngabwe trail, Karamba birding trail, Umoyove trail, Congo Nile trail and many more. Hiking the forest trails can be done as a full day activity or even over several days, depending on tourist interests. Travelers should put in minds that hiking Nyungwe forest trails can be cumbersome and some trails are too steep they cannot be hiked by first-timers, you should be physically fit.
Forest nature walks
This is one of the famous and unique activities carried out in Nyungwe National Park. during these amazing walks you get an opportunity to see the various tree species in the forest, several flower species, a variety of butterfly species, birds and wildlife, you will also get an opportunity to see some waterfalls. Forest Nature walks are normally guided by the forest guides and they take half day or full day, you select one that you feel is okay for physical fitness. Forest walk can take up to 3 hours depending on the travelers’ preferences and wants.
