Nyungwe forest national park – Rwanda

NYUNGWE FOREST NATIONAL PARK- RWANDA

Nyungwe forest national park : Nyungwe forest national park is of the primate destination in Rwanda harboring over 13 primate species just like Kibale forest national park in Uganda. Nyungwe forest national park is located in the south western part of Rwanda covering a land area of about 1,020 Square Kilometers which is majorly covered by forest. Nyungwe forest national park was gazette in 2004 to protect the tropical forest of the park and all the wildlife that thrill within. Nyungwe forest national park is one of the most visited national parks in Rwanda due to its scenic views of a variety of fauna and flora species ranging from the thrilling rain forest to abundant of wildlife species.

Tourist activities done in Nyungwe forest national park

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park

Chimpanzee trekking is a major tourist activity done within Nyungwe forest national park which thrills with 2 habituated troops of Chimpanzees making thus a visit to this park for Chimpanzee trekking is such a rewarding and breath taking experience. Chimpanzee trekking is an all year round safari activity in Nyungwe forest national park though dry months are always the best time for this adventure.

During chimpanzee e trekking in Nyungwe forest national park, trekkers are rewarded with other several encounters with other primates like Olive baboons, Vervet monkeys, Red tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Blue monkeys and many more. There is also an opportunity to encounter with different mammals in the forest including Elephants, Buffaloes, Forest hogs and several species of birds since the forest thrills with over 300 bird species.

Birding in Nyungwe forest national park

As stated earlier, Nyungwe forest national park is a habitat to over 300 species of birds that are seen anywhere in the forest during birding and even during other park activities. Nyungwe forest national park is one of the top birding destination in Rwanda where one is in position to encounter as many bird species as possible. The best birding spots include around rea plantations, around the forest, towards Lake Kivu and many more. Below are some of the bird species to look out for in Nyungwe forest national park and they include; Great blue Turaco,  Rwenzori turaco, Dwarf Honeyguide, Handsome franklin, Kivu Ground Thrush, fly catchers, Red- Throated Alethe and many more.

Guided nature walks and hiking in Nyungwe forest national park

Nyungwe forest national park thrills with several hiking trails with the commonest being the Canopy walk along the Igishigishi trail running from the Uwinka reception and takes about 5 hours though tourists can as well cut it short to about 3 hours. This trail is best for travelers who wish to explore Nyungwe forest at a tree top elevation. Other trails in Nyungwe forest national park lead to various attractions waterfalls and many more. Apart from Igishigishi trail that leads to the canopy walk, other trails in Nyungwe forest national park include Ngabwe Trail, Bigugu Trail, Kamiranzovu Marsh Trail, Isumo waterfall Trail,  Congo Nile divide Trail, Karamba Birding Trail, Muzimu Trail, Imbaraga Trail, Irebero Trail, Umugote Trail, The Rukuzi Trail, Umuyove Trail among others. Each of these walking trail leads tourists to unique tourist attractions within Nyungwe forest national park.

Accommodations/ where to stay on a safari to Nyungwe forest national park

Here are some of the accommodations to stay in while on a Rwanda safari to Nyungwe forest national park. They range from Budget, Midrange as well as luxury depending on the choice of the traveler and they include; Nyungwe top view lodge, One & Only Nyungwe, Nyungwe forest lodge, Gisakura guest house and many other camping sites that cater for traveler who wish to stay in camps.

Getting there

Getting to Nyungwe forest national park by road,

Travelers who wish to get to Nyungwe forest national park by road need to fly into Kigali international airport Rwanda and then embark on a road drive for about 6-7 hours to get to Nyungwe forest national park. Being long hours road drive,  tourists usually have stopovers along the way for enroute meals and visiting several unique attractions like Genocide memorial sites, Kings palace, and many more thrill attractions along the way making the entire journey more rewarding.

Getting to Nyungwe forest national park by Air

One may as well opt for a flight from Kigali international airport using Rwanda air to Kamembe then connect on a road drive to Nyungwe forest national park.  This is the shortest way of getting to Nyungwe forest national park.