Nyungwe Forest National Park
Nyungwe Forest National Park is located in the South Western part of Rwanda along the border with Burundi (South), Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (West). Nyungwe rain forest is the best Montane rainforest in Central Africa with a watershed between the basin of River Congo to the west and River Nile to the east.
The Park was founded in 2004 covering an area of 970 km2 of rainforest, bamboo, grassland, swamps, and bogs with Cyangugu Town being the nearest about 54 kms to the West. In the park is Mount Bigugu which is situated at the midst of the Park.
Activities in Nyungwe Forest National Park
Chimpanzee Trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is the most prominent safari activity carried out in the park and includes trekking then watching the chimpanzees in their natural forest vegetation habitat.
The trekking proceed begins a he Park headquarters where you are briefed on conduct around the chimpanzees then later in allocated groups of 8 with a park ranger, you enter then the forest from Kanyanchu Visitor’s center to trek the Chimpanzees for 2-4 hours. After a while, you meet the chimpanzees and take many photos to keep.
Monkey trekking
Monkey trekking is also exceptional to do in the park and gives you an opportunity to trek and watch the black and White colobus monkeys in their natural green forest vegetation habitat. With a park ranger guide, you enter the forest and trek the Monkeys like owl faced monkeys, colubus monkeys,
Bird watching
Nyugwe forest National Park is perfect for bird watching as the park inhabits over 270 bird species i.e 121 are forest birds while 27 are endemic to the albertine rift valley. The birds ou watch here include; Chapin’s flycatcher, Great blue Turaco, red collared mountain babbler, Rera grauer’s rush warbler, Rwenzori Turaco, white tailed flycatcher, Rwenzori batis, barred long tailed cuckoo, Rwenzori nigh jar, Rwenzori hill babler, yellow eyed black flycatcher, Congo bay owlet, mountain sooty boubu, and the Neumann’s warbler.
Nature walks and Hiking
Nyungwe Forest national park is ideal for hiking and Nature walks as you follow different trails in the forest with a park ranger. There are more than 13 hiking trails which are 130 kilometers and these include; the Igishigishigi trail, Bigugu trail, Ngabwe trail, Isumo waterfall trail, Kamiranzovu marsh trail, Karamba birding trail, Source of the Nile trail, Irebero trail, Muzimu trail, Imbaraga trail, Congo Nile trail, Umoyove trail, and Rukuzi trail.
Canopy walk
Nyungwe forest National Park offers remarkable Canopy walk adventure as you do these along East Africa’s biggest canopy walk at 50 meters above the ground level and 200 meters long. The canopy is a steep and deep valley across a massive forest hanging platform that offers clear view of different animal species, bird species, golden monkeys, monkeys, etc.