Things to do at Nyungwe Forest National Park

Clients travelling to Nyungwe national park should anticipate an unforgettable encounter given the astonishing list of activities unfolded to clients in the park. This national park is fortunate and endowed with breathtaking views of mountains, water bodies and greenery that favorable for great forest walks and wildlife activities. During your visit to Nyungwe forest, visitors are in position to participate in the activities below: –

Chimpanzee tracking: Currently, the best place for chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda is Nyungwe forest. Nyungwe forest is a home to about 400 independent chimpanzees that reside in different clans. Nyungwe forest national park has only two habituated chimpanzee groups. At Nyungwe forest national park, chimpanzee tracking is done throughout the year.  Clients that intend to for early morning tracking depart as early as 4am in company of knowledgeable guides to look for whichever of the two habituated groups located at the Uwinka and Cyamudongo sectors of the park. Clients require to be ready for the challenging activity that demands following extremely mobile primates that refrain from undoubtedly following the major trails yet can meaner off to luxuriant undamaged forest. Nevertheless, when they settle down, visitors gain an opportunity of spotting the primates seated on top of the trees, eating and grooming.

Following seeing the group movements for some time, they will amaze you with the way act like we humans. So as to have the finest encounter, trackers must own long sleeve shirts and pants, hiking boots, a hat, a rain jacket, a walking stick and binoculars for spotting the chimps on top of trees. Please remember to come with a lot of drinking water and light snack to resume your energies. So as to have a pleasant time tracking the chimps, we highly advise that you hire a porter to assist carry any additional heavy luggage and equipment. A single chimpanzee trekking permit goes for $150 and it should either be paid directly to the Rwanda Development Board or through the tour operators. Clients also need to pay extra $100 for the park entrance.

Tracking Monkeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Tracking Monkeys: In Africa, Nyungwe forest national park located in Rwanda is among the best places to see the tinny primates. Despite the fact that chimpanzee tracking is the presiding primate activity, a portion of tourists come with intentions of spotting the additional tinny primates such as the Angola Colobus Monkeys, Dent’s Mona Monkeys, Grey Cheeked Mangabeys, Hamlyn’s Monkeys, L’Hoest’s Monkeys, Olive Baboon, Red tailed Monkeys, Silver Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, White and Black and Colobus monkeys.

Small primates at Nyungwe forest can be tracked using four trails. The Kamiranzovu trail which requires walking through orchids and marshes to see some of the primates. The Bigugu trail goes up to the peak of Mount Bigugu to spot more monkeys seated in the rest of the trails and rest only sighted in elevated altitudes. In case you have interest in colobus monkeys, the Waterfall trail would be perfect for you.

Forest and Canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Forest and Canopy walks: Clients with interest in taking walks in Nyungwe forest have two options which are either a canopy walk or low ground forest walk. Nyungwe forest national park is exceptional since it is the only place where nature lovers can participate in a true canopy walk. The best canopy walk in East Africa is at Nyungwe forest. The canopy walk begins from the Uwinka visitors centre and proceeds through a dangling platform that is approximately 45 meters greater than the ground.  From these altitudes, clients acquire eye catching scenery of the rain-forest, animals and birds.

Undoubtedly, the canopy walk is a stunning and audacious encounter yet it can be frightening for people with acrophobia. Clients with acrophobia must opt for the forest walks. There is quite a number of are hiking trails which reach the forest interior. The trails are totally un identical permitting clients to see the forest animals and bird species in the forest. Nature enthusiasts with enough time to spare always take time to complete each trail at a time. By the time clients end the forest walks, they would have uncovered and investigated every single thing there is to acquire knowledge about this old forest inclusive of the primates.

Birding  in Nyungwe  Forest  National Park

Birding: For bird lovers, Nyungwe forest is possibly the best place for birding in Rwanda. As stated by the Birdlife International, Nyungwe national park is a home to approximately 300 bird species in that 27 can only be sighted in the Albertine region. As a consequence of the park’s biodiversity and uniquely its affluent bird collection, Birdlife international regards it the most paramount conservation site in Rwanda. The major bird species to you should expect to see during the forest walks include Barred long Tailed Cuckoo, Blue Turaco, Doherty’s Bush Shrikes, Handsome Francolin, Purple Throated Sunbird, Red collared mountain Babbler, Rwenzori Double Collared Warbler, Rwenzori Nightjah, Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Batis, White Tailed Flycatcher, the Yellow Eyed Black Flycatcher among others.

Since some of the bird species reside in specific sections of the park and one requires to go for a guided bird walk. Birding tours cost $50 and they should be booked with the Rwanda Development Board.  The birding guides have information on the attributes of nearly all the bird species and where to locate them. Their finest technique of spotting them is by sights and sounds. We highly advise clients to use more than one of the traditional trails to make sure that you see nearly all of the bird species. The sunny season is ideal for birding since incoming birds always flock the forest in search for food and get away from merciless winter conditions in Europe.

Note: Tourist activities in Nyungwe forest are done all year round. Nevertheless, the best time for visiting Nyungwe forest national park like is during the dry months of June through August and December to January.