Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Nyungwe Forest National Park Rwanda is located in the western Rwanda and is one of the world’s most beautiful and pristine rain forests. The park is made up of the series of mountains, originating in the northern Uganda and Congo, running south through the Rwenzori mountains, western Rwanda and Burundi, to the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Nyungwe Forest national park offers scenic safari views over the Lake Kivu and sometimes the Virunga ranges on the clear day, the forest has an extensive network of well-maintained walking and hiking safari trails to various waterfalls and viewing points.
Attractions in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Plant species.
Nyungwe forest national park is a unique safari destination with various plant species that are over 1,060 plant and tree species as these can be found in the park with the most attractive ones that are such taller tree species such as the Carapa, Cyathea, Manniana, Newtonia, Prinaria that are standing at a height of 1,900 meters above the sea level, while other species like the Hagenia, syzygium, podocarpus, macaranga are at a heights of 2500 meters and above, while the sub alpine vegetation consisting of the shrubs and Bamboo such as the podocarpus, Phillipia and others can live at the height of 2950 meters above the sea level, other vegetation species like the mosses, ferns can also be tressed in the forest these are such amazing and the tourists can be grateful after observing those various plant species in the Nyungwe Forest National Part and at the same time they can serve as medicinal extracts.
Animal species
Nyungwe Forest national park is a home of the great numbers of the animal species that can be attracted by various tourists, these include the primates mammals, insects, birds. Nyungwe National Park animals include the primates such as the Angola colobus monkey, Red tailed monkey, silver monkey, Golden monkey, Dents Mona monkey, olive baboon, Vervet monkey. In the park the Chimpanzees are the major tourist’s safari attraction and also chimpanzee trekking safari as the main safari activity in the park. Nyungwe national park animals are found in the Albertine Rift montane forest of the ecoregion in Africa, other Nyungwe forest national park animal species that can be observed includes the duikers, golden cats, impalas, bushbucks, buffaloes, elephants, bush pigs, Gant forest hog, Mongoose, carnival genet, Congo clawless, western tree hyrax and many others.
Bird species.
Nyungwe national park is well known as the important bird area by the Birdlife international, the park is a birding paradise with over 300 bird species recorded of which 16 are endemic, 27 Albertine rift endemics, 121 forest species. Here the forest birding is never easy, but the wide road running through the park offers a great vantage point into the canopy, of special interest are the many Albertine Rift endemics ( birds restricted to the Albertine Rift), the bird species that can be spotted in the Nyungwe Forest national park includes the Blue-headed sunbird, Buff-throated apalis, Dwarf crimson wing, Handsome francolin, Kivu ground thrush, Mountain masked apalis, Neumann’s warbler, Purple-breasted sunbird, Red-throated alethe, Regal sunbird, Ruwenzori batis, Strange weaver White-tailed Blue-flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Olive and Elliot’s Woodpecker, Chestnut Owlet and many others.
Activities to do in the Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Chimpanzee trekking.
Nyungwe Forest National park, is a home of the chimpanzees that share the 98% DNA with human beings, during the chimpanzee trekking safari, you start the activity with a briefing at the park headquarters, after the briefing you explore the forest with the park rangers and trackers to look for the chimpanzees, this takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the location of the chimpanzees. Once the chimpanzee are located you are given one hour to be in the presence of the chimpanzees you watch them as they continue with their day to day activities in the forest such as the grooming each other, feeding, playing and among others.
Canopy walk.
Canopy walk in Nyungwe forest is the thrilling and then unique safari activity that takes place along the Igshigishigi trail. The walkway is accessible as part of specialized guided tour along the trail. The canopy walk hangs 60 meters above the forest floor between giant trees and towers, which provides a stunning view of the park. Canopy walk is an activity not to be missed in Rwanda when you adventure Nyungwe forest. In case you are coming to Rwanda to trek the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park, your safari will always be memorable if you add some days to spend in Nyungwe and enjoy the canopy walk as part of your Rwanda safari itinerary that makes your safari intriguing with Nyumbu beyond Journeys.
Nature trail hiking.
The hiking trail is in the Nyungwe Forest national park that takes 4 hours and more, there are 130 kilometers of well-constructed hiking trails that are found in this park like the Congo Nile divide as the longest one, Imbaraga as the difficult one and Igishigishigi trail as the shortest one. A tourist should remember the National ID or passport, permit, hiking boots, drinking water, hiking stich, raincoat, and camera when going for the hiking trail safari.
Bird watching.
Birding safari is one of the most outstanding and then rewarding Rwanda safari activity in the Nyungwe Forest national park which is untouched tropical rain forest and it is a home of over 300 bird species of which 29 are endemics in the Albertine like Kungwe Apalis, Shelley crimson wing and among others, during the bird watching the bird lovers are excepted to come along with their binoculars, cameras, guiding book and among others. Nyungwe forest national park is amazing birder’s paradise and you will see many other things from the orchids to the primates during your birding walks within Nyugwe forest.
Best time to visit Nyungwe Forest National Park.
The best time to visit Nyungwe Forest National Park is during the drier months of June to August or December to January. Even though June to August or December to January are categorically referred to as drier months, it still does rain the Nyungwe forest national park almost all year around. Nyungwe Forest National Park is open for the chimpanzee trekking and hiking throughout the year, the wet months from October to May are the best time for chimp trekking and forest birding, but general hiking and spotting other primates might be easier in the drier months, from June to September.
How to get to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Nyungwe Forest national park can be accessed in two ways that is by the road and air transport from Kigali city to the park.
By Road transport.
You can drive from Kigali to Nyanza to Huye and finally get to Nyungwe National Park, the drive takes approximately 5 hours depending on your stop overs.
By Air transport.
Alternatively and the quickest means is that you can fly using the services of Akagera Aviation.