Activities in Nyungwe National Park

Activities in Nyungwe National Park

Nyungwe National Park is one of Rwanda’s National Parks, which is nestled in the Southwestern part of Rwanda. This park covers an area of about 1019 square kilometres and it shelters numerous wildlife species, including birds, primates, mammals and many more. This park has a number of activities that visitors engage in, and below are the activities done in Nyungwe National Park.

• Chimpanzee trekking

Chimpanzee trekking is the major activity done in Nyungwe National Park, and it is done with the company of an armed ranger guide. Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda is a shelter to approximately 500 chimpanzees. Nyungwe National Park is the prime destination for chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda, and this activity starts with a briefing by the park guides on the way to conduct yourself while chimpanzee trekking. Chimpanzee trekking takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours to spot the chimpanzees, as this depends on the location of the chimpanzees.

One hour is given to you to spend with the chimpanzees after spotting them in their natural habitat. The time granted to you to spend with the chimpanzees gives you room to analyse how they feed, play, breastfeed and many more. You get the opportunity to also take pictures of the chimpanzees for the purpose of memories and reference.

• Bird watching

Nyungwe National Park is home to several birds, which are approximately.

There are various bird species in Nyungwe, 310 bird species, which makes it one of the best birding destinations in Rwanda, hence favouring bird watching. The bird species in Nyungwe National Park include migratory birds, Albertine rift endemic birds and many more. Some of the birds include Grauer’s rush warbler, Rwenzori turaco, regal sunbird, Chapin’s flycatcher and many more.

There are several birding trails in Nyungwe National Park where visitors conduct their bird watching experiences. Some of the birding trails include Bigugu Trail, Karamba Trail, Isumo Waterfall Trail, Kamiranzonvu Trail and many more. Bird watching in Nyungwe National Park is most commonly done in the morning and in the evening with the company of a guide who is well conversant with the birding trails.

• Canopy walk

Canopy walk is one of the most exciting and amazing activities that is offered in Nyungwe National Park to the visitors. Canopy walk in Rwanda is only done in Nyungwe National Park, and this activity is done at the suspended bridge that is about 160m in length and approximately 70m in height.

The canopy walk commences at the Uwinka visitor’s centre. This activity rewards you with sights of numerous wildlife species and the ecosystems in Nyungwe National Park. You are able to have the views of Nyungwe forest while on the suspended bridge, and this adventure at the suspended bridge takes about 2 hours.

• Hiking

Hiking is among the activities in Nyungwe National Park, and hiking is done on various hiking trails in the park, which include the igishigishi trail, rukuzi trail, muzimu trail, ngabwe trail, Congo Nile divide trail, bigugu trail, among others.

Hiking in the various hiking trails in Nyungwe National Park exposes you to the diverse wildlife population in Nyungwe National Park, which includes birds, mammals, primates, landscapes and plant species which you are able to see at a near distance.

• Cultural tours

Cultural tours are among the activities done in Nyungwe National Park, and these cultural tours are done in the Banda cultural village, which is situated in Nyungwe National Park. While at the Banda cultural village, you get to interact with the locals who teach you about their culture and traditions. They also perform their cultural dance as a form of entertainment. The locals in Banda village also teach you their crafting skills and farming methods.

• Nature walks

Nature walks are also done in Nyungwe National Park, and these reward you with several sights in the park. For example, during nature walks that are either done in the morning or evening, you can spot numerous birds and primate species. Nature walks can be done in various trails in the park, and some of them where nature walks can be done include Buhoro trail, Igishigishi trail, among others.

• Colobus monkey trekking

Colobus monkey trekking is among the activities offered to visitors in Nyungwe National Park, and it is done after a briefing at the Uwinka Park headquarters. You are given a guide to accompany you to the colobus monkey trek. This trek takes approximately 2 to 3 hours of searching for these monkeys, but it depends on their location.

After spotting them, you are allowed to stay with them for one hour. After one hour of observation on how they behave, you are also to capture pictures of them.

Best Time To Visit Nyungwe National Park

The best time to visit Nyungwe National Park is in the dry season of the year, though the park is always open to visitors all year round. The best time is from June to September and December to February, which are the months in the dry season when there is less rainfall, therefore enabling easy movement of the visitors to the park since the roads are dry and less muddy. The vegetation in the park is also less thick during the dry season, which makes spotting wildlife easy.

Visiting Nyungwe National Park in the wet season from March to May is best for bird watching since the vegetation in the park becomes thick, hence attracting birds to come to it, which makes spotting birds easy, though the trails in the park are slippery and muddy in the wet season, which may cause difficulty in the movement of visitors.

Accommodation Facilities In Nyungwe National Park

Nyungwe National Park offers luxury, midrange and budget type of accommodation facilities, of which it is up to the visitor to decide on where to stay while at Nyungwe National Park. Some of the examples of the accommodation facilities in Nyungwe National Park include the only Nyungwe house, which is a luxury accommodation, Nyungwe top view hill hotel, which is a midrange accommodation and Gisakura guest house, which is a budget accommodation.