Nyungwe National Park
Nyungwe National Park In Rwanda
Nyungwe National Park is one of Rwanda’s national parks, and it is situated in the southwestern region of Rwanda. This park is famous because of its chimpanzee population and the canopy walk, which you can experience on Rwanda safaris. Nyungwe is the oldest rainforest in Africa, and this park covers an area of 1019 square kilometres.
Attractions In Nyungwe National Park
- Wildlife
Nyungwe National Park harbours a variety of wildlife species, and these species include birds, mammals, primates and many more. Nyungwe National Park is home to about 96 mammal species, 13 primate species and many more
Some of the mammals include the bushbucks, mongoose, buffaloes, impala, duikers, golden cats, elephants and many more. The primates include the chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys and many more.
- Numerous trails
Nyungwe National Park has various trails, and these trails offer a lot of wonderful experiences and sights to visitors. Some of the numerous trails in Nyungwe National Park include igishigishi trail, rukuzi trail, muzimu trail, ngabwe trail, Congo Nile divide trail, bigugu trail and many more.
- Gisakura tea plantations
While on a visit to Nyungwe National Park, Gisakura tea plantations are one of the attractions that you would not opt to miss, and these tea plantations are positioned on the northern edge of Nyungwe National Park. At this plantation, you get the chance to see how the locals at this place plant, harvest the tea and much more.
- Birds
Nyungwe National Park is home to over 310 bird species, and some of these birds include dusky crimson-wing, handsome francolin, Shelley’s crimson-wing, red-throated alethe, regal sunbird, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, ruwenzori nightjar, stripe-breasted tit, albertine owlet, ruwenzori turaco, great blue turaco, archer’s robin chat, mountain sooty boubou, red collared babbler, kivu ground thrush, and ruwenzori batis, among others. There are various birding trails in Nyungwe National Park, and some of these trails include Bigugu Trail, Karambi Trail, Kamiranzonvu Trail, and Gisakura Trail, among others, when carrying out bird watching.
Activities In Nyungwe National Park
- Bird watching
There are various bird species in Nyungwe National Park, and for bird lovers, Nyungwe National Park is one of the birding destinations in Rwanda. Some of the birding trails in Nyungwe National Park include the Kamiranzonvu Trail, Karamba Trail, Bigugu Trail, Isumo Waterfall Trail and many more. There are over 310 bird species in Nyungwe National Park, and there are various types, including the Albertine rift endemic, migratory birds, and montane birds, among others.
- Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is one of the activities in Nyungwe National Park, and Nyungwe National Park is famous for its chimpanzee population. Nyungwe National Park is home to about 500 chimpanzees, and this makes it the best spot for chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda. Chimpanzee trekking takes several hours, depending on the location of the chimpanzees in the forest, and you are granted an hour with the primates after spotting where they are. You are also allowed to take pictures of these primates following the guidelines given to you by the park guides.
- Cultural tours
In Nyungwe National Park, cultural tours are conducted in Banda village, and while at this village, you get the opportunity to meet with the locals who teach you about their cultures and traditions and also engage you in various activities that they do, like teaching you how they make their crafts and local dishes. They also entertain you by dancing for you their cultural dance. The people at Banda village are very welcoming to visitors, and you are free to purchase some of their crafts like handbags, necklaces, bangles and many more.
- Nature walks
Nature walks are also done in Nyungwe National Park, and you engage in this activity with the help of a guide who leads you to various trails in the park as you come across various tree species, bird species and animal species. You will get a glimpse of the various ecosystems in Nyungwe National Park at a close distance while on a nature walk. The trails that a visitor is most likely to use on a nature walk include the igishigishi trail, the imbaraga trail, the Buhoro trail and many more.
- Canopy walk
In Nyungwe National Park, a canopy walk is also among the activities that visitors engage in, and this activity takes approximately 2 hours while you are at the suspended bridge, which is about 70m high and 160m long. This grants you the opportunity to view Nyungwe forest from the top and to also see other wildlife species at the park. The canopy walk is only carried out in Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda.
- Hiking
Nyungwe National Park is one of the best hiking destinations in Rwanda, and hiking is one of the activities offered to visitors. Hiking is done at various hiking trails in Nyungwe National Park, and some of these trails include the igishigishi trail, bigugu trail, muzimu trail, ngabwe trail, Congo Nile divide trail, rukuzi trail and many more. While you are hiking in Nyungwe National Park, you will come across many bird and animal species, which give you great views at a close range.
Accommodation Options At Nyungwe National Park
Nyungwe National Park offers visitors a variety of accommodation options, and these options include the luxury lodges, midrange lodges and budget lodges.
Midrange accommodation
- Nyungwe top-view hill hotel
Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel is located at the edge of Nyungwe National Park, and it offers a midrange type of accommodation to visitors.
Luxury accommodation
- The one and only Nyungwe house
The one and only Nyungwe house is also situated at the edge of Nyungwe National Park, and it offers its visitors a luxurious type of accommodation. For visitors who wish to view the gisakura tea plantations, this hotel gives you its views.
Budget accommodation
Gisakura guest house
Gisakura guest house is a lodge next to Gisakura tea plantations, and it is situated 2km away from Nyungwe National Park. This accommodation facility offers a budget type of accommodation to the visitors.
Best Time To Visit Nyungwe National Park
Nyungwe National Park receives its visitors at any time of the year, but the dry season is considered to be the best season to visit Nyungwe National Park since the trails in the park are dry and less slippery, enabling visitors to walk with comfort. In the wet season, the trails are slippery, which causes difficulty in movement for the visitors. Therefore, the dry season is the best time to visit Nyungwe National Park in the months of June to September and mid-December to mid-February.
