Annually, Nyungwe forest national park has generated millions of visitors due its boosting touristic attractions. It is known as one of the biggest national park in Rwanda bordering Burundi in south western park of Rwanda, Lake Kivu and west of DRC in Rusizi district. The park has contributed much of the climatic conditions of Rwanda which sits on the attitude of 1600m to 2950m above the sea level. The annually heavy rain fall in the forest has possibly contributed much in a thick forest and high altitude of the area.
The park lies in the western part of Great Rift Valley crossing from Lake Albert to Lake Tanganyika. Besides having an amazing landscape at albertine, it is also well known for harboring endemic species like fauna and flora. There are over 200 species of trees, about 1068 plant species,246 Orchid species, primate species like colobus monkeys , chimpanzee and other more different species discovered each year that passes.
Historically, Nyungwe forest national park was first established in 2004. Just like any other national park, Nyungwe forest national park is a conservation area in Africa which safe guards the lives of animals, birds and natural species which attract tourists in Rwanda.
Due to the fact that the park is one of the biggest in Rwanda it has other biodiversity landscapes like swamp, marshes, bamboo thickets, heath, open woodland and more micro habitats. There are various activities taking place in Nyungwe forest national park like chimps, large troops of white and black colobus monkeys. For any visitor to access these activities, he or she will need to access a permit which can be purchased well in advance
Things to See and Do in Nyungwe National Park
A large selection of walking possibilities and other excursions is available within Nyungwe. Visitors with sufficient vehicles and interest could easily keep themselves busy for three or four days without significantly retracing their steps. The opinions for travelers without private transport are more limited and depend on whether they base themselves at Uwinka campsite(where the main attraction is the network of colored trails, a good place for colobus and seasonally for chimps), or at the rest house (the best base for the water fall trail and for visiting the colobus in Gisakura tea estate). In the dry season you need a private vehicle to go chimp tracking wherever you are based and at all times of year you need a vehicle to visit the harbituated grey-cheeked mangabey troop and to explore the road to Rangiro. The forest trails are steep and often very slippery. Dress accordingly; jeans a thick skirt and good walking shoes are the ideal out fit, and water proof jacket will be useful during the rainy season.
Nyungwe Park has a number of trails;
Chimpanzees trekking
The most popular activity in Nyungwe forest national park is chimpanzees trekking where visitors move into the forest insearch of chimps. Just like mountain gorillas before trekking, visitors are briefed on how to behave when they are with Gorillas. This activity starts early morning hours from three reception centers that are Gisakura, Uwinka and kitabi. After the briefing, visitors are given game rangers and game guides to lead them into the forest searching for chimps. During the hiking in the forest, visitors are able to see 1068 plant species which provide food to chimps as well as listening to the singing birds in the forest. Visitors are limited to 8 individuals and are given one hour visit with chimps. They are free to take photos as many as of their choice with exceptional of removing the flash lights.
In the process of searching chimps, other more primates will be seen like Ruwenzori colobus, black and white colobus, baboons, Vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys and many other creatures since Nyungwe forest is the largest natural rain forest in East Africa covering a total land area of about 1000 square kilometers.
Colobus Monkey tracking
Nyungwe forest national park has 13 primate species and just like chimp trekking, different other primates are discovered like colobus black and white monkeys, owl-faced monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, Ruwenzori colobus monkey and many others. These primates can be seen a quite large number over 300 colobus monkeys jumping from one tree to another. It has been recorded that monkey species are half of the forest than chimpanzees. During the trekking in the forest, visitors are led by rangers and guide who protect them against the dangerous mammals in the forest as well as helping to spot where monkeys are.
Hiking in the forest
Nyungwe Forest National Park is the place for you who thrive on walks and take pleasure in a good hike. The park has a total of 13 different hiking trails along which you can walk for 1 to 8 hours. During the hiking, visitors view multitude of plants, trees, birds, primates and butterfly species of all sorts. One of the shortest trail along which you also find the canopy walk is Igishigishigi Trail. In case visitors are in reasonable physical shape, Nyungwe forest national park is the best with the 13 hiking trails. Discovering in primal rainforest will make an amazing experience to the visitors with fairytales like wildlife, birds, appearance and primates such as chimpanzees and colobus monkeys.
Canopy walk
Nyungwe forest national park is the third in Africa with the first tree top canopy in East Africa. The canopy walk is 50 meters above the ground and gives the spotting view of Nyungwe forest national park as well as viewing the monkey’s jumping from one tree to another with birds flying above and under them. However the canopy walk is 50 meters above the ground, the distance walk is 90meters which is not a long distance with the best moment ever.
Birding
One of the places that bird lovers can’t miss visiting is Nyungwe forest national park due to different birding species that are over 300 and almost 27 of them are endemic to this national park only. Most bird lovers enjoy endemic bird specie that is grouer wobblers which is mainly found in mountains and swamps in kamiranzozu in Nyungwe forest national park. More other birds in the park include great blue turacos, giant hornbill, sun birds, weaver birds and herons. While in the forest, visitors are able to spot other species like butterflies, insects, snakes and many others.
Uwinka and the coloured trail. A relic of an early attempt to develop Nyungwe for tourism, back in the late 1980’s, a net work of seven walking trails, each designated by a particular colour leads down hill from the Uwinka campsite into the surrounding forested hills. Ranging in length from the 1 km Grey Trail to the 10 km Red Trail, the footpaths are all well maintained and clearly marked, but don’t under estimate the steepness of the slopes or after – rain – the muddy Trails pass through the territory of habituated troop of 400 colobus monkeys. During the rainy season, a troop of chimpanzees often moves into this area as well, and it is up to you to decide whether to pay extra to track them.
You can reasonably expect to see some primates along any of the coloured Trails as well as a good variety of forest birds – though the latter require patience and often stops where there are open views into the canopy. Unless you opt for specific primate visit, chance will be the decisive factor in what you see, though the 2.5 km Blue Trail is regarded as especially good for primates and birds, while the 10 km Red Trail is good for chimpanzees and passes four water falls.
Birdwatchers in particular are advised to explore the main road close to the campsite, as they will probably see a wider variety of birds than from within the forest. About 500m east of the campsite, the road offers some stunning views over the frosted valleys, and passes a stand of giant lobelias.
The Waterfall Trail. This superb trail starts at the ORPTN Rest house and takes between three and six hours to cover as a round trip, depending on how often you stop and whether you drive or walk from the rest house. The first part of the trail- in essence following the road to the car park-passes through the rolling tea plantations doted with relict forest patches which are worth scanning closely for silver and other monkeys. These small stands of forest can also be rewarding for birds; keen ornithologists might well want to take them slowly, and could perhaps view this session view this section of the trail as worthy bird watching excursion in its own right.
The Trail then descends into the forest proper, following flat contour paths through a succession of tree-fern-covered ravines, and crossing several streams, before a sharp descent to the base of the pretty but small waterfall. Monkeys are often seen along the way (The Angola colobus seems to be particularly common) and the steep slopes allow good views into the canopy. This trail can be very rewarding for true forest interior birds, with a good chance of sporting of Albertine Rift endemics such as Ruwenzori turaco and yellow – eyed black flycatcher.
Gisakura Tea Estate. A relict forest patch in this tea estate, only 20 minutes’ walk from the ORTPN Rest house, supports a resident troop of around 40 Ruwenzori colobus monkeys. This troop is very, far more so than the larger troop at Uwinka, and the relatively small territory the monkeys occupy makes them very easy to locate and to see clearly. Oddly, a solitary red – tailed monkey moves with the colobus, and has done so far at least six years. Some of the guides say it is treated as the leader.
Other guides may tell you the odd monkey out at Gisakura is not a red-tailed but a Mona (also known as Dent’s monkey and unlikely to be observed elsewhere in east Africa) or a hybrid red-tailed / Mona. The apparent cause of this confusion is that a solitary Mona monkey does spend some of its time in the same forest parch, and the guides are unable to distinguish it from the red-tailed cousin.
Particularly in the early morning, a relict forest patch is also an excellent bird watching site, since it lies in a ravine and is encircled by a road, making it easy to deep into the canopy. Most of what you see are forest fringe or woodland species(as opposed to interior forest birds), but numerically this proved to be the most rewarding spot in Nyungwe, with some 40 species identified in an hour, notably black-throated apalis, paradise and white-tailed crested flycatcher, Chubb’s cisticola, African golden oriole, olive-green cameroptera, three types of sun bird, two greenbuls and two crimson-wings.
Note that a visit to this forest patch is treated as a primate walk by the ORTPN office and a corresponding fee is charged.
Other Trails for those spending more time in the forest, the 4 km, 3 hour Kamiranzovu Trail leads to a quite different ecosystem, a relatively low-lying marshy area rich in orchids (particularly during the rainy season) and localized swamp-associated bird species. This used to be the best place to see Nyungwe’s elephants, but none has been sighted here in recent years. The trail starts with a steep descent from the main tar road about 12 km from Uwinka and 6 km from Gisakura.
Bigugu trail leads to the 2,950 m Bigugu peak, which is the highest point in Nyungwe national park. Suitable only for the reasonably fit walkers, the trail starts about 4 km from Uwinka along the Huye(the trail is clearly marked) and it usually takes at least six hours to complete. For geographers a fresh water spring on mount Bigugu has further significance as possibly the most remote source of the world’s longest river.
Park fees
Costs can mount up at Nyungwe, with all the possibilities, so plan carefully and check before hand in case of increases. An entrance fee of US$20 per person per day is charged for the non residents and foreign residents and foreign residents. The cost for chimpanzee tracking is US$50 for non-residents or US$30 for resident foreigners, while other guided walks cost US$30 per person for non-residents or US$15 for resident foreigners (with substantial discounts available to children under the age of 15).
Residents of Rwanda pay an entrance fee of Rfr2,000-4,000 per person for the various guided walks. If you appreciate the guides’ work, you are free to tip them.