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December 18, 2019

Activities to do in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Published by Acacia Safaris Ltd

chimpanzee tracking in Kibale forest

Main Activities to do in Nyungwe Forest National Park

There are a number of activities to do in Nyungwe Forest National Park Rwanda. Nyungwe is home to a number of primates including chimpanzees, a series of Bird species and butterflies, and much more wildlife. The forest covers an area of over 1000 sq kilometers which habitats a number of tourist attractions. Some of the activities done in the forest include chimpanzee tracking, canopy walks, hiking, and nature walks.

Nyungwe forest is the largest tropical afro-Montane rainforest in the east or central Africa. It receives more than 2000mm of rain each year and is Rwanda’s largest water catchment area having 75% of all Rwanda’s water. Nyungwe forest feeds both the River Congo and River Nile with water.

Safaris to Nyungwe

As you approach Nyungwe forest, you will observe the turning roads through the vast tea fields. Like evolving its broadness like a National Geographic Video. This large forest inexhaustible Kamiranzovu swamp. Nyungwe forest is also famous for its canopy walks, done on its suspended trail in the forest. This activity offers the chance for bird-watching activities, primate tracking, and viewing. Take a walk through the flowers such as the orchids that are found here and a series of butterflies that they attract.

Nyungwe forest is not a dense park but a large forest and the activities to do in this forest need to be planned well. This will allow you to do your best activities in the park during your time in Rwanda. The forest habituates over 300 different bird species, many butterflies, orchids, and 75 mammal species. The forest is also a great home to primates with about 13 different primate species living here. You will come across golden monkeys if you are kin enough, though they are rarely seen in this forest.

chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda

Hiking in Nyungwe Forest National park

Nyungwe Forest National Park is a hiker’s heaven having about 13 hiking trails through this rainforest. Travelers to Nyungwe forest can spend a full week while hiking the many trails in the jungle. During the hikes, they will explore the ancient rainforest and discover many habitats found in the forest.

Private hikes are in the range of one to eight hours in length. Most hikes can be completed in case you are in reasonable physical shape. We encourage you to go hiking when you’re okay healthwise.

Chimpanzee Tracking in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Nyungwe forest is also a good destination where you can go for chimpanzee trekking. Chimpanzee Trekking is the second primate experience after gorilla trekking activity within Volcanoes National Park. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest starts in the morning and it’s best to carry a daypack where you have to carry enough water, have long trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, a rain jacket, hiking boots, and a hat.

The maximum number of people to track chimpanzees in the Nyungwe forest is 8 people in a group. These chimps in the Nyungwe forest have been and are used to human beings. Even though gorilla tracking is so interesting and selling, many tourists set out to track these closest cousins in Nyungwe.

Monkey Tracking in Nyungwe Forest National Park

There are about 13 primate species found in Nyungwe Forest Park. Apart from chimpanzee trekking, you can also trek Owl-faced monkeys, grey-cheeked Mangabeys, Ruwenzori colobus Monkeys, and many more primates in Nyungwe. These monkeys can also be seen in large numbers of up to 300 colobus monkeys.

Also as you track any of the primate groups in the forest you are likely to see some other monkeys along the trek. These might include; L’ Hoest’s monkey, the Owl faced monkeys, the Mona monkey, and the blue monkeys. The forest is also a primate country and you can also trek the chimps, the gray-cheeked, and Colobus monkeys in the ancient forest.

Canopy Walk in Nyungwe National Park

Canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park

The canopy walk in Nyungwe is the first treetop forest canopy walk in East Africa and the third in Africa. This walk is an activity not to be missed in Rwanda when you adventure the 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 on some days to spend in Nyungwe and enjoy the canopy walk as part of your Rwanda safari itinerary.

The canopy walk is 70 meters above the ground and this can also be a bewildering height for some people. You will see monkeys move around in the treetops, the birds that are flying above you and below, and a beautiful view of the huge Nyungwe. The canopy walk is 90m long which is not a long-distance, however, it’s when you are 70 m above the ground.

Bird Watching in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Nyungwe Forest Park has over 300 bird species and 27 of them are endemic, mostly Albertine Rift endemis. For example, Grauer’s Warbler, an Albertine Rift endemic can be found within the mountain swamps within Nyungwe. You can also find both the Rwenzori Turaco and the large blue Turaco.

Sunbirds of many types like the purple-breasted and the blue-headed sunbird can be found in flowering trees. Nyungwe is also a birder’s paradise and you will see many other things from the orchids to the primates during your birding walks within Nyungwe Forest.

Canopy views

It offers amazing and breathtaking scenery and is a vantage point for picturesque views of the Virungas and the Congo. Nyungwe is nature at its very best. It is lush and beautifully green, often seen with cooling mists in the early mornings and late evening.

One of its attractions besides the animals and birds and trees is the 70m high, 200m long canopy walk. This is a thrilling experience for many and this canopy walk is the only one of its kind in East Africa. There is also Mount Bigugu found inside the park.