Nyungwe National Park is one spectacular destination that no traveler can ignore while visiting Rwanda, the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills.’ Nyungwe National Park is situated in the western and southern provinces of the country. The national park is among the UNESCO World Heritage sites and lies within the Albertine Rift region. This makes it a hotspot for plenty of biodiversity that can explored yearly.
What is the attraction in Nyungwe National Park?
Plenty of attractions exist in Nyungwe National Park. Among them are over 345 bird species, 85 mammal species, 200 orchids and around 300 butterfly species etc. Birds such as the dusky crimson-wing, Rwenzori turacos, regal sunbirds, Grauer’s swamp warblers and black collared apalises can be seen. With mammals, you will see 13 primate species including chimpanzees, L’hoest’s monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and vervet monkeys etc.
Other mammals that you can see in Nyungwe National Park include African civets, serval cats, black fronted duikers and yellow-backed duikers etc. The forest also has some beautiful swamps and water falls that can be seen while on a nature walk. There are also plenty of tea plantations around Nyungwe National Park. These are available for agricultural tours. While touring the tea plantations you could enjoy villages walks.
What activities are offered in Nyungwe National Park?
Chimpanzee trek
This is the highlight for visitors to Nyungwe National Park. This is a guided excursion where a habituated troop of chimps is located and observed for 1 hour. The price to pay for chimp trekking in Nyungwe National Park is $150 per person for foreign non-residents. Foreign residents pay $75 per person and Rwandan or East African nationals pay $25. The youngest visitor to be allowed for a chimp trek in Nyungwe National Park should be 15 years old.
Birdwatching
This is a notable excursion that involves being guided through various trails in Nyungwe Forest to see the mentioned birds. Birdwatching is one of the few activities that can also be enjoyed along with other activities in Nyungwe National Park. Birding costs $40 per person for foreign non-residents, $20 for foreign residents and $5 for Rwandan/East African Visitors. You must be in a group of at least 2 people and maximum of 8 to enjoy birdwatching in Nyungwe National Park.
Colobus monkey trek
Quite similar to chimpanzee trekking tours, colobus monkey trekking involves locating a habituated troop of the colobuses to watch them. Each visitor is allowed only 1 hour to spend in the presence of the colobus monkeys in their natural homes. The cost of colobus monkey trekking is $40 for foreign non-residents, $20 for foreign residents and $5 for Rwandese or East African nationals. Also, a minimum of 2 people and maximum of 8 is considered for this tour.
Canopy walk
Another adrenaline-pumping tour activity you will not want to miss is the guided canopy walk. This is an exciting guided activity that is primarily accessible while along the Igishigishigi trail and also Imbaraga and Umuyove trails. The canopy walk is a suspension bridge only 160 m long and 70 m off the forest floor. This gives any visitor a unique perspective of viewing the tree tops, birds, primates and other mammals. The start is at the Uwinka Reception Center.
A canopy walk will cost you around $40 if you are a foreign non-resident, $20 if you are a foreign resident. For Rwandese or East African Community citizens, you will have to pay only $5 per person. Only visitors aged 6 years and above can enjoy this guided activity with full support from the park authorities. Ensure that you travel for this leisurely adventure after knowing that you are fully physically fit and in good health.
Other activities to enjoy in Nyungwe National Park include village walks, nature walks, camping, tent hire, photography and filming etc. All the above-mentioned fees do not include park entrance. This is to access Nyungwe National Park. Accessing Nyungwe National Park requires each person to pay $100. This is for adult foreign non-residents. Foreign or African residents pay $60 per person while Rwandese/East African nationals pay RWF 10,000 per person.
How can I get to Nyungwe National Park?
You can do this in only 2 ways, by road and by air. If you are starting from Kigali, the scenic road journey is estimated to take 4 to 5 hours. You will cover a distance of 177.2 km from Kigali to Nyungwe National Park. Then, air transport includes a helicopter flight from Kigali International Airport. This takes a duration of around 30 minutes and guarantees birds eye views of physical features. Other starting points include Kamembe, Butare and One & Only Nyungwe House.
When to go to Nyungwe National Park?
Entrance to Nyungwe National Park is open to every visitor throughout the year. You could decide to come either in the dry season or the wet season. The dry season is good for causing drier and passable forest trails due to the reduced amounts of rainfall. Wildlife views are also much better with the decline in foliage. This season generally occurs from June to August and from December to February.