Nyungwe Forest Safari experiences are dominated by chimpanzee trekking. With this, one might think that chimpanzees are the only attractions in this forested national park. Nyungwe Forest is one of the leading primates and overall safari destinations in Rwanda. It is located in the southwestern part about a 5 to 6 hours drive from Kigali the capital city. The forested national park was established in 2004 and covers a land area of 1,019 square kilometers.
Nyungwe National Park is covered by montane rainforests and is considered the best-preserved forest in the region. The forest is also one of the oldest rainforests in Africa and has a divserse ecosystem comprising bamboo, grasslands, and wetlands. It is in these ecosystems that you find the different wildlife species including chimpanzees that are man’s closest primates. There are also over 1068 plant species that make Nyungwe Forest Safari experiences extraordinary. The Forest was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of its diversity and wildlife value.
Nyungwe Chimpanzee Adventures
There are habituated chimpanzee communities with two major chimpanzee trekking sectors. Uwinka is the main trekking area but there is also the cyamudongo trekking sector towards Lake Kivu. The Kiyovu sector has also been opened up for the chimpanzee habituation experience.
Chimpanzee habituation is more experiential and allows you more than an hour in the presence of the chimpanzees. Both the normal Chimpanzee trek and habituation experiences in Nyungwe are remarkable as you get to meet these primates with over 98% DNA similar to humans. Even though these Nyungwe Forest Safari Experiences are remarkable, there are many other adventures you can be part of.
Below are some other wildlife safari activities that will make your Nyungwe safari unforgettable.
Birding Safari Experiences
The vegetation type and location of Nyungwe forest make it a prime birding safari area. The forest has over 322 bird species including 30 species endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley. Some of the bird species that occur here are restricted to Central African forests but a visit to Nyungwe for birding will give you an opportunity to see them.
Notable birds in Nyungwe include the Great Blue Turaco, Rwenzori Turaco, regal sunbird, and Blue-headed sunbird among others. Birding safaris in Nyungwe are done on foot following the different trails in the Park.
These birding safari experiences are possible throughout the year but for the best experiences it is best to Visit from November to May. During these months, birds are more vocal which enables easy spotting since Nyungwe birding mostly depends on calls. The dry season months from June to October are equally great for birding and overall Nyungwe Forest Safari experiences. There is usually minimal rainfall disturbances and the major hiking trails are dry and easy to navigate.
Canopy walk
Nyungwe forest has East Africa’s only and highest canopy walkway. This gives you an opportunity to watch this vast forest from an impressive panoramic view. Canopy walk expeditions also enable you to see wildlife species that live in the top canopy layers.
The Nyungwe Canopy walk experience has three scheduled departure times one in the morning, then mid-morning, and the last one in the afternoon. On these walks, you can truly appreciate the greatness of Nyungwe Forest and Rwanda at Large.
The Canopy walk is one of the best ways to explore the Nyungwe Forest ecosystem. It can be done alongside other safari activities in the park including chimpanzee trekking and other primate treks.
Colobus monkey Tracking
Nyungwe forest apart from chimpanzees has 12 other primate species. These mainly include colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys and L’hoest monkeys among others. You can therefore take on other primate trekking adventures featuring any of the above primates. At the moment, colobus monkey trekking is the second popular Nyungwe Primate Safari adventure. On it you still stand a chance of seeing other primates especially L’hoest Monkeys.
All these Nyungwe primate safari experiences start with a briefing at the park headquarters. From here you are guided through the thick forests enjoying the sights and sounds of nature and spotting these beautiful primates.
Primate trekking in Nyungwe is doable all year round and can be best enjoyed in the dry season. This is because the dry season has minimal rainfall interruptions providing great opportunities for photography and overall wildlife viewing.
Nature walks
Forests are best explored on foot and with the diversity of Nyungwe forest, guided nature walks are worth the adventure. There are a number of Well developed trails in the forests where nature walks are done. These feature iconic features including a waterfall.
Nature walks beyond the primate trekking experiences give you more chances of wildlife viewing and up close moments. They are also the best ways to explore the underrated plant world diversity in the Nyungwe forest. Other small wildlife species including butterflies, reptiles, and amphibians are easily spotted during these nature walks.
You can choose from a 2 to 4 hours guided nature walk depending on your preference and nature interests. Our top seller Rwanda Discovery Journeys feature guided nature walks in Nyungwe Forest. They include a 5-Day Rwanda Safari and the 10-Day Rwanda Safari adventure. These are however combined with other Rwanda Safari destinations, especially Volcanoes National Park.
You can still choose to exclusively visit Nyungwe for primate trekking and birding Discovery Journeys. All our itineraries are custom made and can still be further customized depending on your preference and convenience.
Nyungwe Forest Safari adventures can be combined with Kenya Safari adventures featuring the wildebeest migration and Big Cats. Kenya and Tanzania have renowned for their open savanna ecosystems including Masai Mara and Serengeti National Parks. These greatly supplement the primate safaris in Uganda and Rwanda. Contact Us now for more information about any of these destinations.
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