What to do in Nyungwe forest national park after chimpanzee safari

What to do in Nyungwe forest national park after chimpanzee safari? The park is can be traced in Rwanda in its southwestern region and it is Rwanda national where chimpanzee trekking is done.  There are so many things tourists should expect and others they can do in Nyungwe forest national park after chimpanzee safari and some of them include canopy walks, bird watching, hiking, and nature walks.

Nyungwe forest national park remains one of the primate parks in Rwanda. The Park is located in the southwestern part of the country on the borders of Burundi and Tanzania. Nyungwe forest national park is famous for harboring the famous chimpanzees and also hosting the canopy walk. Nyungwe forest is not only home to chimpanzees but also other animals such as owl-faced monkeys, silver monkeys, golden monkeys, grey-checked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, Angolan colobus monkeys, olive baboons, dent’s mona monkeys, and black-faced monkeys. The Park is also home to over 300 bird species among which include great blue turacos, barred long-tailed cuckoo, Rwenzori turaco, white-tailed blue-flycatcher, Rwenzori turacos, regal sunbird, stripe-breasted tit, strange weaver, archer’s robin chat, mountain masked apalis, and purple breasted birds among others.

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National park.

Rwanda is one of the countries in the world lucky to be harboring chimpanzees in its Nyungwe forest. The chimpanzees are human closest relatives sharing 98% human DNA. In Rwanda, chimpanzees are found in Ngungwe forest national park and here you find 8 fully habituated chimpanzees that are used to human presence. Nyungwe forest national park is home to different primates such as chimpanzees, L’Hoest’s monkeys, grey checked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, and many others, chimpanzee trekking is the most done activity in Nyungwe forest national park and this begins as early as 8 am with a briefing at the park headquarters where trekkers are taught about the rules and regulations of the trekking activity. After receiving the instructions from the rangers then the UWA ranger will lead you to the forest to look for the chimpanzees following their trails.  During the trekking, there are opportunities of meeting different park animals, birds, and tree species and on finding the chimpanzees, the trekkers are given a maximum of 1 hour to be around these chimpanzees as they watch them do daily activities, learn about their habits and take photos.

How much can I pay for seeing chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest national park?

The park is home to over 8 habituated chimpanzee families meaning that there are 64 trekking permits every day because 8 people are allowed to trek a single habituated chimpanzee family. The chimpanzee trekking permits in Nyungwe forest national park can either be got from the Rwanda  Development Board or obtain from the reputable tourism operator at  $100 foreign non-residents and foreign residents and $60 East Africa citizens.  it is good that you book your chimpanzee trekking permit for Rwanda in advance because during this time the competition is high and if you delay you might lose out on the opportunity of seeing the chimpanzees.

The following are top tourist activities to do in Nyungwe forest national park after chimpanzee safari;

The canopy Walk

The canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park was introduced in 2010 and is one of its kind in East Africa. The canopy walk is 90 meters long and raised 50m above the ground giving travelers an opportunity to have an aerial view of the forest, birds, some animals in the park, and the parks’ surroundings. The canopy walk begins at the park headquarters with the briefing where tourists are taught about the rules and regulations of the activity and from there, they start with the walk that takes about 2 hours.

Bird watching

Nyungwe forest is one of the best birding spots in Rwanda with over 300 different bird species. Some of the bird species in Nyungwe forest national park include the red-colored babblers. Ngungwe forest is also a home of Handsome spur fowls, handsome francolin, Mountain Illadopsis, Great Blue Turaco, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, Neumann’s Warbler, regal sunbird, Purple Breasted Sunbirds, Kivu ground thrush, grauer’s warbler, Ruwenzori Batis, Regal sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Ruwenzori Blue-headed Sunbird, red-throated alethe, Striped-breasted Tit, swamp warbler, Rwenzori Nightjar, blued headed sunbird, dwarf honeyguide, Slender-billed Starling, Rwenzori Turaco, blue-headed sunbird, albertine owlet, buff-throated apalis, Thick-billed Seedeater, regal sunbird, strange weaver, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, and the Red collared babblers among others.

Nature walks and hikes

Nature walks in Nyungwe national park are led by ranger guides who lead you through different parts of the park with opportunities of seeing different park animals, birds, and different tree species. The nature walks are done using different trails in the park such as Ngabwe trail, Congo Nile trail, Bigugu trail, canopy trail, Umogote trail, Kamiranzovu marsh trail, Muzimu trail, Imbaraga trail, Irebero trail, Isumo waterfall, Karamba birding trail, Bigugu trail, Igishigishigi trail, and Umuyove trail. The most used trail in Nyungwe forest national park is Igishigishi trail which leads you to the stunning views over the canopy walkway.

Nice Lodges and Hotels stay in on a tour to Nyungwe Rwanda

There are a lot of accommodation facilities in and around Nyungwe forest national park where travelers can have a comfortable stay during a chimpanzee trekking safari. The accommodation facilities in and around Nyungwe forest national park range from budget to mid-range to high-end accommodation facilities. Some of the accommodation facilities include One & Only Nyungwe House, Nyungwe forest lodge, Nyungwe Top View Lodge, Emeraude Kivu Resort, Hotel Du Lac, Gisakura Guesthouse, and Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel.

What is the best time to go to Nyungwe forest national park?

Nyungwe forest national park is open for any activity at any time of the year but the best to visit the park for any activity is during the drier months of June to September and December to February. The dry months come with little or no rainfall, the vegetation in the park is thin, trekking trails are not muddy or slippery, and lastly, and the roads leading to the park are passable.

The rainy season of October to November and January to February is also good for visiting the park but this favors mostly budget travels who enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities. During the rainy season has plenty of food for the animals so trekking takes little hours although the trekking trails are muddy and slippery due to plenty of rainfall so you’re advised to come along with good hiking waterproof shoes.

What to book with Africa Adventure Vacations?

Africa adventure vacations is a tour company based in Uganda licensed by Uganda Tourism Board and a member of Association of Uganda Tour Operators. Booking with Africa adventure vacations provides you safety and confidence during your safari courtesy of well-trained safari driver guides who are well conversant with all routes and tourism destinations in Africa. You can book with us any of the activities you want to do in Africa such as mountain gorilla trekking, mountain gorilla habituation, birding, game drives, hiking, nature walks and community tours among others. Booking can be done at any time of the year.