Activities in Nyungwe National Park are the prime things that visitors can engage in when they visit the park to explore unique features of the park such as chimpanzee trekking. Activities are the motivations as to why most of the reasons as to why the tourists have decided to have their trips to Nyungwe National Park. It would be difficult for you to be entertained and get interested in Nyungwe National Park. If activities are not present. Nyungwe Forest National Park is well known for primate tourism. Apart from primate related activities, there are other activities that visitors can engage in within the park as explained below;
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee tracking is one of the amazing activities that travelers are interested in. In East Africa, Chimp tracking is carryout out in selected national parks such as Kibale National Park in Uganda, OI Pejeta chimpanzee sanctuary in Kenya, and Nyungwe forest national park in Rwanda.
Nyungwe forest national park has a total population of more than 400 chimpanzee individuals that re-group themselves and live in different cliques. Chimpanzee trekking has been mad possible simply because chimpanzees are fully habituated. Chimpanzee habituation in Nyungwe National Park involves the process of training chimpanzees such that they can get used to people and be ready for trekking by visitors /tourists.
The activity of chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National park is done all the year round commencing early in the morning at around 4:00 am. You will have amazing chimpanzee tracking experience in Nyungwe National park with the help of experienced professional guides who will accompany you in the field while guiding you of what to do and at the right time.
Presently there are only two fully habituated chimpanzee groups in Nyungwe Forest National park which are ready and are being trekked by tourists. One is found at Uwinka and the huge and largest group inhabits the fragmented forest of Cyamudongo all within in this park. The chimpanzee trekking activity reacquires the visitor to be well physically fit because the chimp groups especially the one in Cyamudongo is so mobile and this may necessitate you to trek for long-distance.
Forest Canopy walks
Canopy walks are one of the famous activity that is carried out in Nyungwe National park. It’s only in Rwanda in the whole of East Africa where canopy walks are taking place. There are 3 different stretches while on canopy walks and every stretch you will able to see numerous attractions like primates especially chimpanzees jumping all over the trees, different bird species, and butterflies assembling on metallic ropes. You will cover a large part of treetops while engaging in canopy walks in Nyungwe forest National Park.
Bird watching
Bird watching involves the activity of people traveling to the park either by foot or vehicle on a designated trail while exploring different bird species within the park. Bird watching in Nyungwe Forest national park is a popular amazing activity enjoyed by most travelers because of its low charges and the spectacular experience attached to it. Nyungwe national park is among the top seven best birding destinations in Rwanda and it has been recognized by birding life international as an important birding area, as on now the park is the home to over 310 bird species of which 19 species can only be found in The Albertine Rift.
While on bird-watching safari in Nyungwe Forest National Park is expected to either of the following bird species long Tailed Cuckoo, Doherty’s Bush Shrikes, grey-chested Kakamega, Handsome Francolin, Lagden’s Bush Shrikes, Mountain Sooty Boubou, Pockefellers’s sunbird, Purple Throated Sunbird, Red-collared Mountain Babbler, Rwenzori Batis, White Bellied Robin-chat, White-Tailed Flycatcher among others. Don’t miss this opportunity for birding in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Nature walks
Nature walks in Nyungwe Forest national park involves an interesting activity whereby traveler’s mover for short distances on foot via the thicket forest as they try to identify different animal or bird species. Nyungwe Forest National Park is located at the border with Burundi in the western part of Rwanda. The park is well known as the home of chimpanzees and other primates such as monkeys.
walking activity in Nyungwe National park is well supported with clear and designed trails that you will utilize on your safaris. While waking you can explore the forested terrain, primates, butterflies, a variety of bird species, and many more others. Nyungwe forested nation park has over 300 species of birds that you can spot while on this walking safari.
You will enjoy the Kitebi tea plantations trail whereby this walk will expose you to the stunning views of the forest and the associated primates such as chimpanzees and monkey species such as colobus monkey, Lhoest monkeys, silver monkey, and the unknown mangabey and different bird species such as Purple Throated Sunbird, Red-collared Mountain Babbler, Rwenzori Batis, White Bellied Robin-chat, White-Tailed Flycatcher among others.
Monkey tracking
Nyungwe Forest National Park harbors different primates such as chimpanzees, baboons, monkeys among others. Besides chimpanzee tracking as the major activity carried out within the park, other tourists or clients come purposely to see monkeys most importantly colobus monkeys Dent’s Mona Monkeys, Grey Cheeked Mangabeys, L’Hoest’s Monkeys and White and Black. Travelers here will get a chance to see newborn babies of monkeys particularly those who are born purely white.
Community visits
As you are visiting Nyungwe forest National Park, you should not forget to visit the village communities to experience the culture of Rwanda people. There different cultural groups that derive their income from entertainment, music, and drama that they accord to visitors touring Nyungwe Forest National park. You will learn and experience different things by participating in cultural community villages. You will experience the local cuisines, the traditional songs sung with traditional Rwanda musical instruments. You can also join various young women and men who are involved in basket weaving and learn. This is a thrilling experience worth participating.
Farm Plantation visits
Different plantation farms are worth visiting or touring by any traveler visiting Nyungwe Forest National park. These plantations are two in number and they include Gisakula and Kitabi tea estates. You will tour around both of these two estates and see the activities involved right from planting up to harvesting and then processing. The management of the farms always provides lunch as ways to make clients experience so marvelous hence being one of the activities done in Nyungwe national park