Attractions in Nyungwe forest national park
Attractions in Nyungwe forest national park- The park is located in the southwestern part of Rwanda, Nyungwe forest national park is found in the borders of DR Congo and Burundi near Lake Kivu. Nyungwe forest national park was gazetted in 2004 to promote tourism in the country and as of today, the park covers a total area of 970 sq. km. There are so many attractions in Nyungwe forest national park that tourists can come and see at any time of the year and these include chimpanzees, monkeys, mammals, birds, waterfall, and different plant species. Below we are going to explain all the attractions in Nyungwe forest national park
Chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest
Chimpanzees are the first things a person intending to have a safari in Nyungwe forest national park can talk about. The chimpanzees have made Nyungwe forest national park known to eth outside world since they can only be trekked in this park. Chimpanzees are species of primates that do share about 98% of human DNA with human beings. Inside Nyungwe forest national park, there are over 500 chimpanzee species living in Nyungwe forest and Cyamudongo forest.
For one to spend time with the chimpanzees of Nyungwe forest national park, they will have to buy permits from the Rwanda Development Board if they are 15 years and above. It’s the permit you present to the armed ranger guides during the briefing and then armed ranger guides lead you through different hiking trails until you meet the chimpanzees. You do spend 1 hour with the chimpanzees and this enables you to learn about their habits, watch them do daily activities, and take photos.
Monkeys in Nyungwe forest national park
The other attractions in Nyungwe forest national park are the monkeys. There are over 13 primates in Nyungwe forest national park of which some cannot be found anywhere else in Rwanda. The primates have found comfortable homes in the bamboo vegetation as well as shrubs. Apart from chimpanzees, other primates found in Nyungwe forest national park include grey checked mangabeys, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoests monkeys, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, crowned monkeys, dent’s mona monkeys, vervet monkeys, and owl faced monkeys.
Birds Nyungwe forest national park
Birds are also an attraction within Nyungwe forest national park. The place is home to over 310 bird species and the commonly seen include dusky crimsonwing, regal sunbird, Albertine owlet, handsome spurfowl, grauer’s swamp warbler, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, archer’s robin cat, buff-throated apalis, blue-headed sunbird, dwarf honeyguide, handsome francolin, mountain masked apalis, Kivu ground thrush, neumann’s warbler, purple-breasted sunbird, red collared babbler, red-throated alethe, red-faced woodland warbler, Rwenzori apalis, Rwenzori batis, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, strip-breasted tit, strange weaver, Rwenzori turaco, and shelley’s crimsonwing among others.
Canopy in Nyungwe forest national park
The canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park has attracted a lot of tourists in the park. The canopy walk was introduced in 2009 and it has enabled tourists to explore the national park above the ground. The canopy walk is a bridge raised 50 meters above the ground and it goes as far as 90 meters long. The canopy walk is done by tourists above the age of 6 years and it’s a guided activity that gives travelers an opportunity to have an aerial view of the park, surroundings, animals, birds, and water sources.
Water sources in Nyungwe forest national park
Other attractions in Nyungwe forest national park are the water sources. Inside Nyungwe forest national park, there are small rivers passing through the park and these empty their waters into lakes such as Kivu, Tanganyika, and River Congo. There are also waterfalls in Nyungwe forest national park and these include Isumo waterfall and Kamiranzovu waterfall trail. The water sources in Nyungwe forest national park can be seen while trekking the chimpanzees, doing the nature walks, and when birding.
Flora Nyungwe forest national park
There are over 1086 different plant species in Nyungwe forest national park. The plants in Nyungwe forest national park do range depending on the altitude for example at 2950, there is subalpine, bamboo, as well as shrubs, at 2500m there are podocarpus, phillipia, erica johnstonii, at 2250m there are macaranga, syzguim, macaranga, hagenia, begonia pulcherrima, balthacaria, ferns, trees, and orchids among others.
When to visit Nyungwe forest national park?
Nyungwe forest national park is open throughout the year for all kinds of tourists however there are months that are better than the rest. The drier months to visit Nyungwe forest national park and see most of its attractions because they are characterized by little and sometimes no rainfall that leaves the trekking and hiking trails less muddy and dry, the vegetation is short and the roads leading to the park are passable.
Tourists can still visit Nyungwe forest national park to see its attractions in the rainy season of March to May and October to November. Coming to Nyungwe forest national park in the rainy season enables tourists to have huge discounts on accommodation facilities and those going for birding activities are able to see a number of birds including the migratory ones in the park due to plenty of food. The rainy months come with plenty of rainfall, the trekking and hiking trails are muddy and slippery and the roads leading the park are slippery.
Accommodation at Nyungwe forest national park
There are no accommodations built inside Nyungwe forest national park but there are several built outside the park premises where guests can spend a night or more while on a safari to the park. Accommodations while at Nyungwe include One & Only Nyungwe House, Nyungwe Top View Hotel, Gisakura Guest House, Gisakura Family Hostel, E.R.A Gisakura Visitor Guesthouse, Emeraude Kivu Resort, Peace Guesthouse, Hotel du Lac, Rusizi Progress Hotel, Golden Monkey Hotels, Comoran Lodge, and Delta Resort Hotel among others.
