Canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park

Canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park is suspended 50 meters above the ground in the rain forests of the park, giving an exhilarating experience one of its kind in Rwanda. The canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park was opened in 2010 to enable all tourists that are above the age of 6 years to explore the national park from above.

Nyungwe forest national park is located in the southwestern part of Rwanda protecting the endangered chimpanzees that are only found in this park in Rwanda. Nyungwe forest national park is also home to other 12 species of primates and these include grey checked mangabeys, L’hoests monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, velvet monkeys, olive baboons, dent’s mona monkey, crowned monkey, Angolan colobus monkeys, owl-faced monkeys, and blue monkeys.

The national park protects over 1086 plant species, 310 birds among which include Kivu ground thrush, handsome francolin, red-collared babbler, red-faced woodland warbler, regal sunbird, and strange weaver birds among others.

The canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park is done by children above the age of 6 years and the activity is guided. The Canopy walk does cost $60 per person and the fee includes the ranger guide fee but excludes the park entrance fee and accommodation. Nyungwe national park canopy is done at any time of the year although the national park needs to be visited in the dry season of June to September and December to February.

The canopy walks in Nyungwe forest national park start with a briefing at Uwinka Reception Centre which is the head office of the park. The canopy walk is done 4 times a day at different hours such as 8 am, 10 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. At the briefing point, the tourists are taught about the rules and regulations of the canopy walk activity and then the armed rangers do lead the tourists through Igishigishigi trail onto the raised bridge that is 90 meters long and raised above 50 meters high.

During the canopy walk, the armed ranger guides will give you all the information about the park, animals, plants, and surrounding features. The canopy walk takes 2 hours in Nyungwe forest national park and during this time, tourists are able to spot different park primates like the chimpanzees, vervet monkeys, grey checked mangabeys, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, birds such as regal sunbird, handsome spurfowl, Albertine owlet, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, plants, surrounding areas and much more.

The Best time to do a canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park

Nyungwe forest national park can be visited at any time of the year for the canopy walk but there are months that are better than the rest. The drier months are the best to do a canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park and they happen from June to September and December to February. They are characterized by little or no rainfall, the walking trails are dry and the vegetation in the park is thin giving clear views of the park animals. Vegetation and the sky are clear giving clear views of the surrounding areas.

Tourists can still visit Nyungwe forest national park and have a canopy walk in the rainy season that occurs from March to May and October to November. Tourists that do visit the park in the rainy season and like to stay will get huge discounts on accommodation facilities. During the rainy season, tourists should know that there is plenty of rainfall, the vegetation in the park is thick unclear views of the animals and birds in the forest and the walking trails are muddy and slippery.

What to pack for the canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park?

While coming to Nyungwe forest national park for the canopy walk, please carry waterproof hiking shoes, long-sleeved clothes, insect repellents, a pair of gaiters, a hat sunscreen, gloves, rain jacket, a pair of binoculars, a camera, light backpack bag, drinking water bottle, energy-giving snacks, face mask, and sanitizer.

Accommodation on a canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park

Tourists intending to visit Nyungwe forest national park for the canopy walk and would want to have a night or more in the park don’t have to worry about where they will stay because there are a number of accommodations available for tourists to stay around the lodge. Travelers’ budget determines where to stay because the facilities are categorized into luxury, mid-range, and budget. The accommodations around Nyungwe forest national park include Nyungwe Forest Lodge, One & Only Nyungwe House, Gisakura Family Hostel, Nyungwe Top View Hotel, Nyungwe Nziza Ecolodge, Gishwati Lodge, Peace Guest Hotel, Delta Resort Hotel, Chimpanzee lodge, Comoran Lodge, Golden Monkey Hotels, Katabi Eco-Center, and Uwinka Campsite among others.

Activities to combine with the canopy walk in Rwanda

Chimpanzee trekking

Intending to visit Nyungwe forest national park for the canopy walk, don’t miss out on chimpanzee trekking. Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is best done in Nyungwe forest national park and there are 2 chimpanzee families that are up for the trekking. Chimpanzee trekking is done in the morning and the armed ranger guides that take the tourist through different trekking trails as you search the apes. After 2-6 hours of searching and meeting the chimpanzees, the trekkers are given 1 hour to be around them, watch them do daily activities take photos, and learn about their behaviors.

Birding

This is another activity tourists intending to visit Nyungwe forest national park for the canopy walk can di. The birding activity is led by an armed ranger guide that leads birders to different birding spots and some of the birds likely to be seen in the park include Shelley’s crimsonwing, handsome spurfowl, Rwenzori nightjar, blue-headed sunbird, archer’s robin-chat, red-throated alethe, mountain masked Apalis, red sunbird, stripe-breasted tit, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, Albertine owlet, and Rockefeller’s sunbird among others.

Nature walks and hikes

After the canopy walk, the tourists can take part in guided nature walks around the park. The nature walks and hikes in Nyungwe forest national park give tourists opportunities of exploring the park on foot using different walking trails. During the nature walk activity, tourists do meet different animals of the park, water sources, birds, and different plant species.

Community visits

After the canopy walk, tourists can combine the activity with community visits. Tourists can take some time off in the afternoon and visit some of the nearby areas where they will meet local people and get to interact with them. Community visits help tourists to know how the local people live, watch them do daily activities, visit their craft shops, and get entertained by the local people.