What to pack Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park
What to pack for chimpanzee trekking are the key essentials that tourists coming to Nyungwe forest national park or any other national park for chimpanzee trekking need to carry in order to have a successful activity. chimpanzee trekking is a thrilling activity that involves going through different hiking trails of the thick rainforest and during the activity, trekkers keep moving high because these apes love staying at a high altitude.
Nyungwe forest national park has a thick forest cover where chimpanzees have found their homes and going through these forests is not an easy task although well-constructed trails are inside the forest. Chimpanzee trekking is done on 2 habituated chimpanzee families with one found in Nyungwe forest and the other found in Cyamudongo forest.
To trek chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest national park, you need to first of all travel to Rwanda and tourists that are out of the country will have to use Kigali international airport only if they have passports. Next, you need a visa to allow you into the country and this can be got online or from Kigali international airport.
The next requirement is a chimpanzee trekking permit, this can be got online by yourself or through a local tour operator by sending them the days you would want to travel so that they check for the availability of the permits with the Rwanda Development Board. Once the permits are available, they will book them for you after they have received the money you from you.
With a passport, a visa, and a chimpanzee trekking permit, you can now fly to Rwanda and trek the endangered chimpanzees of Nyungwe forest national park. While coming into the country, we recommend you to pack the following for chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park;
Long-sleeved clothes: Tourists coming to Nyungwe forest national park must know that the park is a thick rain forest full of bushes and tree branches so they must pack long trousers and long shirts or t-shirts. The long-sleeved clothes protect trekkers from bruises and scratches from plants.
A waterproof rainy jacket: A rain jacket is one of the most essential items that is needed during the chimpanzee trekking activity. The fact that Nyungwe forest national park is a rainy forest meaning that it can rain at any time of the year so the jacket will keep you from the cold and the rains. Tourists coming to visit Nyungwe forest national park in dry seasons should still carry the rain jacket because it can rain anytime.
Waterproof hiking shoes: These shoes are one of the most essentials for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park. The waterproof hiking shoes must be comfortable and shouldn’t be so heavy so that they don’t give you a hard time while moving in the jungle.
Waterproof backpack: This is really necessary for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park because it can be used to keep your gadgets from water and these include the camera, documents, phone, glasses, and much more. The waterproof backpack must be waterproof so that water doesn’t pass through in case it rains.
Gardening gloves: During the chimpanzee trekking safari in Nyungwe, gardening gloves are necessary because they help out when touching vegetation in the wild.
A hat: This is necessary during the chimpanzee trekking activity in Nyungwe forest national park because the hat protects you from direct sunshine.
Energy giving snacks: These are necessary foods to pack for an excellent chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park because when you get hungry in the jungle, you can take them and get your energy again.
Drinking water bottle: This is another essential when it comes to chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park. The drinking water bottle needs to be reusable so that when your water gets done you can fill in more and even use it the next few days.
Insect repellents: The use of insect repellents during the chimpanzee trekking activity in Nyungwe forest national park is to protect you from insects that are harmful to the body.
Camera and extra batteries: During the chimpanzee trekking activity, the camera is used to take photos of different attractions in the park. these can be animals on the way to and from the trekking activity, birds, water sources, and plant species. The camera used to take chimpanzees photos must not have a flash.
A pair of binoculars: During the trekking of chimpanzees not only in Nyungwe forest national park but also in other places, the binoculars play a big role in helping to see distant objects, these can be chimpanzees, birds, butterflies, and much more.
Face mask and sanitizer: These are really important items to pack if planning chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park because they help in not spreading the coronavirus to people as well as the chimpanzees
How much is chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park?
Trekking chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest national park is done by those that have valid chimpanzee trekking permits. The chimpanzee trekking permits for Nyungwe forest national park are sold for $100 per person per trek at the Rwanda Development Board. The chimpanzee trekking permits are few so tourists intending to visit this park need to book their permits in advance e to avoid inconveniences.
When to visit Nyungwe forest national park
Nyungwe forest national park can be visited at any time of the year but there are months that are better than the rest and these are the drier months. The drier months are the best for a visit to Nyungwe forest national park because they are characterized by little and sometimes no rainfall. This lives the trekking trails dry, the vegetation short for a clear view of the park animals and photography, and the roads leading to the park passable.
Tourists can still visit Nyungwe forest national park in the rainy season which happens in March to May and October to November but during this time, there is plenty of rainfall, the trekking trails are muddy and slippery, the vegetation is tall giving unclear views of the chimpanzees, and the roads leading to the park are impassable.
Trekking the chimpanzees of Nyungwe forest national park
Trekking chimpanzees is the main activity done in Nyungwe forest national park and the activity starts with a briefing so that trekkers get to know about the rules and regulations of the trekking activity. The armed ranger guides lead trekkers through different trails of the park and while they are doing so, they are able to see different park mammals, monkeys, birds, and different bird species.
When the trekkers meet the chimpanzees, 1 hour is given to them and in this time they are able to learn about some of their habits, watch them do daily activities such as hunting, playing, nesting, and taking photos. The trekking activity in Nyungwe takes 2-6 hours and the time taken depends on the speed of trekkers as well as the location of these apes.
Accommodation on a chimpanzee trekking safari in Nyungwe forest national park
There are several accommodation facilities in Nyungwe forest national park ranging from luxury to mid-range to budget options where tourists can have a night or more while on a visit to the park. The accommodation facilities 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.
