Nyungwe forest is made up of a variety of habitats including montane forests, bamboos, grasslands, and swamps. This is a home to 13 primate species such as Chimpanzees, endangered Golden monkeys, Blue Monkeys, colobus, red tailed monkeys and grey checked mangabeys. There are also about 300 bird species. It is a top eco-tourism destination with a growing network of hiking trails that offer visitors great opportunities for world class bird watching, chimpanzee tracking, colobus monkey watching, kamiranzovu visit, community walks, Canopy walk, orchid ogling among others. Many Rwanda safaris organized to Nyungwe national park mainly go for chimpanzee tracking, bird watching, canopy walk, Black and while colobus monkey tracking and forest walks among others.
Hiking trails in Nyungwe forest National Park
The park offers 13 hiking trails like “Igishigishigi” meaning tree fern – this trail trails range from easy to difficult and from 1.7 kms to 10.6 kms in length.
High class Bird Watching in Nyungwe forest National Park
The park is home of over 278 bird species, 26 of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley. It is one of the best bird watching destinations in Africa and the world at large. Birds like the Great Blu Turaco, the Crowned Hornbill and the Blue-Headed Sunbird among others are found here.
Ape trekking in Nyungwe forest National Park
With 13 primate species recorded here, Nyungwe has one of the highest diversity of primate species in a single location. Unfortunately, several of these species are endangered. Some of the species seen in Nyungwe forest National park include; Blue monkeys, the vervet monkey, Grey-checked mangabey, dent’s monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, red- tailed monkeys, chimpanzees, Angola colobus, Owl- faced monkey and so on.
Orchid Ogling in Nyungwe forest National Park
Nyungwe is home to 154 species of orchids, eight of which are endemic to Rwanda. The Park hosts 68% of the orchid flora of Rwanda. It is one of the world’s greatest concentrations of orchids.
Wild life viewing in Nyungwe forest National Park
The tropical forest is endowed with a variety of forest animals like cerval cats, Golden Cats, Wild Cats, Side-Striped Jackal, Mongoose, Congo Clawless Otters, Genet, Civets, Duikers, Bush Bucks, Hyrax, Leopards among others. The forest animals can be viewed while searching for the primates or bird in the forest. Some mammals like leopards are dangerous to man but the tourists are always escorted by the armed rangers to ensure their safety.
Canopy walks in Nyungwe National Park
The first ever hanging platform which allows tourists to view different animal species in Nyungwe forest was unveiled on October 15. And as officials here announced, it will be the first in this region and just the third on the African continent. The Canopy Walkway is 40 meters above the ground level, and 90 meters long, above a steep, deep valley, that affords the clients the dizzying platform from which to be at the “eye-to-eye level ” with different primate species, and many bird species, all of which are fond of inhabiting the upper scales of the forest.
Community tours around and in Nyungwe forest national Park
For proper preservation of Nyungwe Forest National Park, the nearby communities need to be directly involved in the struggle of protecting the park however, it can be successfully done by rewarding, educating and giving park of the profits from the park to the nearby communities by improving their welfare through improving road, constructing wells, boreholes, constructing healthy centers among others. The history and people of the area are diverse, with many examples of song, dance, music, cuisine, handicrafts and other artisan skills that make for a fascinating complement to the ecotourism attractions of Nyungwe. So many Rwanda safari packages available online offered by credible tour operators such as Gorilla Expeditions Limited, going to Nyungwe National park to experience the true African wilderness and all the activities above.