History of Nyungwe forest is the quintessential tropical rainforest, its misty hills resounding with birdsong and the calls of chimpanzees. In the southwest corner of Rwanda, Nyungwe Forest National Park is a vast untouched tropical rainforest with a high, dense canopy. Nyungwe became a National Park in 2004 as Rwanda sought to increase its tourism beyond the country’s mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park, and is certainly worthy of its status because of its spectacular biodiversity. Nyungwe forest is one of the oldest rainforests in Africa, Nyungwe is rich in biodiversity and spectacularly beautiful.
Views of Nyungwe Forest. Photo Credit: One &Only Rwanda
The Nyungwe forest has a wide diversity of animal species, making it a priority for conservation in Africa. It harbors about 310 different bird species, hundreds of butterflies and orchids, and over 75 different species of mammals – including 13 primates (about a quarter of all Africa’s primates).
The forest is situated in a region in which several large-scale biogeographical zones meet and the variety of terrestrial biomes provides a great span of microhabitats for many different species of plants and animals that spread over 1,020km².
To get a real sense of the scale of Nyungwe forest, try East Africa’s highest canopy walk with a metal bridge suspended 50 meters above the forest. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but the views of Nyungwe sprawled out below are unforgettable.
In addition, Nyungwe is an ideal destination for lovers of primates, with 13 different species living here, and most visitors will go for at least one tracking experience, the most popular of which is chimpanzee trekking.
The birds in Nyungwe Forest National Park are spectacular. Around 310 species reside here, although as in most tropical forests, you’ll have to look hard for them.
Over 130 kilometres of hiking routes have been created in Nyungwe Forest National Park, allowing visitors to explore its interior and its fascinating habitats. Nature walking in Nyungwe is excellent, with trails lasting from one to eight hours.
Rwanda is a contemplative, nurturing space for safari to adventurous tourists not only seeking to encounter Chimpanzees in Nyungwe but also coming face-to-face with the forest’s gentle mountain gorilla giants inside Volcanoes National Park, located in a wildlife corridor that’s crucial to the critically endangered
Rwanda mountain gorillas and the golden monkeys.