Nyungwe Forest National Park

The Nyungwe Forest National Park lies in the south-west Rwanda, close to the southern tip of Lake Kivu. It is home to the sole remaining chimpanzee population of Rwanda, and is an excellent place to track these fascinating primates. But it also offers exceptional biodiversity with a wide range of endemic flora and fauna, as it is one of Africa’s most ancient forests. With lush tracts of rainforest ranging over high fertile mountain slopes.

Your morning activity is usually an early morning trek to look out for  chimpanzees or Colobus monkeys. The Rwandan chimpanzee population consists of approximately 400-500 individuals in the forest. You’ll probably hear these excitable primates before you see them, as their hoots travel through the deep forest.

If you have time we also recommend the half day forest trek in search of the Angolan Colobus monkeys? These can be found in troops of several hundred. Indeed the largest can be up to 450 individuals.  This fair to moderate trek can be adapted to your fitness and lasts up 6 hours. It’s an absolutely amazing experience, to see so many Colobus monkeys – typically 50-60 at a given time.

In the afternoon, you may like to enjoy the thrilling Nyungwe Canopy Walk. This is one of its kind in Rwanda and offers impressive views of the forest. Besides being so high in such a picturesque location, the 1½ to 2 hour walk allows you to witness the upper parts of the forest. Here you can see some unique ‘canopy’ species; apes, birds, butterflies, plants and insects, flowers, leaves and other animals that live in the roof of the forest. It is an unforgettable experience!

You can stay in Nyungwe Forest at One&Only Nyungwe House. Or even on nearby on Lake Kivu, only 30-40 mins drive away.

There is also an early morning flight back to Kigali from the nearby town, one of the few scheduled domestic flights.