Visitors to Nyungwe are captivated by its lush rainforests, which in some areas cover entire hills in beautiful green. The park’s top height is three thousand metres above sea level! There are grasslands as well as wetlands and bogs, and rivers pouring through the forest.

Featuring a grand total of 13 primate species, the fauna is really amazing as well. Situated in Rwanda’s south-west, the national park spans more than a thousand square km. On the west side are Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; to the south the country borders Burundi. From Kigali International Airport, Nyungwe Forest may be reached by plane or vehicle. Driving from Kigali takes four to five hours.

Nyungwe Forest National Park’s past

Following rehabilitation efforts since 1995, Nyungwe was named national park in 2010. Particularly in the years from 1958 to 1973, the area had experienced fire damage, woodcutting, and poaching. Fortunately, giving the woodland national park protection helped to preserve both the area and its native animals.

Animals

The park has 13 primate species, 85 different kinds of animal, and 275 bird sorts altogether. Avid botanists could be surprised to find that plant counts are also really remarkable—1,068 species! There are 32 amphibians and 38 reptiles. Many of these species are unique to Nyungwe; others are only found in Africa’s Albertine Rift montane forests. A safari here is hence somewhat unique.

Things to do at Nyungwe Forest National Park

Among the national park’s activities are chimpanzee tracking, monkey tracking, birding, hiking over more than 130 kilometers of forest paths, and a treetop forest canopy walk—the highest of its kind in East Africa. Tracking chimp and monkey will also let you to witness a great variety of other animals, not least leopard, golden cat, serval, civets, genets, duikers, huge forest hog, white-bellied pangolin, and African giant squirrel. Birders’ treats include red-winged francolin, yellow-whiskered greenbul, huge blue turaco, and purple-breasted sun bird.

Currently, we only offer One&Only Nyungwe House in this stunning area—a fantastic starting point for discovering the forest!