Nyungwe national park is one of the most visited parks in Uganda. The park lies at the south western part of the country along the border with Burundi. It is considered one of the oldest rainforest in Africa with lush vegetation. The park is 190km from Kigali, the capital and largest city in Rwanda. It is possible to use air transportation to the park. You can take a flight and land at Kamembe airport which is 32km from Nyungwe. And because of that, the park supports such a great diversity of wildlife. A visit to Nyungwe national park shall not disappoint you because of the different range of activities which include but not limited to:
Chimpanzee tracking
Much of the reason as to why Nyungwe national park is so much popular among tourist is because of chimpanzee tracking. There are over 500 chimpanzees in Nyungwe national park. Chimpanzee tracking involves moving walking through the wild in the search of the chimpanzees. The chimpanzees are easily tracked due to the noise they make in the forest. The trekking starts from three reception centers of Uwinka, Kitabi, and Gisakura. Here tourists receive briefing and meet tour guides. Once Chimpanzees are spotted, a maximum of 1 hour is allowed to stay with them and during that period, photography is possible. Get the best camera for the experience.
Other primates
There are other primates in Nyungwe national park is like colobus monkeys which totals to 300 in number. L’hoest’s monkey primary near Uwinka is also a popular primate.
Birding
Birding is a major attraction in Nyungwe national park; the park has over 300 species of birds. Some of the birds are endemic to the Albertine region.
Canopy walk
The canopy walk was part of the development that spurred a lot of tourism in the park. The canopy raises above 60 meters from the forest floor and it gives you an opportunity to view and spot different ranges of wildlife from a bird’s view perspective. It is a fun-filled activity however it is not for the faint-hearted.
Culture
A cultural tour to the Banda village which is about 15 kilometers from the parks shall give you peculiar insights about the people who lived more than 50,000 year ago.
