Nyungwe Forest Primate Safari

Nyungwe forest primate safari

Nyungwe forest national park is one of the best places to visit in Rwanda when looking for a primate safari.

The national park covers about 1,019 square kilometers and Nyungwe forest national park is made up of rainforest, bamboo and also grassland. Nyungwe also has a rich biodiversity and is mountainous in nature.

Nyungwe forest national park is located in the south western part of Rwanda and is one of the national parks of Rwanda. Other national parks of Rwanda include Volcanoes national park, Akagera national park and also Gishwati Mukura national park.

Primates in Nyungwe national park are a key attraction and chimpanzees in particular bring many tourists to the destination. However, there are also over 12 other primate species which can be seen during a tour.

The other primates found in Nyungwe forest national park include l’hoest monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, grey cheeked mangabeys, blue monkeys, owl faced monkeys, dents monkeys, Rwenzori colobus monkeys and many others.

With the many primates to be seen during a tour around Nyungwe national park however, only the chimpanzees are habituated. The habituation process involves getting the chimpanzees used to the presence of humans in their natural habitat.

The habituation of primates in Nyungwe forest in Rwanda made it easier to see the chimpanzees in the national park during activities such as chimpanzee trekking since the chimpanzees don’t run away when they see the humans.

Another location in Rwanda where chimpanzees can be seen is the Cyamudongo forest which is about 34 kilometers from Gisakura. Since this forest is smaller, it is much easier to see the chimpanzees during a primate safari.

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park

Chimpanzee trekking is among the many activities to do during a safari in Nyungwe forest national park.

It costs 90 USD for foreign nonresidents, 60 USD for foreign residents, and 5000 RWF for Rwandan citizens to book a chimpanzee permit during primate tours in Nyungwe forest national park.

Chimpanzee permits in Rwanda are issued by Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and can also be purchased through licensed tour operators. The amount charged for seeing chimpanzees in Nyungwe national park is inclusive of guide and ranger fees.

Primate safaris in Rwanda are not to be done by children below the age of 15 years. The briefing points for the chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park include Uwinka Gisakura and Katabi.

Briefing for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park takes place at the park headquarters and is done as early ad 05:00 am. A group of trackers usually go into the forest to locate the chimpanzees and inform the rangers of the location of these primates.

Rangers in turn trek with the tourists into Nyungwe forest to search for the chimpanzees in the said location. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe national park can take about 2 hour or longer depending on where the chimpanzees are.

One hour is spent with the chimpanzees during the primate safari in Nyungwe forest national park. During this time tourists can record the chimpanzees, watch as they eat, groom each other or play. However, when recording the chimpanzees in the national park flash photography is discouraged.

Chimpanzees in Nyungwe national park can be seen at anytime of the year but the best time to see these primates is during the dry season including around June to October and the rainy season is also a time when tourists can engage in chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda.

Price of Nyungwe forest primate safari

The price of a primate safari in Nyungwe forest national park varies depending on different factors such as duration of the safari, type of accommodation and activities to do during the safari.

However, the price of a chimpanzee permit in Nyungwe forest national park is the same unless changed by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

A typical primate safari in Nyungwe forest national park can take place for even 1 day or 2 days in Rwanda but can also take longer. The more the days spent on the primate safari, the more the costs incurred by the traveler.

Other activities to do in Nyungwe national park

Apart from primate safaris in Nyungwe forest national park other activities to do include canopy walks, bird watching, cultural tours, visiting the tea estates, guided nature walks, visiting waterfalls among others.

Canopy walks in Nyungwe national park are carried out along the suspended bridge which is about 70 meters off the ground and about 100 meters in length. The activity takes about 2 hours and tourists during the canopy walk can enjoy views of the rainforest. The trails which are followed during the canopy walk include the Igishigishigi trail. These trails are combined with hikes to places such as Kamiranzovu swamp. During the canopy walk different bird species and butterflies as well as primates can be encountered.

Visiting tea estates around Nyungwe forest national park such as the Gisakura tea estate is among the activities tourists engage in. During this activity, tourists get to hand pick the tea and put it in baskets, learn how tea is processed and packaged and all the steps before the tea becomes ready for consumption.

Cultural tours around Nyungwe forest involve interacting with the locals and getting to know about their culture and way of life.