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Uganda
Explore the vibrant urban centers and the natural landscapes that make Uganda a unique travel destination. From lively cities filled with cultural heritage sites to vast national parks teeming with wildlife, Uganda offers a diverse array of experiences for every traveler.
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Rwanda
Discover the land of a thousand hills. Travellers come from far and wide to catch a glimpse of the magnificent gorillas, yet there is so much more to see and experience.
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Experience the Nyungwe Forest National Park
Nyungwe National Park protects the largest highland rainforest in East Africa. Even from the main road, you’ll be blown away by the endless views over layers of steep jungle-clad mountains. It provides an opportunity to see an amazing variety of monkeys and birds. It’s also a prime chimpanzee trekking destination and notable for its thrilling 70m-/230ft-high canopy walk.
The scenery is nothing less than spectacular. Even a drive on the main road will offer incredible views of the pristine rainforest canopy stretching over endless hills toward the Burundi border. A hike to a forest waterfall or to the vast open swamp area offers different glimpses into the stunning range of habitats.
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Discover: Nyungwe Forest National Park
Nyungwe Forest National Park: Canopy Walk
Nyungwe Forest National Park: Colubus Monkey
Nyungwe Forest National Park: Northern Double-Collared Sunbird
Nyungwe Forest National Park: Chimpanzee
Nyungwe Forest National Park: Canopy Walk
Nyungwe National Park is the largest remaining tract of forest in Rwanda and is nestled in the southwest of the country, bordering Burundi. One of the oldest rainforests in Africa, Nyungwe is rich in biodiversity and spectacularly beautiful. The mountainous region is teaming with wildlife, including a small population of chimpanzees as well as 12 other species of primate, including the L’Hoest’s monkey endemic to the Albertine Rift. With 15 trails, some of which are detailed here, along with various other activities, visitors can choose to sample the delights of the forest or indulge themselves for a week or more in one of Africa’s most stunning forests. Primate tracking tops most visitor’s list, but it’s worth lingering a little longer for those with time to relax and take in the primal atmosphere.
Getting There
By Air: If you want to get the most out of your journey, air travel is the fastest and most fascinating way to see Rwanda from above. You can catch a domestic flight from Kigali using Rwandair, the only airline operating on this route, to Kamembe National Airport and then proceed on a road transfer with a 4WD safari vehicle, which takes about 33 km.
The other option is to fly with Akagere Aviation, which operates chartered and scheduled luxury helicopter air transfers from Kigali to Nyungwe at one &only one Nyungwe House. Enjoy mindblowing scenic views of the rolling hills, Nyungwe Forest and the tea plantation. The approximate flight time is 45 minutes, and the price starts from $280 to $3000 per person, departing at 2:00 p.m.
By Road: The drive from Kigali City to Nyungwe Forest National Park is approximately 230km, taking about 5-6 hours. Other attractions to see on your way (are Nyanza King’s Palace at Nyabisindu, Craft Shops, Gikongoro Genocide Memorial Center, and the National Museum & Aboretum.
Best time to visit
Nyungwe Forest National Park can be visited all year round. However, the best time to visit is the dry season, the peak season from December to February and June to September. However, Nyungwe is a tropical rainforest, and rain is expected at any time of the year. It is advisable to carry waterproof and warm clothing when visiting the park. The best times to visit the park are during the dry seasons, from December to February and June to September.
Wildlife Experience
In addition to chimpanzee trekking, Nyungwe Forest National Park has a spectacular biodiversity, including over 300 bird species, making it a paradise for birding. 85 types of mammals and 1068 plant species, making it a priority conservation area in Africa. The park is also home to over 13 primate species ( common chimpanzees, L’Hoest’s monkey, golden monkey, vervet monkey, olive baboon, silver monkey, Ruwenzori colobus, silver monkey, red-tailed monkey,hamlyn’s monkey, dent’s mona monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey. Nyungwe Park's unique canopy walking activity is absent in other African parks. The suspended bridge provides magnificent aerial views of the canopy. The forest has an estimated 130km of constructed trails. If you enjoy walking with scenic views while breathing fresh air, Nyungwe Forest is one of the hot spots for all Rwandan safaris.
Birdlife
Nyungwe Forest National Park is a top birding destination in Rwanda. Over 300 bird species are recorded in the park, of which 27 are the Albertine Rift Endemics. The forest trails make it an accessible birding destination. Some of the birds include dusky crimson wing, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Kivu ground thrush, Neumann’s warbler, Albertine owlet, Ruwenzori batis, purple-breasted sunbird, handsome francolin, Ruwenzori Turaco, Ruwenzori nightjar, Kungwe Apalis, Archer’s ground robin, stripped breasted tit, dwarf honey guide, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, mountain masked apalis, red -collared babbler among others.
Where to go in Rwanda
