Nyungwe National Park
in Rwanda

Most people come to Rwanda for the gorillas. Fewer make it to the southwest corner of the country, where one of Africa's oldest and largest montane rainforests covers the hills in an unbroken canopy that has been here since before the last ice age. Nyungwe is extraordinarily rich: thirteen primate species including chimpanzees and Angola colobus troops that number in the hundreds, over 300 bird species, and a canopy walkway that puts you level with the treetops above a valley that seems to go on indefinitely. The trails are well-maintained and the guides are exceptional. It is serious wildlife in a country that has become very good at doing this properly.


how long to go for

a long weekend, a week

when to go

june, july, august, december, january, february

holidays

liberation day (4 jul), genocide memorial day (7 apr), independence day (1 jul), christmas day (25 dec)

how to get there

fly into kigali international airport, then drive four to five hours south to the park or take a domestic flight to kamembe airport nearby.

how to get around

by car, on foot, by guided trail

nice to know

chimpanzee trekking permits must be booked in advance through the rwanda development board.

local language

kinyarwanda, english, french

currency

rwandan franc

in an emergency

call 112