Nyungwe National Park Facts

Nyungwe National Park facts. Nyungwe National Park is an amazing Rwanda national park safari destination that travelers can enjoy while on a Rwanda safari tour. Nyungwe National Park is located in the Western Great Rift Valley area also known as the libertine Rift flowing west. Nyungwe National Park Rwanda can be found between Lake Albert to Lake Tanganyika. The Rift valley area therein has a number of mountains and lakes flowing into the Congo River system.

Nyungwe National Park Rwanda has a captivating ecosystem and attractions including about 1,068 plant species among which include 200 species of trees, 248 orchids species with more plant species being discovered every other time. Nyungwe national Park Rwanda also hosts over 85 mammals including 13 primate species; over 300 bird species of which about 29 are endemic to the Albertine Rift area that many consider it a birder’s paradise.

Among the primates in Nyungwe National Park, the most sought after are the chimpanzees which travelers get to see with chimpanzee trekking experiences in the park all throughout the year. Other primates in Nyungwe National Park however include the white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, L’Hoest’s monkeys, among so many others.

Apart from chimpanzee trekking, hiking in Nyungwe National Park is quite rewarding, with about 130km of constructed trails in the park. Walking trails in Nyungwe National Park or hiking trails take you through some of the most beautiful parts of Nyungwe National Park allowing you a chance to explore the beauty of the park in detail and on foot!

While you are looking to explore Nyungwe National Park on a Rwanda safari tour, there are a number of things to know about the park. Below are the various Nyungwe National Park facts worth knowing;

  • Nyungwe National Park is the oldest tropical rainforest in Africa that is still protected, still untouched and unchanged throughout the ice age.
  • There are about 13 primates in Nyungwe National Park that travelers can see on different activities in Nyungwe National Park. About 400 monkeys and chimpanzees can be found in Nyungwe National Park Rwanda, contributing about 25% of Africa’s primate population.
  • Nyungwe National Park is a big water supply system of about 70% water used in Rwanda.
  • Nyungwe National Park hosts the biggest protected marshland in Rwanda; the Kamiranzovu Swamp.
  • One of the Nyungwe National park facts is that though designated forest reserve in 1933, it was officially established a national park by the Rwandan government in 2006 and thus opened to travelers for visiting.

    Nyungwe National Park Facts
    Nyungwe National Park Facts
  • Nyungwe National Park also has one of the best canopy walkways in Africa that is 1km long and about 70m high from the ground, rewarding travelers with amazing wildlife viewing. The Nyungwe canopy walkway is third to the Lekki Conservation Center walkway in Nigeria and the Kakum’s walkway in Ghana.
  • It is also a fact that 10% of all riverine from Nyungwe National Park fees goes back to the locals in the area.
  • Nyungwe National Park inhabits Albertine endemic birds including the Archer’s Robin-chat, Blue-headed Sunbird, Buff-throated Appalis, Dusky Crimsonwing, Dwarf Honeyguide, Grueré Swamp Warbler, Handsome Francolin, Kivu Ground Thrush, Mountain Masked Appalis, Neumann’s Warbler, Red-throated lethe, Regal Sunbird, Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Ruwenzori Appalis, Ruwenzori Batis, Ruwenzori Nightjar, Shelley’s Crimsoning, Strange Weaver, Stripe-breasted tit, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Albertine Owlet, Rwenzori Turaco, among others.

Nyungwe National Park is an amazing Rwanda safari destination that travelers can enjoy anytime of the year. While travelers who visit Rwanda can enjoy Nyungwe National Park safaris doing different activities like chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk which are most done, as well as hiking, travelers can choose to combine their Nyungwe National Park safari with Kagera National Park for savanna wild game viewing on extensive game drives, as well as a boat trip on Lake Ihema. A 3 or 4 Days Nyungwe and Akagera National Park safaris are great Rwanda safari tours to consider booking for a great safari experience.

Looking to explore nyungwe National Park and getting to know some of the Nyungwe National Park facts upfront? Get in touch with a reputable tour operator like Focus East Africa Tours to help you pitch an amazing Rwanda safari tour. You could also extend your Nyungwe National Park safari to Volcanoes National Park, or even Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla trekking! There are many possibilities of Rwanda safaris combined with Uganda safaris, Tanzania safaris, as well as Kenya safaris, and what better way than to complete your East Africa safari with a Zanzibar beach holiday! Simply reach out!

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