Nyungwe Forest National Park sits in a mountainous region covering 970km square, to the south west of Rwanda. It is the largest single area of montane forest in East or Central Africa. There are 50km of walking trails ranging from 1 to 7 hours in duration.
There are huge troops of up to 400 Rwenzori Colobus Monkeys at Nyungwe which is almost ten times as many as the group size recorded anywhere else. Another attractive monkey found here is the localised L'Hoest's Monkey. There area aroud 1000 chimpanzees in the forest but seeing them is a challenge as the terrain is hilly and rugged and the animals move far! There are in total 13 primate species found at Nyungwe which make up around 20% of the total number in Africa. Several of these are endangered.
Amongst the 86 mammal species found here are a small number of elephants, Giant Forest Hogs and bushpigs. Although rarely seen some small predators are found here such as wild cat, serval, side striped jackal, mongoose, genets and civets (the later sometimes seen at night around the lodges).
This is a birders paradise with around 275 species including some 25 regional endemics One of the most colourful birds seen in the canopy is the bluish coloured Great Touraco which is about the size of a chicken! Other attractive large birds often seen here include a variety of hornbills and other touracos.
Nyungwe receives about 2000mm of rainfall each year and is one of the oldest forests in Africa. This explains its high variety of wildlife and botanical diversity. The trees here are spectacular and the upper canopy reaches 50 - 60m in height. Some of the largest trees include African Mahogany, Mulanje Cedar and Waterberry. Giant Tree Ferns are an attractive smaller tree, many of which flank the sides of the Waterfall Trail. There are more than 240 tree species and over 140 orchid species in Nyungwe.
As of 2010, luxury accommodation has opened at Nyungwe and more lodges are being planned. Up until then, the only accommodation was at a small restcamp, Gisakura Guest House, a basic but friendly, comfortable guest house which is run by the Gisakura Tea Estate and lies about 1km from the forest boundary. There are a resident troop of Colobus Monkeys just 500m away, to give you a wake up call in the morning! There are a few dormitories and private rooms (all with shared bathroom facilities) and a communal lounge. The food is plentiful and great value for money and beers and sodas are available nearby on the tea estate. This is an ideal base for hikes into the forest .
