Nyungwe National Park
---------------------------
Location and Details
------------------------
The park contains 13 primate species (25% of Africa's total), 275 bird species, 1068 plant species, 85 mammal species, 32 amphibian and 38 reptile species. It is located in the watershed between the basin of the river Congo to the west and the basin of the river Nile to the east. From the east side of the Nyungwe forest comes also one of the branches of the Nile sources.
Nyungwe Forest National Park was established in 2004 and covers an area of approximately 970 km2 of rainforest, bamboo, grassland, swamps, and bogs. The nearest town is Cyangugu, 54 km to the west. It’s believed to be one of Africa’s oldest forests, staying green even through the Ice Age, which explains its diversity.
Primate Species
-------------------
- Common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
- Adolf Friedrich's Angola colobus (Colobus angolensis ruwenzori)
- L'Hoest's monkey (Cercopithecus l'hoesti)
- Silver monkey (Cercopithecus doggetti)
- Golden monkey (Cercopithecus kandti)
- Hamlyn's monkey (Cercopithecus hamlyni)
- Red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius)
- Dent's mona monkey (Cercopithecus denti)
- Vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus)
- Olive baboon (Papio anubis)
- Grey-cheeked mangabey (Lophocebus albigena)
- Adolf Friedrich's Angola colobus (Colobus angolensis ruwenzori)
- L'Hoest's monkey (Cercopithecus l'hoesti)
- Silver monkey (Cercopithecus doggetti)
- Golden monkey (Cercopithecus kandti)
- Hamlyn's monkey (Cercopithecus hamlyni)
- Red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius)
- Dent's mona monkey (Cercopithecus denti)
- Vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus)
- Olive baboon (Papio anubis)
- Grey-cheeked mangabey (Lophocebus albigena)
Visitors to Nyungwe National Park can experience the rainforest from a new perspective: the Canopy Walkway. Hanging 60 meters above the forest floor between giant trees and towers, East Africa's only Canopy Walkway provides a stunning view of the park's amazing wildlife and nature. The Walkway is accessible as part of a specialized guided tour along the Igishigishigi trail or if you're not part of a tour, hiking the Imbaraga or Umuyove trails.
Described by Birdlife International as "the most important site for biodiversity conservation in Rwanda," the Nyungwe National Park is home to roughly 310 bird species, 27 of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift. Although actually spotting birds in the park's forests may be challenging, the bird songs you'll hear during the trek will surely make it more enjoyable. If you would like to learn about birds you might see and hear, book a guide for $50 U.S. at the headquarters of the Rwanda Development Board. The guides so knowledgeable about birdlife in Nyungwe they can identify birds by ear, such as the rwenzori turaco and grey-chested kakamega.
Chimpanzees are far from the only creature that will fascinate wildlife lovers in Nyungwe as with thirteen recorded species, the park is home to East Africa's most diverse primate population. Nyungwe is the only location in Africa where you'll find "supergroups" of more than 300 Colobus monkeys and one of the few places worldwide where you'll see L'Hoest's monkeys (primarily on the main round near Uwinka). Another rare animal you might also run into is the owl-faced monkey, an Albertine Rift endemic that inhabits Nyungwe's southern forests. In fact, most of the monkey species found in the park are endemic.
- the Canopy Walkway Tour costs $60 U.S. per person.All participants must be at least six years of age and children must be accompanied by adults. You should bring a raincoast as rain frequently falls in Nyungwe. But if you don't come with a raincoat, you can rent one as well as walking boots and sticks.
This exhilarating hike provides outstanding chimpanzee spotting locations as well as views of Banda Village, from where you can hear children's voices carrying up the mountainside.
As wonderful as exploring the diverse ecosystem of the Nyungwe National Park is, you really won't get a feel for the area until you discover its rich culture. The region's song, dance, music and cuisine are all integral parts of Nyungwe's culture and walking tours of Banda Village - located 15 km down the mountain from the Uwinka Visitors Centre - represent the perfect setting for learning about an area where people have lived for more than 50,000 years. The tours provide guests the opportunity to participate in activities such as local food tasting and basket weaving and if you're fortunate, you might able to attend a traditional wedding ceremony and learn about traditional medicine.
Numerous community based tourism initiatives have been launched in the Nyungwe National Park to enhance the preservation of Rwandan culture, and one such project is the Kitabi Cultural Village. Situated at the eastern edge of the park, the cultural village features a campsite, a restaurant and for those interested in Rwandan history, a model of the king's palace. The Village also offers three different day trips that bring traditional Rwandan culture to life for visitors with activities such as a dance ceremony, banana beer production and bow-and-target shooting. And to top it off, for $40 U.S. a night, you can stay in traditional Rwandan thatched hut accommodation.
Another location in the Nyungwe National Park offering a community-based tourism product is the Banda Village. Located in the heart of the park and easily accessible via a downhill hike from the end of the Canopy Walk, the village provides visitors the opportunity to learn more about Rwandan culture through community walks where activities such as traditional medicine making and maize-grinding are performed and taught. And if you book an overnight trip, you'll be treated to a special fire-making ceremony and dance reserved for overnight visitors.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has collaborated throughout the years with local communities and leaders to find ways of conserving the beauty of Nyungwe through tourism development, awareness campaigns and policy development. In large part because of the hard work of many parties, Nyungwe was designated Rwanda's third national park. The WCS and its partners have since created a network of moderate hiking trails, a canopy walkway and the region's first interpretation center. The Rwandan government has also expressed its commitment to preservation by developing a park management plan with WCS that regulaties zoning for conservation, tourism and sustainable harvesting.
Home of the largest block of montane forest in East Africa, the Nyungwe National Park boasts more than 200 different types of trees and 140 species of orchids (including eight that are endemic). The park contains numerous medicinal plants that have served as remedies for centuries, such as East African satinwood and California Bayberry.
Hotels
- Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel
- Nyungwe Forest Lodge
- ORTPN Resthouse
Transportation
----------------
You can take a SOTRA mini-bus from the central bus station south to Nyungwe and be dropped off about five hours later on the road in front of the Gisakura Guesthouse. or It's better and advisable to take private car! Means hire car and driver to take you there! It could not be more 200$ per day. Otherwise your trip will be hard, the bus goes to Nyungwe take 6hours and you have to take it before midday.There are buses that pass around the Nyungwe park head quarters every 1hr,so every after an activity,you have to stand by the road side to stop the next available bus to take you to either the visitor's center of the Uwinka View Point for the canopy walk or at the Chimpanzee tracking starting section.
The guides are knowledgeable speaking the local language with French and English and are willing to help you even stop the bus.
Comments
Post a Comment