CHIMPANZEE TREKKING EXPERIENCE IN RWANDA

In Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, chimpanzee trekking transpires the prepossessing and spacious balance of the remarkable Nyungwe Forest National Park and within Cyamudongo forest, and extension of the national park where this activity can be done too.  A huge population of chimpanzees thrives within the great Nyungwe national park and comprise up to 500 members collectively, the well-known forest is situated in the Southern direction of Rwanda with its annex located in the Eastern direction.

This trekking commences off at three centers; Uwinka which is also the first-line center, Gisakura plus Kitabi where tourists gather and interact with the guides for a short briefing ahead of chimpanzee trek experience. The tourists are required to be at the starting point as early as 4:30 am to be able to view chimps as they leave their nests and going about their daily chores. 

There’s an hour filled with interminable pleasure as tourists observe humanistic features and bearing during their close encounter with a chimpanzee troop while in Nyungwe forest. A little ‘spoiler’ these particular primates could actually be our closest relatives because science spells it out that they possess 98% of human DNA! It’s as memorable as you observe them communicating by way of loud pant hooting, slapping of tree branches and heavy buttresses, they also use deafening screams- so appealing to observe. Remember all this happens deep in the interior of Nyungwe Forest National Park, but the vast magnitude and rugged terrain of the forest make it clumsy to track and see the chimpanzees and so it necessitates trekkers to bear sufficient patience, and determination in this great expedition and enable themselves to traverse the forest in order to observe the chimpanzees.

These ‘fears’ are however omitted for the case of trekkers who can hardly wait as the annex; Cyamudongo forest with less number of chimps only 30 members provides considerable chance to make amazing sightings since the forest is indeed small and it can be traversed within a very limited time. The charge for a chimp trek permit in Nyungwe stands at USD 90 for foreign non-residents and USD 60 for East African residents and Rwandans. There are a few simple but significant rules to follow while preparing for a chimpanzee trek in Rwanda in either Nyungwe or Cyamudongo forests to ensure safety of tourists and the primates being visited.

During a chimpanzee trekking safari in Rwanda, tourists can stay in considerably luxuriant facilities coupled with excellent service delivery, these include the renown Gisakura guest house, Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel, Nyungwe Forest lodge, which are very spacious and customized to make tourists feel they are at a “home far away from home’’.