Nyungwe National Park features a suspension bridge built 70 meters above a vast forest. When visiting Rwanda, tourists don’t deny themselves the opportunity to walk across such a bridge, embarking on the fascinating Canopy Walk to personally witness the beauty of the forest from a bird’s eye view. In this overview, you can learn more about Nyungwe Park in Rwanda, get recommendations for preparing for the planned walk, and discover the features of this exciting excursion.
Nyungwe National Park
Nyungwe National Park was opened in 2004 in Rwanda – it’s uniquely beautiful nature where you can get better acquainted with all the advantages of mountain tropical forest in Africa. The park’s area covers 1,019 km². This territory houses several forests at once: tropical, bamboo, swampy, along with grassy meadows and peat bogs.
The park has an advantageous location – just 5–6 hours’ drive from Rwanda’s capital (Kigali city). The road to the park can be called equally fascinating, so tourists can enjoy stunning views, among which the hilly terrain deserves special attention.
This park is among three popular National Parks of Rwanda. Its important feature and distinction is excellent safari, chimpanzee observation in their natural habitat, Canopy Walk, as well as other equally useful entertainments:
- hiking through the territory
- birdwatching
- visiting waterfalls
- enjoying nature
- encounters with other local inhabitants
It’s during Canopy Walk that tourists can see a large number of all inhabitants, observing them from the side.
When we talk about the park’s advantageous location, we must also note its close proximity to communities that grow and harvest tea. Here you can see complete tea plantations with your own eyes, watch how genuine Rwandan tea is collected, and participate in tastings. Particularly interested tourists get the opportunity to personally communicate with people engaged in tea cultivation, learning more about their culture, style, and way of life in Rwanda.
How to Prepare for the Walk: Simple Rules
It’s important that the walk brings maximum pleasure, so several simple preparation rules should be considered.
You need to bring the following:
- comfortable closed shoes – boots, sneakers
- raincoat
- snacks (not mandatory, but often required if the walk involves children)
- water bottle calculated per person
- camera to capture pleasant moments not only in memory
You should embark on the walk with good mood and excellent well–being, as tourists will have to walk a lot, so excessive sleepiness or illness can spoil the entire impression.
An organized forest walk under canopy is an excellent solution for those who want to combine adrenaline rush with love for nature.
A Bit of History and Fascinating Facts
The suspension bridge or canopy trail was built as part of a USAID project by the “Green Heart” group in 2010. The entire trail is divided into three main sections: 90m, 45m, and 25m. The 90m section has a height of 70m. As a result, this trail ranks third among all trails located in Africa and is considered the only one in the entire East African region.
Despite being suspended, the trail has a solid foundation, and park workers carefully monitor movement along the trail. Therefore, all necessary safety measures are applied, meaning even families with children can walk along the trail.
Schedule and Walk Start
Tourists are offered a walk schedule with the opportunity to choose the most convenient time: morning hours (08:00 and 10:00), afternoon (13:00), and
evening group (15:00). All visitors must pass through a special reception center, where each group will be assigned a specific guide and receive route instructions. If necessary, you can buy raincoats, walking sticks, and other items for the future walk here.
Together with the guide, tourists can climb the famous Igishigi trail, which offers stunning panoramic views. After this, you can walk across the suspension bridge (160m) that spans over large trees, getting better acquainted with Nyungwe’s biodiverse forest. Total duration of the organized walk: 2 hours.
Canopy Park Walk: What Awaits Tourists?
The proposed walk is allowed for children aged 6 and older, considering all the complexities of the chosen route. Cost: $60 per tourist. For maximum safety, a child must always be accompanied by at least one adult. The canopy park is open year–round, but the most favorable period for visiting the park is during Rwanda’s dry seasons, which occur twice a year: June–September, December–February. During this time, the trail becomes maximally dry, making hiking simple and quite comfortable.
While strolling along the forest trail, tourists’ eyes are opened to the following attractions:
- excellent nature of Eastern Africa
- Lake Kivu
- Nyungwe Forest
- animals, various insects, forest birds, amphibians, reptiles
During the walk, tourists can expect a small climb, as reaching the suspension bridge is only possible through the Igishigi trail, which is 2.1 km long, and also via the park’s hiking trail. Walking across the suspension bridge will be easy and pleasant even for beginners. However, mountain terrain features (steep relief) should be considered. But together with a guide, you can easily overcome the pre-planned route.
In the ancient Nyungwe forest lives a huge number of inhabitants and representatives of wildlife. Here live chimpanzees, 12 other primate species that are currently on the verge of extinction. The tropical forest’s biodiversity offers the opportunity to see more than 1,000 unique tree species, about 300 bird species, several species of reptiles and amphibians that live in their natural habitat conditions. As a result, this forest is called one of the richest and most unique, and tourists can personally appreciate its incredible beauty during a Rwanda safari.
On the bridges, you’ll manage to see specially built observation platforms located around the trunks of large and old trees. Here you can stop, enjoy excellent views, and take a couple of unique shots.