Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda is done in the remote, famous Nyungwe Forest National park. Rwanda is one of the three countries in the world gifted with the endangered mountain gorillas, the country is located in central Africa; it is landlocked and famously known as the land of a thousand hills. Chimpanzees are humans’ closest relatives, with 98.7 DNA.
Chimpanzee trekking is not as easy as gorilla trekking, as chimpanzees are always on the move, so it might sometimes require running in order to catch up; they always communicate by thunderous slapping of tree barks, loud screams and signals.
When it comes to primates in Rwanda, Nyungwe forest has got the highest concentration of primates in the country; it boasts 13 primate species and about 300 species of birds, butterflies and orchids can also be seen here, not forgetting the great chimpanzees for Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda.
In Rwanda there are mainly three places where you can trek chimpanzees from: Nyungwe forest national park, Gishwati Mukura national park and Cyamudongo forest. Chimpanzees can live for 40-45 years and are known to be intelligent
Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda in Nyungwe forest national park tourists will have great opportunities to see other primates like the Rwenzori colobus, black-faced vervet monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, and black and white colobus monkeys, they can do hiking and the most interesting activity here is the Nyungwe canopy walks that will give you one of your best lifetime experiences.
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park can be combined with an experience of gorilla trekking at volcanoes national park, chimpanzees in Cyamudongo forest can be found more easily while trekking than chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest because Cyamudongo forest is smaller in size, making chimpanzees easily accessible.
When trekking chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest, tourists have three reception centers to set off for chimpanzee trekking from. These centers are Uwinka, which is the main one, Kitabi and Gisakura. There are trackers who go ahead to track chimpanzees earlier on and then communicate with ranger guides on where to find them this is because chimpanzees nest in different places every night.
There are various accommodation units where tourists can stay while on a chimpanzee trekking tour, some of which are the Inzozi Beach Hotel, the Nyungwe Forest Lodge, the Gisharuka Guest House, and the Nyungwe Top Hill Hotel, among others.
The price for Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda at Nyungwe forest national park is $90 per person and tourists are not limited to any time to observe and study chimpanzees, unlike gorillas, where observation time is strictly one hour from the time they find them.
Children under the age of 16 years will not be allowed to track chimpanzees; tourists will be advised to carry rain jackets, hiking shoes, insect repellents, drinking water and some energizing snacks.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda is more of an advantage than trekking mountain gorillas because gorilla permits are pricier than chimpanzee permits. The estimated number of chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest national park is 500 there are chances that you will trek chimpanzees and not even see them but once you get the memories, they are unforgettable.
Nyungwe forest can be accessed within a two-hour drive from the city of Kigali, Rwanda, while Cyamudongo is a four-and-a-half-hour drive from the city of Kigali.
Chimpanzee trekking always starts at 5:30 am in the morning.
For more information about Rwanda Primate safaris such as Gorilla trekking in Rwanda , Golden Monkey trekking in Rwanda or wildlife safars in Rwanda, Don’t hesitate to contact us at info@focuseastafricatours.com
