Best time to trek chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park
Chimpanzee trekking is one of the popular activity carried out in Nyungwe National Park situated in the South West part of Rwanda on the border with Burundi in the south and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the western part on the lake Shore of Kivu Lake covering 1,019 km2. The Best Time to Trek Chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park will depend on each tourist’s individual preferences.
Chimpanzees are among the primates species found in High Mountain and tropical forests. In Rwanda chimpanzees live in Nyungwe National forest. Nyungwe forest was declared a National Park in 2004 by the Republic of Rwanda and is also known to be home to around 13 primates. It is also home to 322 bird species as well as various plant species estimated at around 1068 plant making is multi-biodiversity forest. Tourists who visit Nyungwe National Park are mostly in search of Chimpanzee, although there other popular activities in the park include the famous canopy walk which is a suspended bridge of 160 meters long and 70 m high. It is also a good spot for bird watching.
Nyungwe National Park counts around 500 chimpanzees living in small families habituated by park rangers to be visited by humans. Chimpanzee trekking is one of the memorable activities that attracts a big number of tourists and it is sometimes combined with gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes National Park.
There are some factors that can be based on choosing when to trek gorillas in addition to individual considerations. The rain season is the best time to trek with chimpanzees. This is from October to May. This is a time when there are plenty and chimpanzees are able to find them at a close distance without traveling much, thus they can be spotted easily. It is also the best time to trek with chimpanzees if one wants to combine it with bird watching as some migratory birds are also present.
The best time to trek chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park is early in the morning as they wake up early searching for food. It would be easier as they are gathered in a family to eat together and have fun. To trek chimpanzees, tourists will be advised to wake as early as 5:00 Am to start their journey by a briefing at the Park headquarter before embarking in the forest in search of these shy primates.
As we saw above, the wet season is considered the best time to trek chimpanzees, but this is to note that this is the busiest time of the chimpanzee trekking. A tourist who wants to trek chimpanzee will need to have a reliable tour operator to advise on the best time to trek chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park and help him or her book the trekking permit. It will also help you in planning for other logistics including transport and accommodation within or around the park to be able to meet the timing of the trek. Simply reach out to us with your request and we process everything starting from designing your itinerary, booking your entrance tickets, accommodation as well as your transport throughout your stay.
