Overview
Known as “The Land of a Thousand Hills”, Rwanda is a country that boasts both scenic beauty and cultural charm. A country that comprises a myriad of impressive national parks brimming with wildlife, diverse landscape and defining contours. Some Parks have landscapes of grasslands and swamps, of lakes and hiking trails, while others take you deep into impenetrable forests and out onto open savannah plains.
With a focus on and commitment to preserving their National Parks and the country’s diverse ecosystems. Efforts include supporting eco-tourism, maintaining ecological balance and providing research opportunities. Protecting the endangered mountain gorillas, as well as conserving Rwanda’s natural heritage and supporting the country’s sustainable development goals.
Visitors to Rwanda are offered diverse experiences that range from primate encounters to canopy walks and birdwatching, and an unforgettable Rwanda safari adventure that will have guests scouting forests for Golden Monkeys, plains for lion and elephant and standing in awe of the Virunga mountain range.
Volcanoes National Park
Location and Landscape
Located in the Northwestern part of Rwanda, the Volcanoes National Park forms part of the Virunga Mountains range and presents a dramatic landscape of dormant volcanoes and lush montane forests that cover an area of around 62 square miles. With altitudes that range from 7,000 to 15,000 feet where Mount Karisimbi stands tall, the scenery is simply dramatic. The five volcanoes found at Volcanoes National Park are: Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo.
Wildlife and Biodiversity
With a terrain comprising rich rainforest foliage and bamboo, the Volcanoes National Park is famous for its mountain gorilla population, which is around a third of the world’s remaining 1000, and the once-in-a-lifetime experience of a mountain gorilla trekking adventure. Rwanda has successfully outlined strong conservation efforts to increase gorilla numbers and in maintaining a viable destination for other endangered species such as the golden monkey. These fascinating and striking monkeys are only found in the high altitudes of the Volcanoes National Park and their shrill calls are a delight to hear through the forest.
The Volcanoes National Park is home to over 200 distinct bird species with around 16 species that are endemic to the Albertine Rift. These include birds such as the Francolin and the Rwenzori double collared sunbird. From swamps to flouring forests, birdwatching in the Volcanoes National Park is fantastic. Other animals one can see include bushbuck, black fronted duiker and spotted hyenas.
Activities and Visitor Experience
Embarking on a mountain gorilla trekking adventure is a truly incredible experience and being prepared for this expedition both mentally, physically and ensuring you are well-equipped. With a clear briefing from your guide and items such as walking boots, waders, long-sleeve shirt and long pants both neutral in color, set aside, you are good to go. Slow trails wind through the forest and up the mountain, your guide leads and with the assistance of your much-appreciated porter, your adventure is under way. When you come across the family of gorillas, stillness and awe unfold.
While gorilla trekking is the key activity for visitors to the Volcanoes National Park, there are other amazing wildlife encounters and cultural experiences guests to the Park can enjoy. Golden monkey trekking thrills with gentle walks through the forest, eyes peeled for these fascinating animals, their calls guiding you to look up and look out. Having the chance to head out with a qualified birdwatching guide will ensure you don’t miss one feathered delight, with over 200 species resident in the Volcanoes National Park, you are bound to be delighted with your birdwatching outing.
Guests can discover the underground cave system that was created by volcanic eruption when embarking on a walking trail to Musanze Caves. The Caves are geographically fascinating and views outwards overlook montane forest, bamboo forest and grasslands. Other experiences include an intense hike to American Primatologist, Dian Fossey’s tomb, with a chance to spot buffalo and even elephant, during your hike. Other hikes include a seven hour hike to Mount Bisoke, one of the volcanic mountains in the Virunga mountain range.
Visitors to the Volcanoes National Park cultural visit to the nearby Nyange community, where guests have a chance to interact with local villagers learning about their heritage and current way of life. Discover how to weave baskets, brew local beer and be entertained by cultural dancers and singers. Round off your experience in the Volcanoes National Park with a quiet walk through the Buhanga sacred forest, retracing the steps of local kings, gaining an understanding of how forest was turned into farmland many years ago.
Akagera National Park
Location and Landscape
Step inside Rwanda’s only savannah park when visiting the Akagera National Park, located in Eastern Rwanda, along the border with Tanzania and a drive of around two to three hours from the capital city, Kigali. The Akagera National Park boasts a landscape of diverse ecosystems that include savannah, woodland, wetland and lakes. It forms part of the larger Akagera River Basin and provides roaming space for incredible wildlife which include the “Big Five” and many other nocturnal favorites and a wonderful birdlife.
Wildlife and Biodiversity
The open savannah plains and wondrous woodlands that make up the Akagera National Park are teeming with incredible wildlife, and safaris both day and night will afford visitors the chance to encounter animals such as lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo…the “Big Five”, as well as mammals which include zebras, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, antelopes. Night visitors include leopards, hyenas, civets and bushbabies.
With over 500 bird species, sightings are frequent with red-faced barbet and the African fish eagle popular to spot, the latter’s call a breathtaking and tranquil sound to hear. If you find yourself in the right place at the right time on your safari drive or bush walk, you may well spot the comical Shoebill Stork. Enjoying a boat ride through the swamps of Akagera National Park keep an eye out for the brilliant red-bellied Papyrus gonolek.
With a strong commitment to wildlife and wilderness conservation, efforts have been well-rewarded with successful reintroduction of lions in 2015 and the black rhino in 2017. They adhere to strict anti-poaching measures with well-trained rangers, helicopters and a K9 unit for tracking, all focusing on keeping rhino poachers at bay. With a 75-mile electric fence installed to prevent human-wildlife conflict and community engagement, ensuring local communities are included in key roles in Park management and tourism and giving back to surrounding communities all go a long way to conserve this important National Park and its inhabitants.
Activities and Visitor Experience
With a focus on game drives, safaris are exciting in the Akagera National Park, with sightings of the “Big Five” which include elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, leopard and lion, often seen. Drives take place early in the morning with a qualified safari guide traversing savannah and woodlands in search of wonderful wildlife. Visitors are encouraged to bring a hat, binoculars and of course a camera to snap unforgettable animal sightings in one of Rwanda’s most popular game parks.
When planning a visit to Akagera National Park, visitors may wish to combine this with a gorilla trekking expedition, the two experiences complimenting each other extremely well. Consider traveling in the cooler, winter season when vegetation is best and the weather mild. Visitors can enjoy night drives too which is a highlight of a safari in Rwanda. Bushbabies, civets and other nocturnal treats such as porcupine and hippos can be spotted. Serious ornithologists can enjoy popular birdwatching tours in the Akagera National Park.
Water activities include boat safaris on Lake Ihema and in the papyrus swamps, where birdlife is prolific and excursions such as fishing trips are an option. Guests can also enjoy ‘behind-the-scenes’ conservations tours with a team of environmentalists who will show you the incredible work that takes place to secure the integrity of the landscape and wildlife in the Park. Community visits are also popular where guests will get an inside look at the rich heritage and culture of surrounding communities and learn how to create local crafts.
Nyungwe Forest National Park
Location and Landscape
One of Africa’s oldest rainforests, Nyungwe Forest National Park is alive with wildlife that ranges from a myriad of primate species which include chimpanzees and is home to over 300 bird species. The Park lies in the Southwestern region of Rwanda, bordering Burundi to the south and Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. The Park covers around 395 square miles and altitudes range from approximately 995 miles to 1880 miles. The terrain is mountainous with some steep slopes and deep valleys and the Nyungwe Forest National Park comprises one of Africa’s oldest and largest montane rainforests.
Wildlife and Biodiversity
The Nyungwe Forest National Park offers a mix of dense forest that has tea plantations on the borders and bamboo groves scattered around. Numerous rivers and streams run through the Park, feeding both the Nile and Congo rivers. The Park’s diverse landscape and high altitude creates a unique ecosystem that supports a wide variety of flora and fauna, making it a truly diverse location in East Africa.
Temperatures are cool due to the high altitude and visitors will often experience rainfall and feel misty conditions. One of the most biodiverse forests with over 1000 plant species, 310 species of bird and 13 primate species, the Nyungwe Forest National Park offers a fulfilling safari and comprises natural beauty such as the breathtaking waterfalls including the picturesque Isumo waterfall.
Wildlife is incredible in Nyungwe Forest National Park, with endemic and rare species such as the L’Hoest’s monkeys and yellow-backed duiker. The primate population found in the Nyungwe Forest National Park makes up 25% of Africa’s primate species and includes chimpanzees and the rare Rwenzori colobus monkeys. With success in eco-tourism and incredible conservation efforts, flora, fauna and fantastic wildlife thrive in this important Rwanda national park.
Activities and Visitor Experience
This combination of ecological importance, unique experiences, and successful conservation makes Nyungwe truly outstanding. Some of the exciting experiences visitors can enjoy in Nyungwe Forest National Park include a canopy walk where visitors can walk among forest trees and gain a unique perspective of the forest. Hiking trails are intertwined throughout the Forest and offer walks of varying levels of difficulty. For guests looking for something a little different, visits to the tea plantations can be arranged
Bird watching is popular in the Nyungwe Forest National Park, a true haven for birders, boasting a number of rare and endemic species. Some of these include the Ruwenzori Batis and Archer’s Robin Chat. Other exciting explorations include chimpanzee tracking, an adventure that will bring visitors in close range to charming and cheeky chimpanzees. Your guide will brief you before you head out on your trek and ensure you have the correct clothing which will include good walking shoes and cool, long sleeve clothing. Your time spent trekking depends on how long it takes to see and find the chimps, and time spent admiring them at play.
Gishwati-Mukura National Park
Activities and Visitor Experience
The Gishwati-Mukura National Park is Rwanda’s newest and less-crowded national park and was established in 2015. It is located in Western Rwanda, around 37 miles and is a combination of Gishwati and Mukua forests. The Park is mostly montane rainforest and covers approximately 3427 hectares and altitudes range from 7600 to 8600 feet. The terrain can be described as undulating green hills meeting pockets of forested havens. There is a large focus on regenerating and maintaining the montane rainforest ecosystem, with efforts such as water management, implementing strategies to adapt to climate change and involving community while practicing sustainable tourism.
Wildlife and Biodiversity
The park is part of a reforestation and conservation effort, aiming to restore the once-depleted forest and create a wildlife corridor to Nyungwe National Park. Furthermore, in February 2016, the Government recognized the conservation efforts of Mukura and Gishwati forests, and they became the Gishwati-Mukura National Park.
The Park is home to a number of unique species and these include the Eastern chimpanzee which is one of the area’s flagship species, and the Golden monkeys which are endemic to the Albertine Rift. The L’Hoest’s monkey can be found in the Park, a timid species endemic to the region. Keeping up to date with forest restoration is important to maintain the ecosystem and biodiversity of the Park.
With deforestation practiced in the past and a vital need to ensure the habitat for endangered species is secure, reintroducing specific flora and fauna and creating a wildlife corridor with Nyungwe National Park are key examples of how this can be and should be carried out in the near future. Restoring natural water systems, preventing soil erosion and ensuring local communities are involved in sustaining the environment are vital efforts at the Gishwati-Mukura Forest National Park.
Activities and Visitor Experience
Visitors to the Gishwati-Mukura National Park offers visitors a wonderful opportunity to explore its biodiversity and enjoy hiking, trekking and biking on various trails in and around the park. The Park is less-crowded giving visitors a chance to explore and experience this scenic reserve with less people chimpanzee trekking or out on a nature walk.
Visitors can enjoy a guided bush walk with the chance to spot blue monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys or the black and white colobus monkeys. Trekking to see chimpanzees or golden monkeys are popular in this Park. Small animals that can be spotted include several cats, black-fronted duiker and the Southern tree hyrax. There are over 200 bird species and specialized ornithological excursions can be arranged. Hiking trails are available for visitors to explore the wonderful nature, birds and picturesque waterfalls, and taking time to experience local communities and learn about their heritage, skills and traditions.
Summary
With four incredible national parks each with a diverse landscape, rich biodiversity and incredible wildlife, visiting the National Parks of Rwanda each deliver an unforgettable wildlife and natural beauty experience. Protecting these areas and maintaining environmental conservation will provide a safe haven for unique wildlife and ecosystems. Gorilla trekking is an excellent way to ensure conservation efforts for these gentle giants are observed, and at the same time, the money generated from tourism creates employment and directly assists local communities. Spending time in the Volcanoes National Park, the Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park and Gishwati-Mukura National Park will not only touch your soul and introduce you to some colorful characters, but it will certainly aid in sustaining this incredible environment.