Nyungwe National Park

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One of Africa’s oldest rainforests, Nyungwe National Park is home to around 500 chimpanzees and 12 other primate species. Visitors come for chimpanzee treks, but the rainforest also offers some of Africa’s best birdwatching, more than 100 species of orchid and the chance to catch a glimpse of a leopard. Nyungwe has 15 excellent hiking trails, taking in waterfalls, mountain summits and forest walks.

Hidden gems in Nyungwe National Park

Nyungwe National Park

Explore the canopy of Nyungwe National Park

Philip Briggs

Place

It feels slightly reductive to refer to Nyungwe as a chimp-trekking destination. East Africa’s largest montane rainforest blankets a series of mountains that tumble like monstrous green waves either side of the main road that bisects it. Nyungwe also harbours an exceptional biodiversity, thanks to an altitudinal span of 1,600m to 2,950m. True, the main motivation for most visits is to see chimps. But it is worth dedicating several days to exploring Nyungwe’s spectacular scenery, exceptional birdlife and primate diversity along a 180km network of forest trails that includes East Africa’s only suspended canopy walk. Pros: Easily accessed on a surfaced road, Nyungwe combines well with gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and a Big Five safari in Akagera National Park. Chimps aside, Nyungwe offers a variety of activities that will keep keen hikers and wildlife enthusiasts busy for days. Cons: Trekking here can be tough going. Expect a pre-dawn start and drive of around two hours to reach the trailhead in good time. Once there, slopes are steep and slippery, and sightings are less reliable than the likes of Mahale or Kibale.

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Article

Decolonising African travel—and travel writing

Mazuba Kapambwe

Travel writing in Africa has always been an overwhelmingly white affair. Early accounts from 19th century explorers like Henry Morton Stanley and fiction writers like Joseph Conrad depicted Africa as uncivilised, mysterious and barbaric, reflecting the racist attitudes that underpinned European empire building.