Chimpanzee Trekking Safaris in Rwanda

Chimpanzee Trekking Safaris in Rwanda

Chimpanzee Trekking Safaris in Rwanda : Chimpanzee trekking is an exciting and challenging sport in Rwanda that takes people deep into the rain forest in search of habituated chimp families. After gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, chimpanzee trekking is Rwanda’s second most popular pastime. The Nyungwe Forest National Park, located in the south-western section of Rwanda, is one of Africa’s oldest and greatest montane rain forests.

The Nyungwe Forest National Park, located in the south-western section of Rwanda, is one of Africa’s oldest and greatest montane rain forests. Nyungwe Forest National Park is famous for chimp trekking, but it also has birds, butterflies, amphibians, reptiles, mammals such as duikers, serval cats, golden cats, African civet, side stripped jackal, vegetation zones such as sub alpine with species such as ferns, orchids, and other primates such as grey cheeked mangabey, black and white colobus monkey, vervet monkey, l’Hoest monkey, and silver monkeys among others.

Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda

Chimpanzee trekking is the most popular activity in Nyungwe National Park. There are around 1000 people in the national park, with approximately 60 habituated persons in Nyungwe forest alone and 30 habituated individuals in Cyamudongo forest, which is next to Nyungwe forest.

Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda’s Nyungwe forest national park begins early in the morning, at 5:00 a.m., and ends at 2 p.m. Visitors who want to undertake monkey tracking in Nyungwe National Park are first briefed by the park’s head ranger. Visitors are then divided into hiking groups of no more than six people.

Trekking begins at roughly 5:00 a.m. with a briefing, so guests should get up earlier for breakfast and then move to the starting location. Nyungwe forest national park is home to the most chimps in Rwanda, with around 60 habituated individuals in Nyungwe forest and 30 habituated individuals in Cyamudongo forest, a tiny relict forest located in Nyungwe forest. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park begins at one of three visitor centres: Uwinka, which also serves as the park’s headquarters, Kitabi, and Gisakura.

When going on chimpanzee trekking tour in Rwanda, visitors should have a packed lunch and drinking water to keep them energized during the journey. Following training on the regulations and expectations for chimp trekking, guests are divided into groups of eight and then meet the park guides as they proceed into the forest for trekking. Chimpanzee trekking excursions in Rwanda takes between 2 and 6 hours, depending on the position of the chimps, as they tend to travel from one spot to another in quest of food.

Visitors spend one hour with the chimp families in their natural environment, documenting the moments, taking photographs, watching the chimps play with each other in the trees, watching them feed, mothers breastfeeding and nursing young ones, and so on.

Chimpanzee trekking is an exciting activity because chimps are joyful, lively, noisy, mobile, and playful in comparison to mountain gorillas, which are peaceful. On your chimp trekking adventure, you will see chimps playing and jumping up in the trees, moving long distances in search of food, fighting with each other, and many other things.

While doing chimpanzee trekking tours in Rwanda, you will be able to see other primates such as l’Hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, Rwenzori black and white colobus and various bird species such as yellow eyed black flycatcher, Rwenzori batis, Rwenzori apalis, purple breasted sunbird and others, making your chimp trekking safari enjoyable and rewarding.

Cost a Chimpanzee Trekking Permit in Rwanda.

A chimpanzee trekking permit is a legal document that allows tourists to track a chimp habituated family in Rwanda, either in Nyungwe Forest or Cyamudongo Forest. A chimpanzee trekking permit costs $90 for foreign non-residents and $60 for foreign residents in Rwanda. The one-day chimp trekking ticket permits you to spend one hour with the chimps in their natural habitat. The chimp trekking permit in Rwanda covers, among other things, the services of a park guide and the park admission cost.

Best Time for Chimpanzee Trekking Tours in Rwanda.

Chimpanzee trekking tours in Rwanda are possible at any time of year, but the optimum time is during the wet/rainy season, also known as the low season, which runs from March to May and October to November. The rainy season is great for chimp trekking because there will be enough of fruits and food for the chimps, limiting their movements and allowing them to be readily identified during trekking.

During the dry season, also known as the peak season, which lasts from June to September and December to February, there is less rainfall in the forest, which causes chimps to travel deeper into the forest in search of food, making trekking more difficult. The dry season, on the other hand, is ideal for canopy and wildlife excursions in the national park.

Packing List for Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda.

When visiting Rwanda for a chimp trekking tour, travelers are urged to bring the appropriate equipment for their chimp trekking safari, which includes;

• Chimpanzee trekking permit is the most important thing for chimp trekking because without a valid permission, you will not be able to trek any habituated chimp family in Nyungwe forest or Cyamudongo Forest.
• Hiking boots should be comfortable because you will be trekking for extended periods of time in the jungle, and they should be able to protect you from mud, especially during the rainy season, which is also the best time for chimpanzee trekking.
• Long sleeved shirt and trouser, the long sleeved garments will prevent your body from getting harmed while you journey through the forest full of prickly trees, as well as safari ant bites.
• Long socks, which will be tucked into the long pants to protect you from safari ants that may enter your trousers while trekking.
• Garden gloves, which will aid you during trekking since you may unknowingly touch a prickly tree. The garden gloves will also protect you from germs, and they may be removed for the one-hour picture session with the chimps.
• Walking stick: When you go chimp trekking, you are provided a walking stick that will provide you with assistance when trekking through the jungle, especially during the rainy season when the forest is muddy and treacherous.
• Visitors going on a chimpanzee trekking safaris in Rwanda should bring energy snacks such as packed lunch and drinking water since chimp trekking might take a few hours or even a whole day depending on their location, so the energy snacks will provide you energy to continue trekking.
• Insect repellent, which will protect you from insects in the jungle such as tsetse flies, safari ants, and mosquitos, among others.
• Porters, porters are always available to rent in Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park, and if you need someone to carry your backpack or give you a tug and a push while chimp trekking, they will be there.