Discover the wonders of Nyungwe Forest

The trip will bring you to the only remaining high altitude rainforest of East-Africa! Nyungwe Forest NP is a paradise for hikers and you will explore extensively this wonderful rainforest! On your way to Nyungwe you will take some time to enjoy a performance of the famous Intore dancers and to have a visit of the finest ethnographic museum of East-Africa!

• Min. 2 participants.

• Kigali: You can choose from 3 hotel categories. See the proposed hotels in the day by day program, itinerary.
  
   

• What is included?

The Tour package includes: Airport transfers, accommodation, all meals, plenty of mineral water, the services of a driver-guide, all park and entry fees, all activities as per programme: visit of the national Museum, performance of the Intore dancer, all guided primates walks in Nyungwe, Kigali visit including the Genocide Memorial Centre at Gisozi.

It Excludes: Airline ticket, beverages, tips, visas and personal expenses.  

• What to bring with you?
  
  
  Money for your personal expenses (average of $ 50 p.p.), outfit with adapted colours for wildlife observation, good walking shoes, raingear, a few long-sleeve shirts, slippers, sweater for cool evenings, sun protection: hat, sunglasses, sun cream, video/photo camera, a 200 mm or longer telepholens is very usefull, reserve batteries, films and a torch.

Duration : 6 Days
Travelstyles : Road Safaris, Private Safaris, Lodge Safaris
Activities :  Bird Watching, Chimpanzee Trekking, Cultural Activities, Guided Nature Walks & Hikes.
Parks & places :  Butare and the National Museum, Genocide Memorial Centre - Gisozi & others, Lake Kivu, Nyungwe Forest NP.


Itinerary

Day 1 : Arrival at Kigali

Meet and greet at the Airport by your Safaris guide. Diner (D) is included in the package. Overnight at your Hotel. 

Flights: There are daily flights to Kigali out of Nairobi with Kenya Airways and Rwandair Express.

Accommodation : Budget: Hotel Chez Lando. Standard: Hotel Novotel. Exclusive: Serena Hotel.

Day 2 : Kigali - Butare - Nyungwe Forest NP.

After breakfast you will depart for Butare the second largest city of Rwanda and is regarded as the intellectual city of Rwanda. It hosts the National Museum, several academic (University) and research institutions.

On your way to Butare you will visit Nyanza (currently Nyabisindu) the former Mwami's palace (King's palace) and the seat of the feudal monarchy. The palace has been reconstructed to its 19th century state and shows a traditional dome that can be compared with the Kabaka's palace of Buganda.
 

You will visit the National Museum which is one the well set-up if not the finest ethnographic museum of East Africa. It's a good source of information on the cultural history of Rwanda and the region.

After the visit of the museum you will have a spectacular performance of the national ballet with the Intore-dancers.  The performance is regarded by many as one of the highlights of your safari. Lunch is foreseen in Butare and in the afternoon we will drive to Nynungwe Forest NP. Your driver-guide will stop at the Uwinka offices to have the last update on the presence of the semi-habituated groups of chimps and colobus monkeys. This will help you to prepare your activities of the next day. Overnight is foreseen at the Guest House of Gisakura. (B-L-D)

Rwanda has one of the finest traditional handicrafts of Africa. The ceramics, woodcarvings  and basketry are found in the streets of Kigali and Butare.

The "Intore", once the elite of the traditional Rwanda army, were not only trained as military but also in high jump and dance. They were known for there remarkable technique allowing them to jump over 2m40. The Intore became worldwide famous as dancers in 1958 when the World Expo was held in Brussels. Today Intore dancers are part of the rich Rwanda folklore.

The warriors dance is a jewel of the choreographic heritage of Rwanda. Dressed with a mane made of sisal fibre,  Tied up on ankles, little bells jingle on each step, giving the warriors dance a thrilling rhythm. Throughout the Intore  ballet, physical confrontation turns into artistic rivalry and then at "the end" comes out into a vigorous hug of the warriors. This is the most artistic gesture of friendship, mutual aid and protection.

The National Museum in Butare was donated in 1989 by the Belgium government and gave back a part of the ethnographic collection acquired during the colonial period. The design and concept of the museum was realized in co-operation with the Royal Museum for Central Africa of Tervuren, Belgium.  The modern building has different sections and displays a wide collection of monochrome pictures, traditional artefacts and objects, tools and different craft products. Ethnographic objects are grouped together according to theme giving excellent information on the daily life. Traditional ceramics and basketry are still manufactured and belong to the finest handicrafts of the region. The National Museum remained surprisingly untouched during the civil war in 1994.

Accommodation : Guest House of Gisakura (*)
Activities :  Cultural Activities
Parks & places :  Butare and the National Museum, Nyungwe Forest NP.

Day 3 : Nyungwe Forest NP

Nyungwe Forest NP is a paradise for hikers. The terrain is rugged and steep, and you will be at relatively high elevation. Wear good hiking shoes and bring warm clothing!

Your day will start with an early breakfast and a briefing at Uwinka tourist information centre. Depending on your personal interests you will have a choice of different opportunities to explore the largest high altitude rainforest of East Africa! Of a particular interest are the large social groups of Angolan Colobus (Colobus angolensis), which may be over 300 individuals. These are the largest troops of this species known in the world!  Nyungwe forest counts 25% of the African Primates!

One of these groups is semi-habituated and we recommend to start your exploration with a guided primate walk in search of the Angolan Colobus monkeys (black and white Colobus)! Rangers will tell you approximately where the group is located and the hiking times may vary as the group is travelling continuously looking for food. Be prepared to have a more strenuous hiking!

In the afternoon you can continue your exploration. There are different beautiful trails available and the superb waterfall trail of Gisakura is probably the most rewarding. The hiking time is 2 up to 3 hours and is a very enjoyable hike accessible to everybody! If you missed the Angolan Colobus you can have another try near to the tea factory where another troop is hosted. Overnight at the Guest house of Gisakura. (B-L-D)  

Nyungwe Forest is the only place in Africa where troops of 300 black-and-white colobus monkeys (Angolan Colobus) can be seen jumping in the trees! A spectacular sight!

Accommodation : Guest House of Gisakura (*)
Activities :  Bird Watching, Chimpanzee Trekking, Guided Nature Walks & Hikes.
Parks & places :  Nyungwe Forest NP.

Day 4 : Nyungwe Forest NP

If the chimps are nearby we recommend to have a chimp tracking experience in Nyungwe! Otherwise you may choose to have another guided primate walk or have one of the hikes in the well-maintained trails.

There are l’hoest monkeys and blue monkeys present and often observed around Uwinka, requiring less strenuous hiking. There is also an orchid garden at Uwinka and for those who would like a challenging hike we recommend the trail "the Bigugu Mountain", the highest peak in Nyungwe Forest at nearly 3000m.

Bird watchers will certainly be interested to know that Nyungwe has also some Albertine rift endemic species that can only be seen here! Birding is very rewarding on one of the special designed trails! Don’t forget to bring your binoculars with you! (B-L-D)

Nyungwe Forest has more than 100 species of orchids! 

Accommodation : Guest House of Gisakura (*)
Activities :  Bird Watching, Chimpanzee Trekking, Guided Nature Walks & Hikes.
Parks & places :  Nyungwe Forest NP.

Day 5 : Nyungwe Forest NP - Kigali

If you have not yet done the waterfall of Gisakura don't mis this last opportunity to explore it. Alternatively you can have a birding trip along one of the special birding trails. After lunch departure to Butare and Kigali. (B-L-D)

Accommodation : Budget: Hotel Chez Lando. Standard: Hotel Novotel. Exclusive: Serena Hotel.

Activities :  Bird Watching, Guided Nature Walks & Hikes.
Parks & places :  Nyungwe Forest NP.

Day 6 : Kigali visit and departure

The half day Kigali City trip (option) includes a visit to the Genocide Memorial Centre at Gisozi, which takes a few hours. It’s a touching visit! Transfer to Airport for departure. (B-L)

Genocide Memorials: In Rwanda you will find all over the country Memorials to remember the genocide of 1994. The most important Genocide Memorials are those of Kigali (Gisozi) and Murambi (Gikongoro) where the history of the genocide is explained. A visit to the genocide memorial is for most visitors an emotional event.

Parks & places :  Genocide Memorial Centre - Gisozi & others