Canopy Walk In Nyungwe Forest
Introduction
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Therefore, one should not fear having a canopy walk at any time he or she feels like.
A canopy walk is a walk through nyungwe national park in Rwanda. It is quite an exciting and impressing activity in this area. This walk is usually done on a suspended bridge 70 m high above the great nyungwe forest and this walk is guided on 160 m long and it takes 2 hours while on this bridge to reach your destination of the day. During your walk in the nyungwe forest, you will come across numerous wild animal species including the endangered chimpanzees and other primates. The forest has over 300 bird species, several amphibians, reptiles and insects. All these make the canopy walk an interesting one and enjoy full to the tourists. More so on that, the forest has over 1000 unique tree species that many tourists may want to know and research more about.
The canopy walk offers great view to the tourists for example, they get to see the beautiful land scape, lake kivu, the different nyungwe forest and they also spot some animal species, birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians in the forest. The canopy walk involves hiking because as you continue with your journey in the jungle, you will come across the suspended bridge from 1.2 km long igishigishigi trail, which is a hiking trail in nyungwe national park. After that trail you will have to join the 160 meters suspended bridge that is over the forest. This hiking trail tends to scare most of the tourists but then it is very easy even to the hikers who are just beginning the hiking and not yet experienced.
History of nyungwe national park
The park is located in south western region of Rwanda ,bordering in the south with lake kivu and the democratic republic of Congo found in the western part of the park .It covers an area of 1020 square kilometer and at the height between 1600 to 2950 meters above sea level .The forest has been in existence for over a thousand years .Nyungwe forest has over 300 bird species and over 75 mammal species including the 13 primates ,all this has made the national park more interesting and attractive to the tourists .
Nyungwe has got a canopy walk which has made it very unique from the other parks in Rwanda .it also has a bridge which offers an aerial view to the tourists to see the beautiful landscape and the reception centers like the one in kitabi near the entrance, the second one is uwinka in the middle of the park and the third is in gisakura.
Requirements for a canopy walk in nyungwe
Since a canopy walk is always a long journey and it is always on a steep slope, it requires some equipment’s and these include,
Sun glasses and a cape to protect you against the direct sunlight
You should also have boots that will help you in the hiking
You should also have a rain coat to protect you from the rain during your hike
The clothes should be long sleeved both the trousers and the shirts
Remember to carry insect repellent chemicals to protect you from the mosquitoes and other dangerous insects.
Remember to carry a camera with you to take the photos during the hike
You should carry a bottle of water and some snacks to help you during the hiking
Walking stick to help you during the hike
A small light bag
The cost of the permit for a canopy walk
The canopy walks in the nyungwe forest costa 60 dollars per person. The payments are made either in advance or at the front desk in the parks reception desk.
What is the best time for a canopy walk?
The canopy starts at uwinka visitor Centre; it starts at exactly 8 am till 10 am in the morning. The evening walk starts at exactly 3 pm. The canopy walk does not have a specific time for walking but it is done throughout the year. However, the best time is during the dry season. While hiking, there is always high expectations of rain and un conducive climate for humans which will require you to carry rain courts to protect you.
Where to stay during a canopy walk in the nyungwe forest national park
Nyungwe forest national park has a lot of accommodation facilities which facilitate the tourists who may have in the park for the canopy walk. some of these accommodation facilities include;
Nyungwe forest lodge
This is a luxury lodge in nyungwe national park. It was established in 2010 and has 20 luxury rooms. The rooms are all ensuite with bathrooms and toilets inside. The rooms have showers , free Wi-Fi , an electric kettle , a bar which is filled with all types of drinks , a reception , good staff that provides good services and care to the visitors which make them to always come back .The lodge has a balcony which helps to give them a good view in the park like viewing the beautiful landscape , bird watching and the canopy of the trees in the forest .Nyungwe forest has a health gym in the rooms , swimming pool , spa treatment and a campsite where the tourists set their tents at night . The tourists are provided with fire at night which provides warmth and protection to the tourists.
Gisakura guest house
This is a mid-range and a budget guest house at the same time. It is located 2 km from nyungwe forest national park. The guest house is close to gisakura tea estate. The guest house has rooms which are ensuite with bathrooms and toilets inside .Each room costs 43 dollars and 85 dollars .The rooms have free Wi-Fi , a bar inside which is full of drinks that any tourist may need during his stay at the lodge .The rooms have a reception , an electric kettle , a fridge , air conditioner and a balcony where the tourists rest after their walk on the canopy and this is the place which gives them a great view of the landscape and the different tree species in the environment .The lodge has gardens and a camp site where the tourists see their tents to rest in during the night .The tourists are provided with fire at night to provide protection and warmth at the same time .The guest house has activities like chimpanzee trekking , hiking , bird watching and nature walk .
to nyungwe forest national park .It is also a 4 to 5 hour drive from Kigali city .The hotel has staff which has care and looks after its clients well .Nyungwe top view hotel has rooms which are ensuite with bathrooms and toilets inside , the rooms have hot and warm water , they also have an electric kettle , a bar which Is filled with all types of drinks that any tourist may need during his stay in the park .The hotel has a balcony which gives a great view to the tourists to see the land scape , the birds , the canopy of the tress and so on .The hotel has a campsite which helps the tourists to set their tents and spend a night there ,the tourists are provided with fire at night which gives them protection and warmth at night hence making the tourists more happy and interested .
Nyungwe eagles nest
This lodge is quite interesting and it has given memorable stories to the tourists who always come there. The lodge is found in Rwanda on rusizi road. This lodge has rooms which are ensuite and have all rooms with bathrooms and showers inside. The rooms have hot water , warm and a bar inside which is well equipped with all types of drinks that any tourist in the canopy walk may like .The lodge has a swimming pool , a reception , and a restaurant which provides meals to all the clients both full and half board depending on what the clients have paid for and have asked for .The lodge has a a balcony which provides a greater view to the tourists to see appreciate the beauty of the world and the beautiful landscape .It has a campsite where the tourists set their tents at night and spend a night there .The tourists are provided with fire at night which is lit to provide protection and the warmth at night .
Peace guest house
This is both a mid-range and a budget range lodge. This guest house has good staff who can offer good services and good care to the clients that make them to always yearn to go back to the same lodge. It is located in in a distance of one hour and ten minutes to drive to uwinka reception and 47 minutes to drive to gisakura reception Centre. This lodge has rooms which are ensuite and have bathrooms, showers inside. The rooms have free Wi-Fi, an electric kettle, a bar which is full of all the drinks that any tourist may want during his stay in the nyungwe park. The lodge has a reception, a restaurant which provides all the meals both full board and half board depending on what the client has paid for or what his choice was. The lodge has gardens and a campsite where they set their tents to sleep in during the night. They are provided with fire which gives them protection and warmth at the night.
Rusizi progress hotel
This is a nice hotel that provides better services to its clients which make them to always come back for the same services.
The resort is a two star which is affordable to all the tourists. It is built in a fantastic place and environment ,it has a cool place , proper amenities and services .It is located in a distance of one hour and 10 minutes to uwinka reception , and 47 minutes to gisakura reception .The lodge has free Wi-Fi , a reception, a bar which is filled with all types of drinks that may be liked by any tourist in the park .The lodge has an electric kettle , a balcony which helps the tourists to view the beautiful canopy , the bird species , and the tress .It also has a campsite where the tourists set their tents to spend a night there . They are provided with fire at night which provides light, warmth and protection from the wild animals.
Emeraude kivu resort
This is a very nice resort which has attracted very many tourists from different areas .The hotel is a three resort hotel and it is found in the rusizi district .The lodge is located in a distance of 34km and it is a 44 minute drive to gisakura reception Centre .It is a one hour drive to uwinka reception center .The hotel is on the shores of the lake kivu with the best view of the islands and the democratic republic of Congo mountains .The lodge has rooms which are ensuite with bathrooms and shower rooms inside . The lodge has a bar which is filled with all types of drinks that any tourist may want to take. The lodge has gardens and a campsite where the tourists set their tents at night to spend a night there. They are provided with fire at night by the rangers, this fire helps to protect the tourists at night from the wild animals and to give them warmth.
Hotel du lac
This is such an amazing hotel that has helped to accommodate the tourists in the nyungwe forest national park. The hotel is located in rusizi and this is so far the best resort hotel in nyungwe. The hotel has rooms which are ensuite with bathrooms and toilets inside. The rooms have hot water, warm water and an electric kettle which helps them to boil their water. The hotel has a bar which is filled with all types of drinks that any tourist may like. The hotel has a balcony which has given a great view to the tourists such as viewing the beautiful landscape, the canopy of the trees and the birds.
Conclusion
Having a canopy walk in nyungwe forest at one time in your life can make you see the world more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Therefore, dare not to miss it in your life.
