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B l a ck a n d wh i te co l o b u s m o n ke y i n Nyu n g we Fo r e s t
Still, I would love to come back and spend more time in the forest. Theres nothing like hearing pant hoots from wild chimps or with a little bit of luck come across a monkey or two! Nyungwe is also home to East Africas only canopy walk. If youre afraid of heights forget it. David said that about half of visitors take the detour after taking one look at the bridge which towers over a valley in the rainforest. This includes the Prime Minister of Rwanda! Of course being a politician, Im sure he had a good excuse.
I wa tch e d th i s 30 ye a r o l d m a l e ch i m p fo r a fu l l h o u r .
Tu r a co , a b i r d e n d e m i c to Nyu n g we Fo r e s t i n Rwa n d a
Th e s o u r ce o f th e Co n g o Ri ve r i s m u ch s m a l l e r th a n I wa s e xp e cti n g .
Ea s t Afr i ca s o n l y ca n o p y wa l k i s i n Nyu n g we Fo r e s t.
I spent two days in Nyungwe but wish I could have spent three more. I would have loved to have done the Blue monkey and Mangabey guided treks which are only done in the morning. I also would have liked to have done a full day hike or perhaps even the three day hike to the source of the Congo. The only downside to Nyungwe is that its not cheap. Guided hikes start from $40, a trek to see Colobus, Blue monkey or Mangabeys is $70 and a visit to the chimps will set you back $150. Discounts are provided if you do the activities over multiple days. accommodation is also not cheap. There are only three different options. I stayed in the cheapest, which was VERY basic, with a shared bathroom. It cost $70 a night, which was a LOT for what it offered. I didnt see the other two hotels, but my guide Omar from Amahoro Tours told me that the one hotel had rates starting from $200 a night, while the other was over $300. Still, I felt my money was well spent to see the primates. Nyungwe is one of only a few places in the world where travelers have the incredible opportunity to observe rare primates in their native habitat. In addition, a portion of the money goes back into the local community and community members are given jobs in the park. As a result, poaching is relatively rare in Rwanda, unlike in most other parts of the world. Conservation has a price. Amahoro Tours, a locally owned Rwandan company can arrange your own personaliz ed trip to Nyungwe. Omar, my driver guide was kind enough to even stop when we saw monkeys on the side of the road! Thank you to Amahoro Tours for their support in my visit to Nyungwe Park. As always all opinions expressed are my own.