Nyungwe National Park

With 1,019 km2 of dense Afromontane forests, bamboo-covered slopes, grasslands, and wetlands, Nyungwe is the largest area of forest in Rwanda and one of the oldest rainforests in Africa. The park supplies a sizable percentage of Rwanda’s freshwater and feeds two of the greatest rivers in the world, the Congo and the Nile. This remarkable terrain is home to over 1,100 recorded plant species, 345 bird species, 85 species of recognized mammals, including 13 species of African primates, including chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, and the Ruwenzori black-and-white colobus. The existence of Nyungwe’s unique biodiversity has historically been threatened by extensive poaching, illegal mining, unsustainable harvesting, and agricultural encroachment. The largest mountain rain forest on this side of Africa, hidden in the midst of tea plantations, can be rather misleading in its size if you only catch a glimpse of it up close. Probably the best-preserved forest in Africa is Nyungwe Forest. Some claim that it is Rwanda’s most significant place for biodiversity. After all, it is home to over 1000 different wildlife species. The park offers a vantage point for gorgeous views of the Virunga Mountains and the Congo and features wonderful, breath-taking landscape. Nyungwe showcases nature at its finest. In the early mornings and late evenings, it is frequently covered in cooling mists and is lush and exquisitely green.