Nyungwe Forest Lodge is located in the South West of Rwanda in the Nyungwe Forest National Park. The main draw here is trekking to find and interact with the wild chimps that make this area such a fascinating place to visit, this is one of the few remaining areas of the world where this is possible. There are actually a lot of of other things to do whilst you are at Nyungwe Lodge though including canopy walks and treks through the dense forest to find some almost fairytale waterfalls.
Nyungwe Forest Lodge is around a 5 hour drive from Kigali and it can also rather lavishly can be reached by helicopter. It is set in dense forest in the Nyungwe National Park which is famed for its incredible biodiversity. The forest is alive with birdlife and a seriously diverse range of flora which would impress any botanist! Dotted amongst the masses of mahogony and ebony trees are beautiful waterfalls with an almost fairytale quality.
The lodge itself is extremely well designed and fits in beautifully with its surroundings which makes it a really tranquil place to base yourself. The rooms are well thought out and very luxurious, the large beds are spacious and modern bathrooms are a delight to return to after a day in the forest.
Nyungwe forest is most famous for its primate life, in particular the Chimpanzees. It is possible to trek through the forest to find a habitualised chimpanzee group and see how they interact and witness the complex social structures that exist within the troop. Although this is the main draw for Nyungwe, the high wire bridge canopy walk is also fantastic and you could easily spend days on end at the waterfalls.
This is an incredible addition to any safari, and Rwanda is particularly easy to reach from the Serengeti - A Rwanda and Tanzania safari would be truly spoiling really fantastic variety. In fact, a direct flight goes between the two meaning you can be watching lions on the open plains one day before tracking chimps through dense forest the next. If you have the time (and the money!), really do try and incorporate this into a Tanzania Safari.It is a completely different type of safari, and treking the Chimps is a really special way of being close to nature and seeing these amazing creatures really up close.
