Visiting the national park is an experience everyone would be eager to live. Visiting Nyungwe national park marked the realisation of my dream.

I got that chance during the second phase of Tembera u Rwanda, the three-month campaign that aims to endorse domestic tourism by awakening Rwandans’ interest to visit attraction sites in the country. 

The first phase in October had people visiting heritage sites in Nyanza and Huye districts. The following phase, 70 local tourists and journalists crossed 7 districts from Kigali to experience the natural world in Nyungwe national park.

The travelers had a unique experience in the forest, matchless because it was a trip to such a beautiful place that was never seen before. 

Speaking about the trip, Belize Kaliza, RDB chief tourism officer, said: " We continue to encourage Rwandans to visit the wonderful attractions around the country, there is indeed a lot to love, to see and do,” she said. 

She added that they hoped the general public will continue to embrace "Tembera u Rwanda” and the interest in exploring the country which continues to grow.

Nyungwe forest at a glance

Nyungwe forest covers 1,019 square kilometres. The forest was a reserve forest until 2005 when it was turned into a national park. 

It is home to1,068 plant species, among them 20 per cent can be used as medicines. There are 275 bird species, 13 species of primates which include monkeys and apes. 

The adventure  Before the beginning of the trip, tourists were told to bring with them warm clothes in the forest because it rains 9 months per year which means that it can rain anytime.

When we entered the forest, everything seemed alien to many who were having their maiden trip to such a dense forest and Narcisse Ndayambaje, our tour guide had a lot to explain. He had to brief us with safety measures to avoid any accidents. 

The most important precaution was that we go and come as we went. This meant to never leave anything in the forest save our footprints to avoid anything that would harm the animals.

The five-hour drive from Kigali to Uwinka overlook, the starting point of our tour, was taking forever because of our enthusiasm to see the nature that we had already perceived when we saw the itinerary of the tour.

Along the way, tourists kept their eyes out of the windows to see the primates that occasionally appeared by the road side.

Camping at Uwinka 

Uwinka Overlook is the visitor center where tourists get hiking equipment such as boots and raincoats as well as refreshments. There is also a campsite where people warm themselves and take dinner around a campfire and sleep in comfortable tents.

Although it felt strange for some people including me, to sleep in the tents, it was amazing to unzip it and sleep in the sleeping bag. The tents were too close that, back from the trip, tourists made jokes about how they could not sleep due to snoring neighbors. 

At Uwinka, we also saw the skull of the last elephant that lived in Nyungwe as well as traps used by poachers to kill it. 

Canopy walkway  The tour to the canopy is the first trip since it is the nearest to the visitor center, Uwinka. 

While in Nyungwe forest, I was struck by different things in the jungle but mostly the canopy walkway. The canopy is1km-walk from Uwinka and was constructed in 2010. It consists of three parts, the first being 45 metres long, the second, 90m and the last 25m. The canopy hangs midair 60 metres from the ground.

The aerial walkway brings an unmatched excitement for many. Everyone looked delighted although there was a sense of fright for many.

When walking on the canopy, many feel afraid of falling as the canopy shakes. However, the guide told us that the canopy can support 4 tones and that it has a 30-year warranty, this gave us some comfort. 

Tea tour 

Tea not only serves as a tasteful drink but also beautiful nature. Kitabi Tea plantation is a case study of the beauty of tea hills that tourists experienced.

Meanwhile, tourists made stopovers at Nyanza and Kitabi College of Conservation & Environment Management for refreshment. 

Bird watching 

Another team of tourists had the opportunity to hear the melodious sounds and see the beauty of the 310 species of colorful birds in the forest. 

The Kamiranzovu waterfall

At sunrise, we took off towards the Kamiranzovu waterfall on the second day of our trip. The origin of the name Kamiranzovu which loosely translates "elephant swallower” is the swamp that elephants got stuck in and sunk.

The 10 km trip to the waterfall is a 4 hour trek from the edge of the forest.

At the waterfall, the guide had to be patient to let tourists stay longer than expected, watching inquisitively and taking selfies. It was also peculiar to see waters of Kamiranzovu river with the coffee like color due to the stones in it. 

As the trip went on, those who got tired sat on jungle benches and rested before resuming. 

In the evening, many raised complaints over the lack of network because they could not share their delightful moments with their friends on social media. However, we were told that it is a good experience in adventure tourism to live a lifestyle you are not accustomed to. 

Participants share their experience

The stunningly beautiful and unique places left everyone in unprecedented amusements. 

Gicaniro Iyamuremye said: "I am really happy, it was a great experience. It’s part of my long desire to know my people and my country economically, socially and geographically. You have to know yourself, traveling Rwanda and knowing my country is part of knowing myself. 

I already had a perception that Rwanda is beautiful. The waterfall was amazing, the trek, beautiful trees, you name it. So I expected to see beauty and I have seen beauty and my expectations have really been met”. 

"I enjoyed the whole trip but specifically the camping because it was the first time. I was surprised that the tents have a platform, there are very safe and clean. The trip to the waterfall was also amazing. Meeting other people was also a wonderful experience, said Omar Habineza, another tourist. 

"The trip was more amazing than I expected. We need to know about our country,” he added. 

Happiness Uwase also said: "I’ve been looking for this trip for a long time. I had a good time. The trip was amazing. Everything was a sort of movie, especially at the canopy. I really enjoyed it. The trees are beautiful, the forest is clean and everything is organized. People need to come to Nyungwe”. 

Those who budget for recreational trips are considered by many, spendthrifts. There are very beautiful places to visit, but, one of the tourists argued that those who are unwilling to visit attractions sites will always find hooks to hang excuses on. 

Despite visitors’ satisfaction, the visited areas, according to park managers, are just a tip of the iceberg, given that there are more precious things to see such as the source of the river Nile, Congo Nile divide, Bigugu, the highest altitude in the park with 2, 950 meters, among others. 

editorial@newtimes.co.rw