Gishwati-Mukura National Park is located on the ridge that divides the Congo and Nile water catchment areas along a magnificent biodiverse Albertine Rift valley west of Rwanda.
It has a great forest made up of over 60 tree species, which include indigenous hardwoods and bamboo.
Gishwati-Mukura National Park is Rwanda’s fourth National Park, with two separate forests that mark an incredible distinction from the rest of the National Park.
That is to say, larger Gishwati and smaller Mukura, which form a total of over 34 square kilometers alongside a buffer zone.
Being a greater and larger part of the forest, Gishwati provides a home to a group of 20 chimpanzees, which live together with the golden monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, and the blue monkeys.
Besides, it is a great habitat for birds, being home to over 232 bird species at Gishwati and over 163 at Mukura, making a perfect and careful representation.
The Gishwati-Mukura National Park was formalized in 2015 to help redress the balance and increase the number of trees with their environmental benefits due to explicit human activities like deforestation for settlement, illegal mining in the mineral-rich forest, and livestock farming that largely destroyed the park.
Activities carried out at Gishwati-Mukura National Park
The activities carried out at Gishwati-Mukura National Park include:
- Chimpanzee trekking
- Golden monkey trekking
- Bird-watching
- Fishing
- Hiking Gishwati hills
- Visiting the rushing waterfalls
- Nature walks
Accommodation
Most of the visitors at Gishwati-Mukura National Park, Rwanda, are hosted at the Forest of Hope Guest House under a charge of 250 USD per person per day.
Other accommodations include:
- Gishwati Lodge
- Emeraude Kivu Resort
- Golden Monkey Hotels
- Peace Guest Hotel
- KCCEM Guest House
The best time to visit the park is anytime during the year, both wet and dry seasons; however, the best time is during the dry season, from June to September.
You will need to drive from Kigali to the park, which is about a 2 to 3-hour drive. There is an option of a chartered flight from Kigali to Gishwati-Mukura.
By and large, explore the amazing natural environment at Gishwati-Mukura National Park and have an indelible experience with the colorful birds, shy nocturnal mammals, trees, and rushing waterfalls alongside a wide range of principles and their families.
