Activities in Gishwati- Mukura National Park.
Activities in Gishwati- Mukura National Park are the things that travellers visiting the park can enjoy on their safaris. The park is situated in the western part of Rwanda, approximately 3 hours’ drive from Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. The park is celebrated for its rich biodiversity, which attracts hundreds of visitors to explore its uniqueness. It hosts up to 60 tree species and 230 bird species, including Albertine Rift endemics, forest birds, water birds, migratory birds, and the park’s residents, which are rare to find anywhere else. It is also home to over 5 primate species, including over 20 chimpanzee individuals, golden monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, blue monkeys and more, and 20 mammal species. The park’s diversity is supported by the presence of a mix of various ecosystems like tropical rainforests, swamps, montane forests, and grasslands, which provide habitats to various birds, plants and animal species. There are various activities that travellers can do on their safari, including bird watching, nature walks, chimpanzee trekking, and golden monkey tracking.
Activities in Gishwati- Mukura National Park.
Bird Watching.
Bird watching is one of the best activities in the park, which gives bird lovers a chance to explore the park’s rich avian life. The park hosts over 230 bird species, including forest birds, water birds, migratory birds and Albertine Rift endemics. Bird watching is a guided activity led by an experienced park birder who provides insights about the bird species encountered. Some of the birds to encounter include Crowned Hornbill, Gray-headed Kingfisher, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Lesser Honeyguide, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Elliot’s Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Bearded Woodpecker, Olive Woodpecker, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, Eurasian Kestrel, Rwenzori Batis, Chinspot Batis, Northern Puffback, Lüdher’s Bushshrike, Tropical Boubou, Willard’s Sooty Boubou, Albertine Boubou, Many-colored Bushshrike, Doherty’s Bushshrike, Lagden’s Bushshrike, Gray Cuckooshrike, Black Cuckooshrike, Mackinnon’s Shrike, Northern Fiscal, African Golden Oriole, Black-tailed Oriole, Common Bulbul (Dark-capped), White-browed Crombec, Grauer’s Warbler, Red-faced Woodland-Warbler, African Yellow-Warbler.
Chimpanzee Tracking.
This is one of the most rewarding activities in Gishwati- Mukura National Park, which gives nature lovers an opportunity to have a close encounter with the endangered chimpanzees. The park is home to over 30 chimpanzee individuals. Chimpanzees are believed to be our closest relatives on Earth, sharing 98% of human DNA, and having a close encounter with them allows travellers to appreciate nature. Chimpanzee tracking involves moving through the dense forest in search of the endangered chimps in their natural habitats. This is a guided activity led by an experienced park guide who identifies various animal and bird species encountered in the park. Tracking takes between 2 and 4 hours, depending on the movement of chimps as they keep on moving from one place to another in search of food. Once located, participants spend strictly one hour with them, observing their behaviours. They can see them playing from tree to tree, mothers taking care of the young ones, feeding and more, which is one in a lifetime experience.
Nature walks.
Nature walks are among the most interesting activities to do in Gishwati- Mukura National Park, that allows travellers to explore the park on foot. This is a guided activity led by a knowledgeable park guide, who provides information on wildlife species encountered. The park has well-maintained trails which are specifically for nature walks, and all provide excellent chances of exploring the park’s beauty. They will encounter birds like Bearded Woodpecker, Olive Woodpecker, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, Eurasian Kestrel, Rwenzori Batis, Chinspot Batis, Northern Puffback, Lüdher’s Bushshrike, Tropical Boubou, Willard’s Sooty Boubou, animals like duikers, forest elephants, vervet monkeys and more.
