DISCOVER RWANDA
Helicopter Transfers to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Helicopter Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park: Visit Rwanda visitors can take helicopter flights to Nyungwe forest national park the most pristine forest in Rwanda. The famous chimpanzee trekking destination in Rwanda is abundantly blessed with rich in biodiversity that one cannot find not only in Rwanda but even elsewhere in East Africa. Nyungwe forest national park is believed to be the heart of Rwanda’s wildlife including a small population of unique chimpanzees as well as 12 other species of primate including the colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkey endemic to the Albertine Rift and spectacularly beautiful bird species. Helicopter flights to Nyungwe are always available from Kigali International Airport and this takes only 45 minutes.
Helicopter flying safaris are regular to Nyungwe forest landing at One & Only Nyungwe House helipad giving visitors quick access to Nyungwe Forest National Park. On arrival at Nyungwe House helipad, this is a short drive to the lodge. It is recommended to have a ground transfer arrangement on arrival to your accommodation. With the helicopter flights to Nyungwe Forest National Park, get to enjoy the spectacular aerial scenery of Rwanda. All helicopter flights to Nyungwe forest national park are operated by Akagera Aviation and approved by the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority. It is the first Rwandan company to be licensed in all three spheres of aviation being licensed as an Air services Operator, Aviation Training Organization and an Aviation Maintenance Organization. Kagera Aviation was appointed as a Robinson Helicopter Dealership and Service Center, flight in the East African Region.
Types of Helicopters used during Helicopter Transfers to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Agusta (AW 139)
The AW139 is the market- leading intermediate twin engine helicopter. The benchmark for safety design features, performance capabilities and productivity in challenging multi-role operations all over the world. Produced by the Italian manufacturer Agusta. It has a carrying capacity of 550kgs.
Agusta (A109S)
The Agusta 109S Grand is a light six-seater twin engine multi-purpose helicopter produced by the Italian manufacturer Augusta. This helicopter type is mostly operated for passenger transport and emergency medical service by civil operators.
Pilots benefit from a full glass cockpit, which minimized crew workload and hence situational awareness and excellent visibility. The aircraft features a spacious, rapidly reconfigurable, modular cabin for multirole versatility, cocoon type, high-strength airframe, and crash-resistant systems for passenger comfort and safety. This helicopter carries 380 kilograms.
Augusta AW119MKII
The Agusta 119 is a high-performance single-engine helicopter configured for 6 passengers. With the latest technology, enhanced stability augmentation system, and state-of-the-art safety features. This helicopter type is mostly operated by civil operators for passenger transport and emergency medical service. The manufacturing year is 2017. This aircraft has a carrying capacity of 380 kilograms.
Helicopter Transfers to other national parks in Rwanda.
Helicopter flights to Volcanoes National Park:
Tourists depart by helicopter to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park for a Gorilla trekking safari and to track golden monkeys on a Rwanda primates safari. The helicopter ride from Kigali International Airport to Volcanoes National Park takes approximately 30 minutes. Once you get at the park, you may go trekking in the Bisoke, Karisimbi, and Muhabura Mountains, go on a Dian Fossey hike, explore the Musanze Caves, and learn about the local culture by visiting Ibyiwacu Village.
Helicopter safaris to Musanze Airstrip are common, providing guests with rapid access to Volcanoes National Park. When you arrive at Musanze Airfield, you will undoubtedly require ground transportation to your hotel. Most safari lodges, such as Sabinyo Silverback Lodge, Amakoro Songa Lodge, One & Only Gorilla Nest, and Singita Kwitonda Lodge, are within a 20-30-minute drive, as opposed to Virunga Lodge, which is about an hour away.
Enjoy the stunning aerial view of Rwanda with helicopter trips to Volcanoes National Park. Akagera Aviation, which is certified by the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, operates all helicopter trips to Volcanoes National Park. It is the first Rwandan firm to be licensed in all three areas of aviation: Air Services Operator, Aviation Training Organization, and Aviation Maintenance Organization. Akagera Aviation has been designated as the first Robinson Helicopter Dealership and Service Center in the East African Region.
Types of Helicopters used during Helicopter Transfers to Volcanoes National Park
Robinson (R44)
Robinson’s high-performance R44 Raven II is a three-seater single engine with a single engine. It is powered by a Lycoming IO-540 fuel-injected, angle-valve, tuned-induction engine that does not require carburetor heat. The basic 28-volt electrical system offers reliable starting in hot or cold conditions and provides extra power for optional devices.
Robison’s R44 Raven Series Helicopters are appropriate for private, corporate, and utility applications because to its high dependability, responsive handling, and altitude performance.
Helicopter transfers to Akagera National Park
Charter and scheduled helicopter rides are available, providing quick and simple access to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park. Akagera Aviation firm, a Rwandan-based aviation firm that specializes in offering helicopter solutions to visitors and tourists in the region, operates the helicopter transfers in Rwanda. Helicopter rides to Akagera National Park allow you to fly in luxury while experiencing the greatest wildlife safari in Rwanda and taking in the stunning views of the spectacular park.
The charter helicopter trips to Akagera National Park depart everyday at 2 p.m. and arrive at 2:25 p.m., with prices ranging from 280 USD to 3000 USD per person. Helicopter transfers from Kigali to Akagera National Park are the quickest and most convenient way to reach Rwanda’s only Savannah safari destination for wildlife viewing safaris. The secluded Savannah plains and tranquil wilderness of Akagera National Park are home to a variety of wildlife species, including the big 5 mammals, other various wildlife species, primates, abundant bird life, and many other fascinating sightings.
Transfer flights to Akagera provide the most spectacular and exceptional scenic views of Rwanda, the captivating Savannah plains, swamp lands, drastic highlands, diverse dazzling lakes, and verdant vegetation in the Akagera National Park, which is nestled in the eastern province of Rwanda. Tourists are mostly booked into vehicles for ground transportation to Akagera, which takes about 2 to 2.5 hours depending on stopovers, but helicopter flights/transfers to Akagera National Park, operated by Akagera Aviation Authority and approved by Rwanda civil aviation authority (RCAA), only take 30 minutes and offer the most exceptional aerial views.
About Nyungwe Forest National Park
Nyungwe Forest National Park is well known as the second most visited safari destination in Rwanda after Volcanoes National Park. As one of Africa’s oldest and last remaining tracts of largely preserved montane rain forests, the park is breathtakingly alluring, with unique and striking biodiversity that provides visitors with out-of-this-world experiences. Nyungwe Forest National Park, often known as the “Primate’s World,” is richly blessed with numerous attractions, including a significant population of Chimpanzees and 12 other distinct primate species, including specialties indigenous to the Albertine Rift, such as L’Hoest’s monkeys.
Nyungwe is also home to astonishingly attractive plant species, orchids, and magnificent marshlands, and it is widely and worldwide regarded as a birding paradise, with over 322 documented bird species, 29 of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift, as well as stunning butterflies. Apart from primates, Nyungwe National Park is home to a variety of other animal species, including a large number of mammal species such as serval cats, mongoose, and seldom observed leopards.
Top Activities Offered at Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe or Cyamudongo Forest.
Chimpanzees are the top highlight of Nyungwe National Park’s tourist attractions, and thus Chimpanzee trekking is the most popular tourist activity, a must-do experience for anyone visiting this National Park, where you get to have a face-to-face encounter with the chimpanzees in the forests, and tourists are usually allowed to spend an hour with these primates observing them in the wild. Chimpanzees can be found in large groups in the Nyungwe and Cyamudongo forests of Nyungwe Forest National Park. Several park visitors also go on monkey-tracking trips.
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park does not have a season. It is feasible to do it throughout the year. The Nyungwe forest is presently Rwanda’s most important place for chimp tracking. The Nyungwe forest is home to about 400 chimps separated into clans. Only two groups have become habituated. In Nyungwe Forest, chimpanzee trekking is an all-year activity. Every morning at 5:00 a.m., groups of visitors depart with trained guides in search of one of the two habituated chimp groups situated in the park’s Uwinka and Cyamudongo sectors.
Primate Tracking in Nyungwe Forest National Park
Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park is one of the best places in Africa to witness little primates. Despite the fact that chimp tracking is the most popular primate activity, some visitors come to see the Angola Colobus Monkeys, Dent’s Mona Monkeys, Grey Cheeked Mangabeys, Hamlyn’s Monkeys, L’Hoest’s Monkeys, Olive Baboon, Red-tailed Monkeys, Silver Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, White, and Black and Colobus monkeys. Golden monkey groups have been spotted in the park, but due to their small numbers, finding them is difficult. The most popular species among visitors is the arboreal Ruwenzori Colobus, which feeds on leaves and is recognized by its contrasting black and white (tail and whiskers) colors. All monkeys travel in groups of up to 100 people.
The Kamiranzovu Trail, which takes you through orchids and wetlands to see some of Nyungwe’s little monkeys, is one of four pathways you may take. The Bigugu Trail ascends to the summit of Mount Bigugu to see more of the monkeys seen on other pathways as well as species seen exclusively at higher altitudes. The Waterfall trail, which leads from the Gisakura Guest House up to the Tea Estate, is perfect for viewing Colobus Monkeys. The last trail in Nyungwe Forest National Park is the Uwinka Campsite trail, which is divided into two sections: red (10 km) and grey (1 km). You may witness a variety of primate species as well as over 400 Colobus Monkeys on this path.
Canopy Walk Experience in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Visitors to the Nyungwe Forest National Park have two alternatives for a stroll: a canopy walk or a low-ground forest trekking trip. The only national park where tourists may conduct a full canopy walk is Nyungwe Forest National Park. The canopy walks in the Nyungwe forest is the best in East Africa. The canopy walk begins at the Uwinka Visitors Center and leads to a 160-meter-long suspended bridge 70 meters above the earth. From several vantage points, visitors may observe the rainforest, animals, and birds.
The canopy walkway bridge in Nyungwe Forest is undoubtedly beautiful and exhilarating, but it may be terrifying for those who are frightened of heights. Those terrified of heights should choose the Forest hikes. There are a number of hiking trails that head up into the forest. The paths are brightly painted, allowing visitors to spot wild creatures and birds in the interior. Some of the excursions might last up to eight hours.
The Igishigishigi Trail is the shortest route to the Canopy walkway bridge in Nyungwe Forest, while the Bigugu Trail is the most difficult, taking at least 5 hours to complete. The waterfall route in Nyungwe National Park is designed to transport visitors to the spectacular waterfalls of the forest. Nature lovers who have the time usually travel one trail at a time. By the end of their stay in the forest, they would have learned and researched everything there is to know about this old forest, including the primates.
Congo Nile Trail in Nyungwe Forest.
This trail follows the split between the water catchment basins of the River Congo and the River Nile, both of which are among the world’s most prominent rivers, with the latter being the longest. The trek is 227 kilometers long and is a multi-day hiking adventure. Hikers may explore spectacular bamboo woods, rainforests, and open tea farms.
Birding in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Nyungwe Forest is without a doubt Rwanda’s best birding destination. According to Birdlife International, Nyungwe National Park is home to over 300 bird species, 27 of which are only found in the Albertine region. Birdlife International considers the park to be Rwanda’s most important conservation site because of its biodiversity, particularly its large bird collection.
The top bird species to look out for while walking through the established trails in the forest are the Archer’s Robin-Chat, Barred Long-Tailed Cuckoo, Blue Turaco, Chapin’s flycatcher, Doherty’s Bush Shrikes, grey-chested Kakamega, Handsome Francolin, Lagden’s Bush Shrikes, Mountain Sooty Boubou, Rockefellers’ Sunbird, Purple Throated Sunbird, Red-collared Mountain Babbler, Rwenzori Double Collared Warbler, and the Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher to mention but a few.
Accommodation in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Accommodation in Nyungwe Forest national park ranges from budget to mid-range and luxury options, and these include; Gisakura Visitor Centre, Gisakura Guesthouse, Nziza Ecolodge, Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel, and One & Only Nyungwe House.
How to access Nyungwe Forest National Park From Kigali?
The Nyungwe Forest National Park is around 225 kilometers from Kigali and takes about 6 hours to get there. The national park is about a 7-hour’s trip from Volcanoes National Park, spanning a total distance of 265.3 kilometers. Visitors who want to avoid the long journey can fly from Kigali International Airport to Kamembe Airport and then drive for approximately 1½ kilometers to the park.
