Uwinka Trail in Nyungwe Forest

Hiking or nature walks in Nyungwe Forest have been made possible by the development and formation of different hiking trails in the forest, such as the Uwinka trail. Set apart as a starting point for most of the hikes or nature walking adventures in Nyungwe Forest, Uwinka Trails is surely one of the most popular. The scenic beauty of Nyungwe Forest has been exhibited and perfected through the Uwinka trail. The resemblance of the Uwinka Visitors’ Center, the main pre-trekking briefing area for chimpanzees in the forest of Nyungwe, is that the Uwinka trail begins from this visitors’ center. The trail’s length of over 17.8 kilometers stretches through the forest to the deepest and hidden areas of the forest. With this long trailhead of Uwinka, the hiking or nature walk takes approximately 8 hours. Besides beginning from the trailhead at Uwinka Visitors’ Center, visitors can join the Uwinka trail from other trails, such as the Irebero trail, among others.

The Uwinka trail in Nyungwe Forest is on such an elevated ground that it captures the unspoilt views of the Kamiranzovu Marsh. On a clear day, the Uwinka trail offers a glimpse into Burundi since it is on a higher elevation. At the climax of the Uwinka trail, it joins the Cyurugeyo Ridge, a popular spot where livestock grazed. The ridge is rich with a layer of salt that attracted cattle and other livestock to the area. It is for this reason that the Uwinka trail gets its name described about the cattle or ‘inka’ in the local Kinyarwanda language. Some of the highlights of this Uwinka trail in Nyungwe Forest are the numerous primates encountered while on a nature walking experience. Some of these primates include mangabeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, and black and white colobus monkeys, among others.

What is the most favorable time for a Uwinka trail hike in Nyungwe Forest?

Exploring the Uwinka trail in Nyungwe Forest while on a nature walk is best done during the dry season. This is a period that is characterized by little or no rain, meaning that the trail is left dry and navigable. In addition to the mobility, the Uwinka trail offers incredible views of Nyungwe Forest brought to life right in front of your eyes by the clear skies of the dry season. The swift and inclusive primates and birds can also be easily spotted in the dry season while cruising along this Uwinka trail in Nyungwe Forest. This dry season is experienced twice in a year since Rwanda lies in the equatorial climate structure due to its proximity to the equator. This dry season begins from June to August and December to February.

However, the wet season also has its advantages, experienced by visitors of the Uwinka trail in Nyungwe Forest. Though the trail can be challengingly slippery in the wet season, the misty dark forest of Nyungwe is at its fullest during this season, thus nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts are amazed. During this season, the exploration experience of the Uwinka trail is more adventurous since it adds a challenge of manoeuvring the slippery and overgrown trail.

What are the other activities to do in Nyungwe Forest?

Still along the Uwinka trail in Nyungwe Forest, there are a lot of other activities that visitors can engage in as they continue to understand and learn this trail. Some of these activities include the following.

Chimpanzee trekking

Nyungwe Forest is known for harboring chimpanzee primates, and it’s not a surprise that this particular activity is one of the major ones in the forest. Visitors can traverse the dense thickets as they await to have a glimpse of these incredible primates as they spend an hour in their presence. Chimpanzees are playful and cunning, which makes them very interesting to spend time with.

Colobus monkey trekking

Similar to their bigger cousins, the chimpanzee, colobus monkeys are some of the common primates to encounter in Nyungwe Forest. Colobus monkey trekking is carefully crafted to bring you up close to the colobus monkeys on a trekking experience where you get to spend an hour inside their habitat in their presence. Since they are habituated, they are unmoved by your presence and often continue with their daily chores.

Canopy walk

Nyungwe Forest has a 160-meter canopy trail suspended over 70 meters high from the ground. This one of a kind in the region is one of the most highly anticipated activities in the forest as visitors embark on this canopy walk to capture the best views of the forest on an elevated podium.

Birding

The Uwinka trail in Nyungwe Forest is also a popular birding trail that sees more bird species. Birders from far and wide, upon entering Nyungwe Forest, are entertained by the various bird species that call this forest their home. Notably, the birding experiences are handled by experienced and professional birding guides who know the forest in and out and also its bird inhabitants. There are over 300 bird species in this forest of Nyungwe, and some of them include African olive pigeon, brown snake eagle, African cuckoo hawk, black-winged kite, and African snipe, among others.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.

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Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

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The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.

The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

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Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

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MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
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Game drive security is assured.
Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
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travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

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My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.
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