Gazetted seven years back, Gishwati-Mukura is the newest national park in Rwanda, a conservation area that protects 60 tree species including bamboo and many hardwoods. Its main attraction is a troop of 35 chimpanzees that are still undergoing habituation and are hence still shy of humans. As such, most clients who come here opt for a waterfall hike as an alternative activity.
The three-hour adventure entails following a lush river valley before coming to a stop at a hypnotic waterfall. En route, you will encounter wildlife to who the park is home. This includes Albertine Rift endemics such as l’Hoest’s, golden monkeys, and three-horned chameleons. Occasionally, side-striped jackals and black-fronted duikers can be seen dashing off in the undergrowth.
Gishwati-Mukura is comprised of two forests in between which lies a 25-kilometer buffer zone. In the past, the two settings used to be connected by a massive forest. Alas! It was chopped down by 2002 due to illegal mining and farming by locals. For over five years now, there have been ongoing efforts to restore the natural forest. The efforts are starting to pay off as manifested in the quick recovery of its ecosystem. A hike here pays off with random sightings of several squirrels, African civets, Rwenzori sun squirrels. and servaline genets among others.
Gishwati’s local chimp population has also greatly improved from 13 in 2008 to 35 today. The most common birds are black-billed turaco, regal sunbird, grey cuckoo-shrike, honeyguide, and blue-headed sunbird.
At the moment, access to the park is only possible for travellers staying at the Forest of Hope Guesthouse, the custodians of the sanctuary. It is off-limits to day visitors for now. Forest of Hope is a well-run simple two-roomed guesthouse. It offers breathtaking views over the rainforest, tea plantations and dormant volcanoes including Karisimbi, the tallest of the Greater Virunga Mountains, rising to 4,507m.