Nyungwe Forest National Park

Nyungwe is one of the oldest and most biodiverse rainforests in Africa—a 1,019-square-kilometre cathedral of ancient trees, hanging orchids, and mountain streams that has survived ice ages intact. The forest shelters 13 primate species, including habituated communities of chimpanzees, plus 310 bird species (27 endemic to the Albertine Rift), 1,068 plant species, and 120 butterfly species.

The chimpanzee trekking experience in Nyungwe rivals gorilla trekking for emotional intensity, if not for physical proximity. Tracking a community of 60+ chimps through dense forest as they call, forage, and socialise in the canopy above is an experience that connects you to humanity's closest living relatives.

Nyungwe's canopy walkway—a 200-metre suspension bridge strung 60 metres above the forest floor—provides a bird's-eye perspective on the rainforest ecosystem. Swaying gently between massive trees while turacos flash crimson in the canopy and colobus monkeys leap between branches is a memory that endures long after you descend.