Isumo Waterfalls Hike
Isumo waterfalls hike can be carried out in Nyungwe National Park a park notable for the different trails all that offer visitor satisfaction with the numerous attractions that can be seen along the different trails. Nyungwe national park is known for its large numbers of chimpanzees and the different monkey species like the black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys vervet monkeys and so many more.
Nyungwe national park is located in the district of Rusizi south Western part of Rwanda. The park is one of the little tourism gems the country has that has attracted different tourists whose interests vary. The park will meet the different needs of the tourists which have contributed to the development of the tourism sector. Nyungwe National Park is home to over 500 bird species, 1000 chimpanzees and the different monkey species.
Hiking Trails in Nyungwe National Park
Tourists on a Rwanda tour visiting Nyungwe national park will not only participate in the primate tours because of the different primate species that can be seen but also other numerous attractions which can be accessed by hiking through the different trails all of which offer different attractions like:
- Igishigishigi trail which leads tourists to the famous canopy walkway, the Karamba birding trail where tourists can see a different number of bird species,
- the Ngabwe trail that leads to the Kitabi tea estate where tourists can visit that tea plants and see how tea is harvested and processed which offers authentic experiences a number of animal species like the Mona and vervet monkeys can be seen in the trees along the trail.
- Kamiranzovu trail famous for the marsh that is believed to have caused the death of many elephants as they drowned and killed important to note about the trail is the fact that it has a number of forested mountains and primate species especially the chimpanzees and the different monkey species.
- Irebero trail for the numerous bird species like the purple breasted and the blue-headed sunbird breasted cisticola and others.
- Muzimu trail which offers spectacular views of mountain Bigugu and Lake Kivu and also different bird species like the francolins can be seen
- Ngabwe trail where different animal species can be seen including the white colobus monkey, Angolan colobus monkey, grey-cheeked mangabeys, Black-fronted duiker every trail in the park has different attractions that can be seen.
- Umuyove trail is where tourists can see waterfalls different primate species like L’hoste monkey, silver monkey, white colobus, and the Angola colobus among others can be seen. Notable about the hiking trails is the Isumo waterfalls trails which have the Isumo waterfalls.
Isumo Water Falls
The hike to the Isumo waterfalls starts at the Nyungwe Forest Lodge, through the trail that leads to the waterfalls, tourists will come across different magnificent features like the tea plantations and wildflowers that seem to blossom over the plains. Hikers will go through the dense forests of the park. Through the forest benches, the tourists will come across the 3 benches of the forest which offer rewarding views of the landscape and the attractions within the park for example numerous butterfly species can be seen at the first bench which is characterised with deep pink jewelweed and tourists can also see a steep-sided gorge which offers nice views for photography, the second bench is where the white begonias can be seen and a third bench is characterised by white flowers with heart-shaped leaves. Through the different benches a tourist can come across snakes because the trail is well known for its non-poisonous/deadly snakes so in case a tourist comes across an, they should not be scared because they can not cause any harm to them.
At the end of the trail, and the reason why the trail is called the Isumo waterfalls trail is the beautiful gem that is hidden within the dense rain forest that is the Isumo waterfalls. On reaching the end of the trail, every tourist’s jaw will drop with the beauty that is hidden within the park, the waterfalls can be seen passing through a narrow gorge but the sights and sounds of the water waking its way through the gorge will make you relax and will want to see more and more of the nature thrilling views.
Tourists reaching the waterfalls will have a chance to see the waterfalls from two different points to see the magnificent falls, the first viewpoint which is at the short spur offers beautiful views of the waterfalls and offers unique attractions which include the different bird species like. the blue turaco, Ross’s turaco, coqui Francolin, long-tailed cisticola, bubbling cisticola, Miombo wren warbler, Chubb’s cisticola and many more the and if that is not enough, it also offers a great picnic bench can be a great resting place for the tourists interested in enjoying the sounds of natures from the birds chirping in the trees to the white noise coming from the waterfalls which will permeate the minds of the tourists. For any tourist looking for relaxation, Nyungwe national park is the place to be because the relaxing Isumo falls.
Tourists will see a number of butterfly species in the area like monarch butterfly, painted lady, cabbage white, red admiral, old-world swallow trail, speckled wood, and many others and on the bridge along the waterfalls tourists should not forget to look down to see water species like the crabs, tourists will also notice the tea tinted colour of the waters that flows which is due to the tannin content of the marsh and because the bench is relatively wet throughout the year, it is advisable for tourists to always keep a close look at their steps to avoid accidents.
Visiting Nyungwe national park will give a tourist a variety of activities to choose from that will make sure they satisfied from activities like chimpanzee trekking, walking on the canopy walkway, visiting the tea plantations to birding and hiking which will unlock the hidden gems in the park including the Isumo waterfalls the magnificent relaxing attractions. For a tourist looking for relaxation, the Isumo waterfalls hike will be rewarding to them.