Bigugu Trail in Nyungwe National Park is one of the most exciting and most challenging hiking trails in Nyungwe National Park and being the highest standing trail in the Nyungwe forest. Bigugu Trail in Nyungwe National Park, leads to Mount Bigugu, which stands at 2950 meters above sea level. The trail has one of the most difficult starts and gains 150 m of elevation in the first half-km of steep mountainside. This is the toughest point on the start that needs a very great amount of energy to start.
Ascending the trail may be challenging, however, descending is very enjoyable as your slopping, down this makes finishing trail hiking easy. Ascending in dry season, conical, orange flowers of the orchid, Disa robusta, red-orange flowers of Red-hot Poker and the scarlet flowers of the endemic Nyungwe Jewelweed, may be spotted along the way, as one hikes. Lobelia petiolata, which occurs only between elevations of 2,400 and 3,000 meters, as one of the special treasures of hiking Bigugu trail in Nyungwe forest.
The trail is 7km, and a return trip is 134.2km, which is roughly 6 hours hike, this makes it the toughest day hike trail in Nyungwe, but one of the most rewarding hiking trails, with a panoramic rewarding view on the summit. Since you will be standing on the highest point in the park, you will have a 3600 view to yourself.
You will be able to see as far as Lake Kivu view from a distance, be able to as well, see some of the mountain ranges, and hills, in Congo side. You can also see the Kabira National Park in Burundi which is in the southern part of the park. On a clear sunny day, when the sky is clear, the Virunga Mountains are sighted. You will be able to spot Volcanoes National Park, home of the endangered Mountain Gorillas.
For those who love the winged ones, Red-collared Mountain-bab-bler among others, are always sighted on this trail. Not too far from the summit there is a bench for a well-deserved picnic, overlooking Banda village, a peninsula of densely populated and cultivated land, surrounded by a buffer zone and park on three sides.
On the shoulder of Mount Bigugu, lies home, and feeding territory for the forest chimpanzees, the main key attraction of Nyungwe National Park. The chimpanzees feed freely on the slope of Mount Bigugu fruiting trees.
Along Bigugu Trail hiking in Nyungwe National Park, one can as well involve in a number of other wonderful activities such as chimpanzee trekking, canopy walk, hiking other trails, community encounter, tea plantation visit, bird watching.
You can combine your visit in Nyungwe National Park, with a visit to Volcanoes National Park, and Akagera National Park, to wrap up your Rwanda Safari experience.