Birthday Chimps for Katie

We wake up at around 4am for a Birthday treat for Katie- today we're going to try and see the Chimps in Nyungwe forest in the south of Rwanda.

Bleary-eyed, we climb into the car for the drive through the park to the meeting point. We only managed to find out where we are meeting yesterday, by calling about 4 different people in the National Parks agency. When we bought our permits online, there was no mention of when or where to actually go to see the Chimps. It basically just said "Chimps". It really feels like Rwanda isn't so geared towards independent tourists.

We head into the outskirts of the National Park, but we soon get lost, as there aren't many signs, and it's pitch black out. We come across a large group of heavily armed soldiers patrolling the border with Burundi and ask for directions.

When we finally find the meeting point, we're told that we have to drive another 1h30 in the opposite direction to where the chimps actually are. To do so, we must follow a tour group, whose local driver seems to have a death wish. He drives well over the speed limit, aggressively overtaking every other vehicle, and often on blind corners around the steep hairpin turns that are so common in Rwanda. We have no choice but to keep up, and drive hell for leather to keep up.

Eventually, we arrive at a spot in the middle of the dense jungle, and we proceed on foot. We navigate a small path through the forest, with the rangers cutting back the overgrown foliage. We've been told not to get our hopes up too much, as the chimps often stay high up in the trees, so we can only spot them from a distance, if at all.

Not long after we start walking, however, we hear the hoots of the chimpanzees. It builds up to a cacophony of howling and screeching, seemingly from all sides. The forest is full of noise and activity. The sun streams through the leaves into our eyes, temporarily blinding us. The screaming gets louder and louder, echoing from all sides, disorientating us. "Look!" say the rangers "Up in the trees!". And we see them. The forest canopy is busy with primates, both chimpanzees and the smaller owl-faced monkeys.

The rangers explain that the owl faced monkeys live around the chimps for protection, chimpanzees being the most feared animal in the forest. It's strange to use the term "mutually beneficial relationship" here, as the chimps often turn on the owl-faced monkeys in times of scarcity, and eat them.

We watch these huge beasts clamber through the trees, when all of a sudden there's a crash behind us. We turn to see a chimp walking through the bush, metres away from us. Then, we hear a rustling behind us, and a small family- mum, dad and baby- descends from the canopy to the forest floor, just in front of us. It's a real treat, and proof that they got the message that it's Katie's birthday, which is nice.

After saying goodbye to our new primate pals, we head to the other side of the park. We are staying on the top of a tea plantation, with panoramic views over the forest. It's beautiful, and a little odd. The bar area is described as a Karaoke Bar, complete with mini booths for group sing-a-long sessions. However, there is no evidence of microphones, screens, speakers, or anything required for a half-decent Karaoke jam. We settle on a game of Ring-of-Fire, eating pizzas from the giant oven they've built here.Read more