This trail of great contrasts provides a feast for the senses. Beginning at Nyungwe Forest Lodge, the first half winds through brilliant green tea fields, with grassy verges maintained by goats, and full of sun-loving wildflowers and butterflies.
This is big sky country with gorgeous views northwest to Lake Kivu and the DRC. The belt of tea cultivation bordering the forest is like a desert to most herbivorous forest creatures. They are not adapted to browse this alien shrub from China, and so return to the forest, making it ideal as a buffer zone plant. The animals’ lack of interest in the tea also helps keep tea interests and the park on friendly terms.
At 2.3 km the trail descends into one of the most densely vegetated and steepest rainforest ravines on any trail at Nyungwe. Cool moist air and the murmur of a river rise from below, mingled with calls of birds, tree frogs and insects. Ferns, mosses,lichens and flowers are exceptionally abundant in the high humidity. Curiously, three successive benches are completely surrounded by a brilliant display of wildflowers, each by a single, different species. The first is wreathed with deep pink jewelweed and also has a fabulous view of the ravine, the second bench is en-circled by delicately fragrant white begonias and a third by white flowers with heart-shaped leaves.
