Explore the Former King’s Palace in Nyanza
Explore the Former King’s Palace in Nyanza : A stopover visit to the old seat of Rwanda’s monarchy is a great way to break up the long trip between Nyungwe forest national park and Kigali, and it also provides a glimpse into Rwanda’s pre-colonial past. It was lovingly restored to its former magnificence using traditional materials, and it is now an amazing museum surrounded by the long-horned cows with which the Rwandan royalty was historically associated. Continue reading this article to get enlightened with all you need to know to explore the Former King’s Palace in Nyanza
The former King’s palace in Nyanza, a beautifully crafted thatched edifice shaped like a beehive, is a copy of the old royal residence. Nyanza was formerly Rwanda’s pulsating heart. According to oral tradition, it was the site of battles and power struggles.
The monarchy remained nomadic for a long period, with the court migrating from one location to another. When everything eventually settled down, Nyanza was the obvious choice. The capital of the kingdom had up to 2,000 citizens and homes built in the same manner as depicted here.
A number of long-horned Inyambo cattle descended from the king’s herd live in the back, where their keepers diligently maintain them and sing to them, preserving a unique custom.
The King’s Palace Museum is a scale model of the historic royal residence. Nyanza is a superbly constructed thatched beehive dwelling. Nyanza was formerly Rwanda’s pulsating heart. According to oral tradition, it was the site of battles and power struggles.
The magnificent cows, descended from the bigger Ankole breed, played an important role in kingly celebrations. They were lavishly dressed and taught to listen to a trainer’s songs and follow his actions in a stately procession.
When Rwanda gained independence from colonial rule in 1962, it was no longer a monarchy. The Rwanda Agriculture Board, however, continues to supervise Inyambo breeding and grooming. The former King’s Palace in Nyanza is excellently complemented by the nearby Ethnographic Museum in Huye, which has one of Africa’s greatest ethnographic collections.
What to expect during your visit to the Former King’s Palace in Nyanza?
Visitors to the King’s Palace may see the Inyambo in action during a unique singing ceremony done by a trained Inyambo handler. During the ceremony, the trainer coaxes the cow to move and dance to the rhythm of the music by singing to it in a combination of words and whistles. The Inyambo comprehend the trainers’ directions and can even reply to their names personally!
Other Places to visit alongside the Former King’s Palace in Nyanza.
Visit Nyungwe National Park in Rusizi.
The former King’s Palace in Nyanza province is a popular stopover for travelers visiting Nyungwe Forest National Park. The national park is Rwanda’s most popular chimpanzee trekking destination. The park’s notable features include primates such as chimps, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, and blue monkeys, among others, as well as the canopy walkway bridge, tropical waterfalls, and a variety of bird species for birders.
Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park is located in the southwest of the country. It was named a national park in 2004 and covers an area of approximately 970 square kilometers. However, Nyungwe Forest National Park was established as a protected area in 2005, and tourist numbers increased around that time.
Nyungwe National Park is located in southwest Rwanda, bordered on the south by Burundi and on the west by Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The national park is part of the renowned Nyungwe Forest, the largest tropical rain forest in East and Central Africa. It has been around for thousands of years, according to legend.
What to do in Nyungwe National Park?
Chimpanzee Tracking in Nyungwe/ Cyamudongo Forests.
The most popular activity in Nyungwe forest National Park is chimp trekking, which involves traveling through the bush in search of chimps. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe national park begins at 5:00 a.m. from one of three receiving centers: Uwinka, Gisakura, or Kitabi, with a briefing, followed by a meeting with park rangers and hiking into the forest.
This famous Rwanda chimpanzee tracking national park is home to about 60 habituated chimps, and trekking takes 2 to 6 hours or longer depending on the location of the chimps because they love to move from one location to another in search of food, and once found, visitors are allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat.
Canopy Walk and Guided Hiking Tours
The canopy walkway provides access to the Nyungwe forest. The canopy walkway in Nyungwe is the biggest of its type in East Africa, standing 50 meters above the treetops. The trails at Nyungwe canopy walk are named after the tree species found there, such as Igishigishigi, which means fern trees and is also one of the main hiking trails in Nyungwe forest, Umuyove, which means mahogany trees, Umugote, Karamba, and Isumo, among others. The canopy walkway is divided into three sections, the longest of which is 90 meters long, another 45 metres long, and the shortest of which is 25 metres long.
Primate Tracking
Because Nyungwe Forest National Park is home to over 300 different monkey species, monkey trekking is the area’s second most popular attraction after chimp trekking. Tracking different primates in Nyungwe forest is an excellent exercise since monkeys are active and vivid animals that will captivate you as you watch them hop from one tree to the next. Among the monkey species present in Nyungwe Forest National Park are blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, l’Hoest monkeys, and vervet monkeys.
How to get to Nyanza from Kigali?
If you are visiting Rwanda, you will almost certainly spend some time in Kigali. Because the capital city is centrally placed, getting to Nyanza is simple. The drive from Kigali city to the former King’s palace in Nyanza takes about 2-3 hours depending on the traffic.
In summary, this article entails all you need to know to Explore the Former King’s Palace in Nyanza
