Gishwati Forest, Protected forest in Western Province, Rwanda

Gishwati Forest is a protected forest in northwestern Rwanda, near Lake Kivu, forming part of Gishwati-Mukura National Park. It is an afro-montane forest with 58 recorded tree and shrub species, including bamboo and indigenous hardwoods. Four primate species live there: eastern chimpanzee, golden monkey, blue monkey and L'Hoest's monkey. Large tea estates occupy the central and northern parts of the reserve.

Gishwati Forest once formed part of a continuous rainforest belt linking the Congo basin and Nyungwe Forest. In 1930 it covered 70,000 acres, but logging, cattle ranching and subsistence farming reduced it to a 1,500-acre patch by 2001. The Gishwati Area Conservation Program began in 2007 under President Paul Kagame and the Great Ape Trust, and the Forest of Hope Association took over in 2011. The forest became part of Gishwati-Mukura National Park in 2015.

The forest holds deep meaning for neighboring communities who work directly with tourism initiatives that support local livelihoods through guided walks and wildlife observation. This connection between people and the woodland shapes daily life and conservation efforts in the region.

Visitors should use organized guides to explore the forest, which offer walks and wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the area. The dry season from June to September provides the best conditions for walking in the woodland and observing animals.

The forest once formed one continuous rainforest belt with the Congo forests to the west and Nyungwe Forest to the south. Today a 30 km corridor project launched in 2010 aims to reconnect Gishwati with Nyungwe so that remaining wildlife can move between the two.