Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Simply referred to Bwindi national park, this is a typically untouched paradise for nature and primate-lovers. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site best known for tracking mountain gorillas. The park protects about 50% of the world’s remaining population of these endangered primates. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is divided into four gorilla trekking sectors namely Nkuringo, Ruhija, Rushaga and Buhoma. Each of these sectors has interesting habituated gorilla families always available for trekking throughout the year.

Aside from the mountain gorillas, about 350 bird species have been recorded in Bwindi national park. It has 23 bird species unique to the Albertine rift including the blue-headed sunbird and the Neuman’s warbler.

Uganda safaris to Bwindi are more than just gorilla trekking, they amaze tourists with the incredible scenic views all around the park. After the trekking adventure, visitors relax at their lodge and enjoy the stunning views of the forest, hills and volcanoes. It’s mist covered rainforests are one of the loveliest things you will see as you start your day, alongside the Virunga volcanoes at a distance.

• Bwindi is undoubtedly one of the most interesting national parks in Africa. Its ancient habitat dating over 25,000 years back has attractions that have made it a popular safari destination with exciting safari activities for tourists to engage in. If you are planning for a safari to Bwindi, here is a list of activities to choose from for your bucket list;

  Gorilla trekking

  Bwindi is a pristine rainforest made up of a dense, lushy impenetrable vegetation situated at an altitude of 1,160 to 2,706m above the sea level making it a favorable home for an amazing population of mountain gorillas. Regardless of its name “impenetrable forest”, the park offers excellent hikes through passable trails for tourists trekking mountain gorillas. It is the best place for gorilla trekking in the world with almost guaranteed sightings. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes places in four gorilla sectors; Ruhija and Buhoma in the north, Nkuringo in the southwestern and Rushaga in the south. Your choice of where to trek is based on the availability of gorilla permits in a specific sector.  A small group of 8 tourists is allocated to trek a specific gorilla family with an expert armed guide with whom they hike through the forest in search of the primates.

  The activity starts in the morning and ends an hour after spotting the mountain gorillas. It starts with a briefing at the park offices, visitors divided into groups and allocated gorilla groups, assigned a ranger guide and thereafter penetrate into the impenetrable forest to look for the gorillas. The duration of the adventure is determined by the location of the gorillas; meaning that the farer the gorillas have moved, the longer the trek and the nearer the gorillas are, the shorter the trek.

  Finally, when the gorillas are spotted, trekkers are allowed to stay with them for an hour; watching, taking photos and learning about their behavior.

  A gorilla permit is a must-have for anyone to track gorillas in Uganda. It is advisable to book for your permit early since they are scarce due to conservation efforts which limit the number of people to a maximum of 8 people per gorilla family per day. A gorilla permit in Uganda costs USD 700 for Foreign non residents, USD 600 for Foreign residents and UGX. 250,000 for East African citizens.  

  Gorilla Habituation Experience (GHE)

  Almost similar to gorilla trekking, you can join the park habituation and research team for the gorilla habituation experience. It is recommended for tourists who want to have more time with the gorillas. The essence of the activity is to give visitors a chance to experience the process that mountain gorillas go through as they are prepared for tourism. Unlike gorilla trekking which allows trekkers to stay with the gorillas for only one hour, tourists on the GHE stay longer with the apes- four(4) hours.

  A permit for gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda costs USD 1,400 and the activity is done in Rushaga sector in the south of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park.

  Bird watching

  Birding in Bwindi is a great experience for bird lovers! The park has an impressive checklist of birds that includes over 20 bird species unique to the Albertine Rift and many interesting forest birds. Bwindi is named among the top birding sites in Uganda. Common bird species around the park include the crowned hornbill, giant kingfisher, African harrier, African green pigeon, cinnamon chested bee-eater, black-faced rufous, yellow-streaked greenbul and the black bee-eater among others. Tourists on a bird watching tour are accompanied by an expert ranger guide.

  Batwa community encounters

  The Batwa community is one of the most culturally unique communities in Uganda. It is composed of the Batwa pygmies whose history mostly rotates around their life in Bwindi Forest. A community walk to the homes of the Batwa pygmies can be done after gorilla trekking. It is an opportunity to meet the pygmies, learn about their history, how they coped with a new life after being evacuated from the forest, how they live today and also enjoy a moment of cultural dance and drama.

  The best time to visit Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

  Gorilla trekking is best during the drier months of the year (June to August and December to February) when trails are dry and easier to pass through. Trekking is challenging during the wetter months of the year because trails become slippery making trekking very difficult. Heavy falls occur from March to May and September to November. You are advised to carry plenty of wet-weather gear regardless of the time of travel because rain or drizzles is/are always expected around the park anytime

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park straddles across Kabale, Kisoro and Rukungiri in southwestern Uganda. It is situated at the edge of the East African rift valley between Mgahinga Gorilla national park and Lake Bunyonyi

Travelers can access Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through following several routes depending on the sector they are trekking in. They include;

Kampala – Mbarara – Kabale – Bwindi

Generally, this is the quickest and most direct route for tourists traveling from Kampala or Entebbe. The road trip takes travelers on a tarmacked road stretching through Masaka, Mbarara to Kabale about 414 kilometers for close to 6 hours. From Kabale, you follow a winding murram road for about 120 kilometers to the sectors in the north of the park- Buhoma and Ruhija. Tourists trekking in Nkuringo or Rushaga continue southwards for another 3-4 hours. A 4WD vehicle is highly recommended to all sectors of the park.

Queen Elizabeth National Park – Kihihi Town – Buhoma HQ

If your itinerary includes other parks say Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale National Park, Semuliki national park or Murchison falls national park, following the murram road through Queen Elizabeth national park southwards via Ishasha and Kihihi is the route to take. It is an adventurous off-road journey that gives you a chance to look out for the precious tree climbing lions of Ishasha.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located about 160 kilometres from Mweya and approximately 64 kilometres from Ishasha. A 4WD vehicle is highly recommended.

By Air

Whereas road is the most used means of transport to Bwindi, it is also possible to access the park by air. Flights are conducted from Entebbe international airport to the nearby airstrips; Kisoro Airstrip for tourists visiting the park’s southern sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo. Tourists are transferred from Kisoro along a winding murram road to their lodge to prepare for the next day’s gorilla trek. For tourists visiting the northern sectors of the park, flights are taken from Entebbe or Kajjansi to Kihihi airstrip where they connect to Bwindi by a 4WD vehicle.

Scheduled and chartered flights to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park last about 1 hour and 20 minutes