Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is located in South Western Uganda in the Kanungu district along the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo covering a total distance of 512 kilometres from Kampala with a total area of 331 square kilometres. It was gazetted as a national park in 1991 mainly to protect the endangered mountain gorillas and later in 1994 was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This Park has got various attractions in different sectors including Rushaga, Nkuringo, Ruhija, and Buhoma, and some of these attractions include, Gorilla habituation, birding, nature walks, mountain biking, cultural encounters, and gorilla trekking among others. Gorilla trekking is the number one activity done in the Bwindi Forest National Park thus contributing a lot to Uganda’s economy. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is one of the most visited national parks and home to half of the Gorilla Mountains. The Park has over 50 gorilla families but the 20 families are being habituated.
What to do and see while in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is one of the best tourism destinations in boasting numerous activities in Uganda that one shouldn’t miss while on a safari. It has Half of the Mountain gorillas thus making it unique from other national parks. Below are the top activities you can do and see in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park.
Gorilla trekking: Gorilla trekking is the number one exciting activity carried out in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. This trek is mainly done in three countries Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Uganda, you can only find gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park. One to-go for gorilla trekking should be 15 years and above if you are below 15 you are not allowed. Only 8 members are allowed to go for gorilla trekking per group. To find a gorilla family, it may take you 3 to 4 hours depending on their movement in search for food, and the moment you meet them you will be given one hour to interact with them. In this case, you will get to learn about their behaviors, the way they play, their way of breastfeeding, and among others.
Gorilla habituation: gorilla habituation is also another amazing activity you can do while in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. Currently, Uganda has over 50 gorilla families and 20 are habituated. You will get a briefing from the well-trained guides who will take you through the rules and regulations to be followed while carrying out such an activity including keeping silent when you are closer to gorillas, and burry all your waste 30 meters deep among others. Habituating gorillas only requires 4 members per group which will also take you some 3 to 4 hours and one hour for interaction.
Bird watching: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is also one of the best destinations for bird watching including black bee-eater, black-billed turaco, green broadbill, legal sunbird, Rwenzori turaco, francolin, flycatcher, woodland kingfisher, pied kingfisher, red-fronted barbet, white-headed barbet, yellow spotted barbet, black-headed gonolek and Rwenzori night jar to mention but a few. Travelers are advised to carry with them some gadgets like cameras, and binoculars among others.
The Batwa cultural experience: This is an interesting activity done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park which will allow you to interact with the Batwa people who lived in Bwindi Forest before it was gazetted as the National Park. The Batwa cultural tour always starts with a prayer from the Batwa guides and there you start hiking through the forest where the Batwa people used to live. Here you get to know about their lifestyle for example how they used to get food to eat, gather honey, how they used to build their grass-thatched houses, learn how to hunt with the use of a bow and an arrow, take you through their traditional dance, how to prepare their local food, learn to tell ancient stories among others.
When to visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is visited all year round mainly during the dry season which is also known as peak season in January, February June, July, August, November, and December. In these dry seasons, there is less rainfall in the park which makes the gorilla trekking trails very accessible and passable to visitors. Tourists who are interested in birds can also visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park during the wet season when some birds like migratory birds have flown to Uganda due to the climatic changes that may happen to their country. In March, April, May, September, and November, that’s when the wet season intends to occur.
Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Traveling to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is done by both road and air transport. Using road transport from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park takes about 8 to 9 hours, and then from Kabale town to the park, it will take you 1 to 2 hours.
By Air transport
When you decide to travel by air, you can either set off from Entebbe Airport or Kajansi Airfield directly to Kisoro Airfield and then hire a car to take you to the park in just a few minutes. While planning to travel by air, you will need to book in time with any company especially Adventure in the Wild Safaris which will make you enjoy your safari in Bwindi’s impenetrable forest national park.
Cost of a gorilla permit
Gorilla permits are sometimes limited meaning you should always book in advance to be on the safe side. You can either book with Uganda Wildlife Authority or with Adventure in the Wild Safaris a tour company. Every gorilla permit for trekking gorillas in Uganda costs USD 700 for foreign non-residents, USD 600 for foreign residents, and then 250,000 Uganda shillings for East African residents with an age limit of 15 years old.
Suitable accommodation for gorilla trekkers in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park.
Bwindi impenetrable National Park has a lot to offer to its clients ranging from luxury, mid-range, and then budget. Here are the main places advisable to stay in including, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, and Mahogany Springs among others. These accommodations are said to be located in the different sectors of Bwindi including the Buhoma sector, Nkuringo sector, Ruhija sector, and finally Rushaga sector meaning in your booking make sure you indicate the type of accommodation you would like to be offered.