The famed Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the most popular of all Uganda’s national parks. Located on the edge of the western rift valley (Albertine rift) in South Western Uganda, Bwindi is best safari destination to see mountain gorillas in the world. This UNESCO world heritage site is shared by Rukungiri, Kabale and Kisoro Districts. Under the skies of Bwindi Forest lies a vast green rain forest that is home to almost a half of the world’s remaining population of the mountain gorillas! These great apes have called this place their natural home for many years!
Bwindi Impenetrable National park was once a Forest Reserve, impenetrable of course, it was gazetted in 1942 and upgraded to park status in 1992. ‘Bwindi’ in the local lukiga language means impenetrable and rightly so for Bwindi is virtually impenetrable. Bwindi is unique because it not only the most diverse of Uganda’s national parks but is also one of Africa’s most diverse forests.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has three parts: the northern part or Buhoma in Kanungu district, the southern part or Rubuguri in Kisoro district and the eastern part or Ruhija in Kabale district.
Its 327km2 of forest is ancient and it’s been thriving over at least 25,000 years, in the process accumulating a lengthy species list which includes 350 species of bird, 310 of butterfly, 51 of reptiles, 200 of trees ,88 moths and an exceptional 120 types of mammal including 10 primates.
The latter include chimpanzee, L hoests, Red tailed and Blue Monkey, Black and White colobus and Baboon. Most famous of Bwindi yet unmentioned resident is the mountain gorilla whose estimated number is 240. Although Bwindi terrain is difficult to negotiate it’s well worth the effort to appreciate her biodiversity. Gorilla tracking though is Bwindi’s main attraction. Mountain gorillas can be tracked from two locations Buhoma and Nkuringo.
Buhoma on the northern edge of the forest has three habituated gorilla groups –Mubare, Habinyanja A and Habinyanja B and is by far the busier site.
Nkuringo on the southern edge of the forest is 10km away from Buhoma and it takes four hours to wall the opened footpaths between the two sites which is quicker than the bumpy and circuitous drive around the edge of the forest. The Nkuringo trailhead lies on Nteko ridge a remote and undeveloped area with beautiful scenery. The ridge enjoys grand views of the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi forest to the north while the Virunga Volcanoes slash zig-zaggedly across the southern horizon. The entire chain is visible including the active cones in Congo, Nyirangongo and Nyamuragira.
Discover an exceptional wildlife familiarity with visiting the south western Uganda where stand an olden(over 25000 years) outstanding green luxuriant bandage of massive thick tropical rain trees situated across the fault scarps of the western arm of the great east African rift valley nearby to the Albertine region – the Bwindi Impenetrable forest. Derives its name due to its impenetrable (thick) nature of dark, knotted flora over concavely and complex ridged mountainous landscape.
The forest is noted to be a habitat of 90 – 120 mammals including several primates, reptiles, butterflies and birds among others. Primate species that can commonly be spotted include mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, black and white colobus, blue colobus monkeys , grey –cheeked mangabey, L,Hoest’s monkeys, baboons amongst others.
Though amongst primates, the white tailed black and white colobus out numbers others, the celebrity primate is the mountain gorillas where by the forest is recorded to inhabit more than half of the world’s totals.
Also this thick jungle is ranked to be the number one birding spot harboring over 350 different bird species of which 23 species are the highly localized Albertine Rift endemics for example the commonly referred to as ground hornbill.
Just outside the forest there live the ancient pygmy people of Batwa tribe who will show you the greatest level of hospitality that you won’t even hesitate not to tell your friends about.
Quick Facts
The impenetrable forest covers around 331 square kilometres on an Altitude Range of 1160 metres (Ishasha gorge) to 2607 metres (Rwamanyonyi Peak).
The annual average temperature Range is 7-20 degrees Celcius the coldest period being June and July.
Heaviest rains are experienced in March-April and September – November. Other months are generally dry.
Annual Precipitation: 1130 mm – 2390 mm Coldest Period: June-July
Species Diversity
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a habitat to 326 gorillas almost half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. The forest has about 30 elephants and 120 species of mammals including 7 diurnal primates. 360 species of birds and over 200 species of butterflies. This Afro-montane forest has dense under storey of fern, vines, and shrubs. About 324 tree species have been recorded here, of which 10 don’t occur else in Uganda.
Things to Do in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
There are lots of best things to see and do in Bwindi. Of course it’s gorilla tracking the park’s main tourist attraction but there are many other things to do and see in Bwindi Impenetrable national park like Batwa experience, community excursions, hiking, waterfall visit, riding a bicycle for a woman, nature walks, bird watching, volunteerism, community retreats among others. All the park activities are exciting and inexpensive in terms and the total experience you get.
Gorilla Trekking Tours
This is the most known tour adventure in Bwindi forest and the highlight for many Uganda safaris every day. Gorilla trekking starts every morning and is done once a day in all the four park sectors of Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo. The park has over ten habituated gorilla families ready for tourists daily but reserving your gorilla permit is a priority due to competition and high demand for the adventure. Remember to spend a night close to the park if your gorilla trek is next day for matters of convenience.
Gorilla Trekking is done either of the 4 sections in the park. It is important to purchase gorilla permits for visitors from Uganda wildlife Authority. Travelers are supposed to choose the date, month, year of tracking and the section depending on his or her itinerary and then the gorilla permits will be allocated on that specific day.
Batwa Cultural Tour
You will need just an afternoon to experience the rich culture of the Batwa people who vacated their ancestral home for the conservation of mountain gorillas. They were born and raised in the jungle forest of Bwindi national park and lived with animals until when the park management convinced them to settle outside the forest and leave the jungle for mountain gorilla conservation a prime attraction in Uganda. There is surly a lot of ancient culture trends that will interest you including hunting, Music, dance and drama, Batwa shooting bow and arrow skills and dress code.
Bwindi Community Walks and Retreats
Bwindi National Park is surrounded by different tribes; some were the natives residents in this park before it was gazetted. Mostly the Batwa people live around the park and the Bakiga. Spending some time with such community groups is very important, learn more about their cultures, demonstrations, language, dance, songs and many more. The activity also requires an afternoon or all day if time permits for one to explore the nearby park villages, homesteads, hospitals, schools and projects. Get a chance to meet different community members, learn more about their traditions and customs including handcrafts, local beer, locally made coffee and dig into the life of traditional healers who present multiple natural herbs in demonstration with particular diseases they cure. Retreats can also be done in schools, hospitals making your stay fabulous and wonderful.
Bwindi Forest Walk
This is another forest excursion for those who visit the park purposely to explore the jungle. Bwindi forest walks are great in the mornings and afternoons depending on the guests wish though among the five forest walks in Bwindi, the most popular are the water falls hike that involves some moderate hikes and climbs.
The easy water fall trail is a delightful hike and the community walks by villagers interesting insights into the rural lifestyles including visits to traditional healers, blacksmiths and brewers.
Muyanga river trail is fantastic just outside the main park trekking areas and takes 30 minutes starting and ending in Buhoma. This trail is great for bird watchers, monkey and baboon warthogs, duikers and much more can be seen. Also checking out Mazubijiro loop trail and Rushara hill trail will be amazing if time permits. Those interested in the all day forest walk, Ivo River walk for 8 hours is simply the best.
Bird Watching
Bwindi is a birders paradise, many forest birds can be spotted here. Just get ready, rent a required car, have your cameras and enough batteries, then discover wonders in Bwindi. There are birders guides who can give reliable information about birds in Bwindi and also help to spot some birds of interests. It holds over 346 species of birds and contains 90% of all Albertine rift endemics, difficult or impossible to see in any part of East Africa. For the adept bird watcher, close to 100 bird species can be identified in a day. You can visit Buhoma and Ruhija for this dream. The example of birds include; the African green broad bill-psedocalptomena graveri; dwarf honey guide indicator pumilio, kivu ground thrush zoothera a Tanganjicak, Lagden’s bush shrike Mahaconotus legdeni, Chaplin’s flycatcher (musticapa lend) Oberhander’s ground thrush, yellow eyed flycatchers, Montane double collared sunbird Nectarinia ludoviencis and dusky twinspot inter-alia.
Plan a Safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Gorilla Trekking is the major tourist attraction in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. There are 14 gorilla groups that have been habituated for gorilla treks and are currently available to be visited on daily basis. The oldest habituated gorilla group is the Mubare group (16 gorillas; 1 silverback) and it was opened for tourism in 1993, while the Habinyanja group (23 gorillas, 2 silver backs) was ready in July 1998. Later several other gorilla groups have been habituated for gorilla viewing and currently there are 120 gorilla permits available daily.
Maximums of 8 gorilla permits per group per day are sold for each of these groups at UWA Headquarters in Kampala. Book at least 3 months (but not more than one year) in advance to ensure that requested dates are available.
Please note that gorilla trekking in Bwindi can be strenuous therefore make sure you are physically fit. Carry jungle boots and rain jackets given the fact that the park is often wet.
Gorilla tracking experience starts at 8:30 am local time and occasionally lasts the whole day! Once tracked, gorillas are supposed to be met for only one hour For Conservation reasons, visits to the gorillas are tightly controlled.
What is The Best Time & period to visit Bwindi
June- October and December –March are known dry months in Uganda and definitely the best time for every Uganda safari tour including gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. However, tracking gorillas is a year round activity that everyone can enjoy according to convenience. If your free time is limited make it a point to go for the 3day 2night gorilla safari tour and explore this breathtaking forest. Don’t forget to enjoy gorilla permit discounts that run in April, May and November and save for your next vacation.
General Bwindi Forest Trips
Usually Tour Itineraries to Bwindi National Park are flexible and are designed depending on the guest request, so feel free to choose your own number of days and nights and enjoy your trip in the amazing natural forest. Make it a point to inform your trip planner about all your tour interest at the time of booking.
Gorilla Trek Recommendations
Bwindi forest is a thick hilly jungle in western Uganda and a home to mountain gorillas. It has been a choice gorilla safari destination for many and it’s still because of its natural beauty never fades. If you like primates and gorillas in particular, I believe one day Bwindi forest will make your dream of seeing mountain gorillas come true. No gorilla trekking tour to Bwindi Forest that has ever been disappointing because seeing gorillas is a must in just a single trek in all the four park sectors-Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo.
Travel light if backpacking or even when going for the trek in order to hike and trek comfortably in the jungle. Put on comfortable walking shoes, long sleeved wears, use inset repellants, and also carry your lunch box and enough drinking water since the time of the trek depends on where the gorillas spend a night before your trek. Remember they are wild animals that roam in the forest in search for food.
As time for the trek is approaching, before 8:00 am you are advised first to report to the ranger station either in Mubare, Habinyanja, Rushegura or Nkuringo for registration depending on which group you will be tracking the gorillas with. Talk to one of the many rangers around to brief you about the activity. Let the guides take you through the trek (½ – 5 hours) into the forest while pushing your way through the undergrowth and parting thick creepers, to track the gorillas.
It will be a memorable feeling spending your time in such an impenetrable forest with the few last remaining (about 650 in the whole world) mountain gorillas our 98% close cousins.
On your gorilla safari to Bwindi, spend a full good hour in observation and photography after a simple hike and leave the forest with memories of the life changing wildlife encounter. The one hour duration can be extended if you visit the park on gorilla habituation program where tourists spend the all day in company of the silver back and other gorillas.
How to Access Bwindi Forest National Park
By Air; You can fly from Entebbe International Airport or Kampala’s Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro airstrip to access the southern sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo and then to Kihihi airstrip for the northern sectors of Ruhija and Buhoma. Scheduled and chartered flights are available and operated by domestic airline operators of Aero link and Fly Uganda. You will need to plan with your tour operator for a transfer from the airstrip to your Lodge you are booked for your stay.
By Road; This will depend on which sector you will be doing your gorilla trek in Bwindi Forest; Bwindi can be accessed through the main high-way road from Entebbe/Kampala which approximately 8-9 hours drive. The northern sectors of Ruhija and Buhoma can be accessed by turning off along the Kabale-Kisoro road you will see the sign posted of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) which you will follow up to the designated sector for your trek. The southern sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo trailheads can be reached using the road turning off at Muko along Kabale-Kisoro High way.
By Car
You’ll find no difficulty in organizing with a tour operator to match your road trip needs. There are no fixed departures but rather tailor made according to your budget and proposed routes.
You can get to Bwindi from Queen Elizabeth National park within 3 hours via Ishasha sector on a game drive spotting tree climbing lions. Ishasha is about 64 km from Buhoma the main gorilla trekking sector north of Bwindi. Visitors at Mweya safari lodge in Queen Elizabeth national park will reach Bwindi with 5 hour drive covering 160 km on dirt roads.
Tourists in Lake Mburo national park can also drive for 4-6 hours to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park via Mbarara-kabale.
The longer and direct route from Kampala city or Entebbe via Mbarara-kabale-Nkuringo Road takes about 7-9 hours. Visitors intending to use this route, usually depart very early before 08:00am to avoid traffic jam. This route passes through rural Uganda with amazing en route attractions such as Mpambire village drum, Igongo cultural museum and Bakiga museum.
Another route to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is that from Kampala via Kanungu- Butogota-Kihihi entering Buhoma gorilla trekking center. It takes 6-8 hours on average speed 80 km per hour.
The route from Kampala via Ntungamo-Rukungiri to Buhoma takes 7-8 hours. Whether it’s a rainy or a dry season you will still need 4WD vehicle.
If you want to trek gorillas in the southern sector of Bwindi for instance at Rushaga or Nkuringo, you will drive for 6-7 hours via Kabale-kisoro towns to your lodge near the gorilla trekking point.
Where to Stay in Bwindi
Travelers can sleep in any type of the accommodation depending on the choice, some are Budget, Midrange and others Luxury. You can use the clean and simple bandas in Buhoma or utilize the three privately run campsites in the area along with some middle and up-market tented camps.
As may have heard about different gorilla safari lodges and campsites but not every lodge is budget. And those planning to track gorillas at affordable rates and sleep in cost friendly lodges and campsites, here are some of the gorilla safari lodges to consider when you visit Bwindi forest on budget.
Here below are some of the lodges around Bwindi, Four Gorillas, Gorilla mist camp, Chameleon hill lodge, Lake Mutanda Resort, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga gorilla haven, silverback lodge, mahogany springs, clouds gorilla lodge, Bwindi lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp, Buhoma lodge and many more. Car rental companies can book car hire clients accommodation.
Resources
To learn more about planning a trip in Bwindi, get updates from the following websites
- Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Headquarters,
- Visit Bwindi – a resource for tourists looking to visiting Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with lots of information on what to see, what to do, how to get there and more
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – the national park travel planner with all the essential information to know about the impenetrable forest.