Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a stunning, biodiverse rainforest famous for hosting nearly half the world’s. Remaining mountain gorillas, alongside chimpanzees, diverse birds, and other mammals. Known for its challenging, steep terrain and rich flora, it offers adventurous gorilla trekking. Cultural encounters with local Batwa people, and is a key water catchment area. For the Albertine Rift Valley attracting nature lovers. Even if Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was not home to the Mountain Gorilla. Its remoteness, natural beauty, and enthralling biodiversity would attract visitors. But it is those magnificent great apes that have made Bwindi Uganda’s single most important tourist destination.

Bwindi, among East African forests, has some of the richest populations of trees, small mammals, birds, reptiles, butterflies, and moths. The park’s diverse species are partly a result of the large variations of elevation and habitat types in the park, and may also be because the forest was a refuge for species during glaciations in the Pleistocene epoch. The park’s forests are Afromontane, which is a rare vegetation type on the African continent. Located where plain and mountain forests meet, there is a continuum of low altitude to high altitude primary forests in the park, one of the few large tracts of East African forest where this occurs. The park has more than 220 tree species, more than 50% of Uganda’s species, and more than 100 fern species. The brown mahogany is a threatened plant species in the park.

Mountain Gorillas

400 Mountain gorillas live in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, just under half of the 1,000 mountain gorillas left globally.

A dozen gorilla families in Bwindi are fully habituated, which means they have been introduced to the presence of humans. For research and conservation purposes, and two families are currently undergoing habituation.

Mountain gorillas cannot survive in captivity, so the only way to observe these critically endangered species is to trek. Through dense jungle and up steep passes in their native habitat, accompanied by experienced and knowledgeable rangers.

However, the arduous journey will all be made worthwhile when you finally get the chance to sit silently. Between the leaves and observe the complex social interactions between the tight-knit troop for a glorious 60 minutes.

Mountain gorillas are often referred to as gentle giants

Mountain gorillas are often referred to as gentle giants, weighing on average 440 pounds and standing at a height of 5ft; it is understandable why some might find them intimidating. However, mountain gorillas are generally very calm and subsist on leaves and shoots.

Compared to the lowland gorillas found in Western and Central Africa, Mountain gorillas have thicker and longer fur to keep them warm in the higher mountain altitudes.

Other Forest Species

Forest elephants roam the eastern Ruhija sector, sitatunga antelopes dwell in swampy areas, the clawless otter effortlessly floats downriver, and grey-cheeked mangabeys hang out in the tree canopy.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to over 120 mammal species, the second-highest after Queen Elizabeth National Park, so you will likely spot plenty of other creatures on your quest to find the gorillas.

Ten primate species live in the forest, including L’Hoest monkeys, black and white colobus, baboons, and, at the highest elevations, the rare golden monkey.

Troops of chimpanzees are present too, but not habituated, therefore rarely seen. If you want to get up close to a chimp in the wild, head to Kibale Forest, Kyambura Gorge, or the Budongo Forest Reserve

Birds and Butterflies

Bwindi is one of the world’s top ten birding destinations and a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its biodiversity and number of endangered species.

Almost 347 forest birds have been recorded here, including the African green-broadbill, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, and Chopin’s flycatcher.

Head out on an early morning guided bird walk through the forest for the best opportunity to spot some of the rare birds present in the park.

Bwindi is also a splendid habitat for butterflies, with almost 220 recorded species, and accounts for 84% of the country’s total.

Getting to Bwindi

Bwindi Forest National Park is located about 478 kilometers from the capital city, Kampala, and can take between 7 to 8 hours of driving. The journey is mostly on a surface and a dirt murram road for the last part into the forest. Bwindi National Park can also be accessed from Queen Elizabeth Park, driving through the Ishasha sector in 3 to 4 hours.

Daily buses operate from Kampala to Kabale, Kisoro, as well as Rukungiri via Kihihi. From those towns, you can easily connect to Bwindi National Park. Or arrange with a local guide to pick you up. The park can also be accessed by air, flying from Entebbe airport to Kihihi  Kisoro airstrip on a domestic flight. Aero Link is a domestic operator with scheduled daily flights to Kisoro (only in the morning) and the Kihihi airstrip of Bwindi.

Below are the fight schedules and times.

Gorilla trekking

This is an adventure activity where a group of 8 people to get to hike/ trek through the thick forests, accompanied by park rangers and porters, to see habituated mountain Gorillas in their natural environment- wild and untamed, freely going about their daily routine.

Bwindi National Park currently has six gorilla trekking sectors: Buhoma, Nkuringo, Ruhija, Rushaga, Nyundo, and Rubugiri. With Buhoma and Nkuringo being among the most visited sectors. The park’s proximity to the border of Rwanda has long allowed tourists to combine Uganda and Rwanda. Gorilla trekking experiences in a single itinerary. These trips can start from either country, depending on the client’s preference. Making it possible to do gorilla trekking in Bwindi from Rwanda-about a 4 to 5-hour drive to Kigali.

When is the best time to trek Gorillas in Uganda?

The best time to trek mountain Gorillas in Uganda is mid-June through September, and December through February. This period is the busiest and best time of the year. These are dry months of the year, and the high season or peak season for Gorilla Trekking. Though mountain Gorillas can be trekked all year long in Uganda, with no seasonal closures.

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