Bwindi impenetrable national park is not only beautiful with fogged misty forest but also a home of unique mountain gorillas which are only spotted in Virunga conservation area in the whole world. The park inhabits 19 gorilla families in four sectors that 8 gorilla families in Rushaga, 4 gorilla families in Ruhija, 4 gorilla families Buhoma and 3 gorilla families in Nkuringo thus population census records over 400 gorillas in Bwindi. However, Uganda is blessed to mountain gorillas in two national parks that is mgahinga national park and Bwindi compared to Rwanda and Congo. In total gorillas in the whole world add up to about 1060 Individuals in both 3 countries but Uganda inhabits half of the total wide world.
What to do while in Bwindi?
Gorilla tracking and habituation
Gorilla tracking and habituation is the best activity done in Bwindi impenetrable national park. Goriilas are close relative of humans due to 98% DNA. Visitors can only reach to them when they have paid a gorilla permit costing $700 per person and $1500 gorilla habituation permit er person. Visitors are expected to pack cameras, comfortable hiking boots, long trousers, long t-shirts, rain coat, water &snacks, and many more. Visitors trekking chimps are first briefed to know dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking. Children above 15 years of age are allowed to trek however limited to 8 individuals per gorilla family per day. While they are with gorillas, visitors are briefed to keep 7m distance from gorillas.
Gorilla habituation is a process where gorillas are trained for about 2-3 years to get used to be with humans unlike gorillas trekking. However, visitors of habituation are given 4 hours to be with gorillas and limited to 4 Individuals. The distance of gorillas to be with humans is so close compare to those of gorilla trekking.
Nature walks.
Despite the fact that bwindi is surrounded by local communities, the park makes it the best destination for nature walk. Nature walk is always done as a spiced activity after gorilla trekking or birding. The activity involves walking on foot with the help of guides to walk to local communities where they will spot traditional dances, visiting traditional doctors, visiting local markets, iron smiting, and visiting elder for story tales and many more. During nature walks, visitors will get a chance to see various tree species in the tropical forest of Bwindi and various bird species like grey crowned crane, long horned billed bird, white egrets, kingfishers, owls and many more.
Birding.
In spite of the fact that Bwindi is a tropical forest, it makes the park a birding paradise for bird lovers. Birding activity can either be done during gorilla trekking or birding can be done only which takes fully day or half day. Bird lovers are briefed and expected to pack binoculars, cameras, comfortable hiking boots, rain coat, long trousers, long t-shorts, water &snacks and many more.
Some of the bird species spotted in Bwindi tropical forest include African blue bird,the African Emerald cuckoo, the white tailed blue fly catchers, black bee eater, handsome spurfowl, grey crowned crane, bar tailed trogon, wagtail, Giant kingfishers, African green pigeon, crowned hornbill, cinnamon chested bee eater and many more.
What to pack for gorilla trekking?
- Comfortable hiking boots
- Water &snacks
- Rain coat
- Long trousers, long stocking, long t-shirt
- Cap
- cameras
How to access the park?
The park can be accessed by either road transport of air transport. By road transport, visitors may use private, public or bus vehicles from Kampala to Bwindi taking Masaka -Mbarara route. The journey takes about 9-10 hours to reach. although it seems to be a long journey, it is worthy it due to beautiful sceneries spotted along the way like Equator, lake Mburo national park where zebras, giraffes, elephants, warthogs, kobs, water bucks, bush bucks and many more are spotted, lake Bunyonyi, landscapes of kabale.
By air transport, visitors will set off from kajjasi airstrip or Entebbe International airport which takes about 2 hours to reach to Kisoro airstrip. Where our guide will be you put and have few drives to Bwindi to your lodge where you will spend a night.
Where to stay?
Are you planning a Uganda gorilla safari and your worried where to spend a night from Bwindi? Bwindi impenetrable national park has various lodges which range from luxury lodge, mid -range and budget lodges. Some of these lodges are self -contained, have free wifi, swimming pool, balcony, mosquito nets, bath taps, showers with hot and cold water and flushing toilets. While as other offer camping tents, public toilets, restaurants, and many more.
Some of the lodges in Bwindi include bwindi safari lodge, Volcano Bwindi lodge, Buhoma lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Silverback Lodge · Nkuringo Bwindi lodge, Mahogany Springs Safari Lodge, Sanctuary Retreats Gorilla Forest Lodge, Agandi Lodge, Bakiga Lodge, Buhoma Community Haven Lodge, Bwindi Jungle Lodge, Bwindi View Lodge, Cuckoo land tented lodge, Ecomarvels Gorilla Resort and many more.
what are rules and regulations of gorilla trekking?
- visitors must keep 7m distance while they are with gorillas.
- gorilla trekking is for children above 15 years of age and above.
- Visitors who are illed are not allowed to trek gorillas since they are close relative to humans and can easy be affected by human disease.
- Visitors for gorilla trekking are limited to 8 individuals per gorilla family.
- While visitors are with gorillas, they are not supposed to make noise.
- Cameras are allowed without flash lights which may scare gorillas.
- Visitors are supposed to sanitize and wash their hands before gorillas trekking
- During the briefing, visitors are told not to linker wastes in the forest like bottles which may harm gorillas.
