Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the south-western part of Uganda. It is known for its endangered animal species called “the Mountain Gorilla”. It was turned into the park in 1991 together with Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Ruwenzori Mountain National Park which is also known for its Margherita Peak and snow attracting most of world Hikers in East Africa. In 1994 it was recognized as a world heritage site by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) because of its international ecological importance. So,Uganda houses more than half or three-quarter (3/4) of the world’s Mountain Gorilla population where as the rest of the population is shared by Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). So there are 459 individuals of Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park of the total 1,063 Gorillas in the entire world found in the virunga region (Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in DRC). In total, the park harbors over 120 species of mammals more than any other Ugandan national parks however sighting them is difficult because of the dense forest but on lucky clients, they can see elephants and other 11 species of primates in this park including Chimpanzees, L’Hoest monkey, African golden cat, rare giant forest hog, white and black colobus monkey among others. There are also more than 346 species of birdsmaking it the most visited National Park in Uganda.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a name which was obtained from the local phrase Mubwindi bwa Nyinamuraki meaning the dark place of Nyinamuraki. The name flashes back in the years when a group of family members were crossing the forest from the southern part of the park to the northern part of the park. So on their way they reached on the swamp called Mubwindi swamp which was impenetrable. Therefore, the parents asked the swamp spirits for guidance and spirits asked them to sacrifice their most lovely, favorite and beautiful daughter so that they can be accepted to cross on the other end of the swamp. The parents had to sacrifice their daughter called Nyinamuraki by throwing her to drone into the water of the swamp. Later, they had to cross safely in favor of their sacrificed daughter and when the news spread to the community, they avoided the Mubwindi swamp as impenetrable hence the name Bwindi Impenetrable National park.
The park emergence is traced back in 1932 when it was gazetted as a game reserve. It had two sections and that is Kasatora crown forest reserve in the southern part of the park and Kayonza crown forest reserve in the northern part of the park. In 1942, the two reserves were combined into one reserve and in 1964; it was changed to the animal sanctuary to protect the endangered Mountain Gorillas until 1991 when it was turned into the national park.
Today, the park is divided into four (4) sectors i.e. Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo sector. In all this sectors there exist Gorilla trekking and cultural activities which are marvelous for our clients.
CLIMATE
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is composed of tropical climate and this makes it cold in the morning and night. It has mean annual temperatures varying from as low as from 7-150C to high temperatures of a maximum of 20-270C. The mean annual rainfall varies from 1,400-1,900 Millimeters and the peak rainfall happens during March, April, September, and November. All in all, the high rainfall has contributed to the growth of tropical forest with tall trees making the park Impenetrable and favorable home for the Mountain Gorillas. Given the steep slopes in Bwindi, this has reduced soil erosion in the area hence controlling the floods even up to the neighboring communities.
The coldest months with 70C – 200C vary from June to July and months of September to November and it experiences a total rainfall of 2390mm per year and it tends to rain for long hours with gentle drizzles. On the other hand, the warmest month is January and altitudes vary from 1160m to 2607m above sea levels which leads to variations in temperatures and the park area do not really experience dry season but there are always short rains received.
ACCESS / HOW TO GET THERE
ROAD
The main route is from Kampala and takes over 460km to reach Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This depends on the location or the sector where one will track the Mountain Gorillas and also determined by the Gorilla permit availability. The main safari route can be reached via Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi. This provides the opportunity to seek for the tree climbing lions and also the chimpanzees in Kibale National Park.
It can also be accessed directly from Kampala via Mbarara then Bwindi Impenetrable National Park without connecting destinations. You can have a photo stop over at Equator and lunch at Mbarara town.
In the nutshell, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be accessed via Rwanda. The client can arrive from Kigali International airport and he/she can be transferred by our driver guide to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Katuna or Cyanika boarder
AIR
There are two airstrips to access Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from Entebbe International airport or Kajjansi airfield i.e. Kisoro airstrip and Kihihi airstrip. But we highly recommend our clients to depart and arrive through Entebbe International airport.
When tracking in Rushaga, Nkuringo, and Ruhija, we recommend our clients to fly to Kisoro airstrip because they are near to the airstrip. The ground transport will be organized for our customers to be transferred to their place of stay or accommodation. Please note that Kisoro flights are subjected to the prevailing weather conditions and strictly morning flights. They depart Entebbe International airport at 0700 hours and arrives to Kisoro airstrip at 0810 hours in the morning.
The clients who fly to Kihihi airstrip are those who are tracking the Mountain Gorillas at Buhoma and Ruhija sector. This is because Kihihi airstrip is nearer to sectors. However, the ground transport will be arranged for the clients to be transferred to their Place of stay or accommodation.
The morning flights to Kihihi airstrip depart Entebbe International airport at 0700 hours and arrive to Kihihi airstrip at 0845 hours and also, we have flights which depart Entebbe airport at 1015 hours in the morning and arrives Kihihi airstrip at 1125 hours in the morning. The afternoon flights depart Entebbe International airport at 1200 hours and arrives at Kihihi airstrip at 1440 hours in the afternoon.
TOURISM ACTIVITIES IN BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
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Mountain Gorilla Tracking.
This is the most interesting tourism activity one would not miss in life and it can be done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in DRC Congo. Gorilla tracking is a process which involves searching of habituated Mountain Gorillas by the help of your ranger guides.
There are four (4) sectors for tracking the Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park i.e. Buhoma sector, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors. The Gorilla permit availability will determine where you will be allocated as the permits are served on first come first serve basis by Uganda Wildlife Authority. There is also a sector called Nyakagezi and it is found in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Upon finding the Mountain Gorillas on tracking, you will spend 1 hour with them as they eat, play and rest but the whole process may cost 2 to 6 hours in total depending on the place and time you will find these lovely apes.
The Mountain Gorillas in habit the dense forest of the Albertine Rift Montane clouds and the virunga hills. The altitude ranges from 2,200 to 4,300 meters. The Gorillas prefer the cloudy, cold and misty places.
Advance booking is highly preferred because the Gorilla permits are limited to 8 people in each Gorilla family per day and there are only 20 Gorilla families available for tourists. So clients always book a year before the tracking date to be on the safer side however last minute booking is also accepted when the permits are still available.
Studies have revealed that the Gorilla features are related to human beings and they are closest creatures to humans as well. The Gorilla group is led by the dominant male called the silverback which weighs up to 120 kgs, it selects where the rest of members will eat from, rest, and sleep. The silverback also has right to feed first before the rest and in case of any attack, it will fight for them.
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Gorilla habituation Experience
It is the same like gorilla tracking but the difference is that you spend more time with Gorillas upon meeting them. So you will wake up in the morning and head for briefing at UWA headquarters in the park. Gorilla Habituation experience is done only at Rushaga sector and there is only one gorilla family allocated for habituation experience. So, you will spend four (4) hours upon meeting these Gorillas unlike the Gorilla tracking activity where you only spend one (1) hour upon meeting these Mountain Gorillas. There are 4 gorilla permits available per day for this experience.
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Batwa trail and Cultural experience
Batwa people are the founders of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, traditionally the park was their home as they used to live in the forest for many years. They used to hunt, gather fruits as source of food and also get medicine from medicinal plants.
These people used to live together with the Mountain Gorillas, but the Government had to get them out of the forest to gather them in neighboring communities (edge) of the park. During this cultural experience, the Batwa will take you into the forest to show you how they used to live into this forest and more interesting, they will show how they used to light fire out of wood.
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Bird watching / Birding
Bird watching is one of the specialized activities and rising in Uganda, here is a big opportunity in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with many birding trails, this has contributed to the growing numbers of people visiting Bwindi every year. Bwindi has many birding trails but there are four common bird watching trails i.e. The River Ivi Trail between Buhoma and Nkuringois recommended, Buhoma’s forest-edge MunyagaRiver Trail. Ruhija’s Bamboo Trail, Rwamunyoni peak, and Mubwindi Swamp. There are very many bird species in this forest and among them they include;African Green Broad Bill, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Dusky Crimsonwing, African Hill Babbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, African Green Broadbill, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Waller’s Starling, Short Tailed Warbler, Brown Capped Weaver, Rwenzori Turacco, Breasted Sunbird, Chubb’s Cisticola, Regal Sunbird, Streaky Seed Eater, and Kivu Ground Thrush.
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Community walks
More interestingly, community walks provide you the insight to explore the lives of the local people and this will let you know how the local people live and benefit from the existence of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will meet the Batwa and Bakigapeople on the forest boundariesespecially in Buhoma and Nkuringo area. Community walks are conducted by the local (Batwa) guides in Buniga forest walk in Nkuringo, they will demonstrate their traditional culture which is worthy visiting
ACCOMMODATIONS / WHERE TO STAY
HIGH END LODGES / LUXURY FACILITIES
- Buhoma Lodge – Buhoma Sector
- Mahogany Springs – Buhoma Sector
- Trackers Safari Lodge – Buhoma Sector
- Gorilla Heights Lodge – Nkuringo Sector
- Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge – Buhoma Sector
- Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge – Nkuringo Sector
- Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge – Ruhija Sector
- Gorilla Safari Lodge Rushaga Sector – Rushaga Sector
- Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp – Buhoma Sector
- Clouds MountainGorilla Lodge – Nkuringo sector
MID-RANGE FACILITIES
- Silverback Lodge – Buhoma Sector
- Engagi Lodge – Buhoma Sector
- Buhoma Haven Lodge – Buhoma Sector
- Gorilla Forest Camp – Rushaga Sector
- Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge – Rushaga Sector
- Chameleon Hill Lodge – Near Rushaga Sector
- Bakiga Lodge – Ruhija Sector
- Gorilla Mist Camp – Ruhija Sector
- Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge – Near Rushaga Sector
- Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge – Near Rushaga Sector
BASIC / BUDGET FACILITIES
- Buhoma Community Rest Camp – Buhoma Sector
- Ride 4 the woman – Buhoma Sector
- Gorilla Valley Lodge – Rushaga Sector
- Broadbill Forest Camp – Ruhija Sector
- Ruhija Community rest Camp – Ruhija Sector
- Wagtail Eco Camp – Near Nkuringo and Rushaga Sector
- Gift of Nature Lodge-Ruhija Sector
- Nshongi Camp – Rushaga sector
- Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort – Ruhija Sector
- Trekkers Tavern Cottages –Ruhija Sector