Visiting Bwindi National Park, Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the southwestern corner of Uganda. It is home to nearly half the world’s endangered mountain gorilla population. Every year, people from all over the world visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to experience first-hand the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of trekking man’s closest relatives.
While its beauty is undeniable, Bwindi’s wilderness demands respect. The park’s rugged terrain, dense vegetation, and remote location create an environment that requires thoughtful preparation and vigilance. Tourists come to Bwindi seeking transformative experiences, such as gorilla trekking, birdwatching among 350+ avian species, or engaging with the atmosphere of one of the oldest ecosystems in Africa. However, alongside the allure of adventure lies the necessity to prioritize safety.
Understanding the landscape, climate, and potential challenges of the region is key to ensuring a memorable and safe visit. Bwindi’s high-altitude rainforests can bring rapidly shifting weather conditions, slippery trails and unexpected encounters with wildlife. This is no ordinary park; it’s a raw, untamed environment that requires tourists to be physically and mentally prepared.
How to Get to Bwindi
Reaching Bwindi Impenetrable Forest requires careful planning, its remote location makes it an adventurous journey. The forest is located in southwestern Uganda, near the borders with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Though it may feel isolated, there are several ways to access the park.
You can easily connect to this park by driving from Kigali Rwanda. This will take you around 5 hours. You can also connect to this park by driving from Entebbe; this will take you around 9 hours. The last option would be taking a flight from Entebbe to Kisoro and then take a couple of hours drive to the park.
Things to Do in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
In the south-west of Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park stretches from lowland forest up to a montane forest belt. Believed to have been a refuge for species during the last Ice Age, it is now famous for its population of wild Mountain Gorillas.
The main activity in Bwindi is gorilla trekking, and it is easy to see why. The forest is home to almost half of all Mountain Gorillas found in the world today and the chance to get up close to these amazing animals is an experience worthy of the once-in-a-lifetime descriptor. There is a plethora of activities one can do in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Independent of what you are looking for, you will find something here.
Gorilla Trekking
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to almost half of the 1000 or so gorillas left in the world. Gorilla tracking is the biggest attraction for most visitors to this park.
However, gorilla trekking involves several hours of hiking through dense jungles. You may not see them as they tend to move around. But if you do get to track them down, you can get really close to them as they are accustomed to humans. Remember to book your gorilla trekking permits in advance as only a few permits are issued per day. You can book your permits at the UWA office at Kampala or through local tour operators listed on the Uganda tourism board website. Each gorilla permit goes for $800 for foreign none residents.
Gorilla Habituation Experience in Rushaga
It is only in Uganda that you can be with a Mountain Gorilla Family for 4 hours on a Gorilla Habituation Experience along with researchers in Bwindi’s Impenetrable Forest national park. This amazing experience is to be with a Mountain Gorilla Family as it is being habituated is a one-of-a-kind experience in Africa.
There are presently two-family groups being habituated, meaning that they becoming used to human contact and will not run away from visitors trekking them.
You can fly into Kigali Rwanda and 4 hours later be in the Rushaga Region of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. You have the choice of budget, moderate and upmarket lodging and can stay either in Rushaga or scenic Nkuringo area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Each gorilla habituation permit goes for $1500 for foreign none residents.
The Batwa Forest Experience
The Batwa were the original people of the forest, they were here for thousands of years before the Bantu People, the Cultivators of the Land arrived. The Batwa People are pygmies who were hunter-gatherers and lived in the forests of Southwest Uganda and beyond. They left a small ecological footprint on the forest and lived in harmony with nature.
You can visit the forest (actually outside of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest) with the Batwa People and learn of their traditional ways of hunting and gathering. The Batwa Experience takes place in the Buhoma area.
Hiking through the Forest
The Hike through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest can be one day or longer hike from the north of Bwindi to the South – called Nkuringo- there, one can stay overnight and continue the next day down to scenic Lake Mutanda where you paddle across in a wooden dugout and continue to the town of Kisoro.
This is the most popular hike along two trails of Bwindi – there are however other trails and nature walks, ranging from easy to moderate in and near the Forest that can be explored on foot and requiring from an hour to all day long. Hiking through the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is always with a guide.
Bird watching
The diverse habitats in Uganda’s most ancient forest imply that is the perfect habitat for a diversity of bird species, with about 350 recorded different species, with 23 endemics. The best way to spot the birds is to follow the River Ivi trail, Munyaga River trail, Ruhija’s bamboo trail and the Mubwindi Swamp trail. The Munyaga River.
The best time to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi impenetrable National Park is open throughout the year including on public holidays. However, the best time to visit the gorillas in Bwindi is during the months between June to August and December to February.
These are the dry seasons in Uganda and the rains are not so intense in the rain forest. Gorilla trekking, nature walks and hiking tours are excellent during these periods because the forest trails are less slippery. During the dry season, there is a lot of activity in the park with more tourists. It is a chance to meet and mingle with people from all over the world.
Vaccinations and Preventive Measures
Ensure your vaccinations are up to date before travelling to Uganda. The following vaccines are commonly recommended for tourists heading to Bwindi:
- Yellow Fever: Proof of vaccination is mandatory for entry into Uganda.
- Hepatitis A and B: To protect against potential exposure through food, water, or close contact.
- Typhoid: Crucial due to possible exposure through contaminated food or water.
- Tetanus and Diphtheria: Standard for any travel, especially in environments where cuts or injuries may occur.
- Rabies: Advised for those planning extensive outdoor or close interaction with animals.
In conclusion, if you are planning to visit Bwindi forest in Uganda; ensure that you take the right vaccinations, book your Uganda Visa online, reserve the permits and accommodation in advance and then plan the rest in due course.
