Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
The premier gorilla trekking experience in East Africa.
Overview
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park This is an awesome and pleasant jungle alongside an old forest with beautiful landscapes throughout Bwindi forest and another leading travel destination in Africa and Uganda. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is breathtaking and gets its intriguing name from the vegetation that is so thick that it is nearly impenetrable. It offers the exciting opportunity to see the mountain gorillas up close, leaving a long lasting memory and a joyous feeling.
Located in the heart of Virunga Massif, you are quickly awed by the beauty of your surroundings and the anticipation of encountering the largest apes. At the same time, your determination will propel you forward through the challenging terrain as you make your way through the jungle and forest to discover the beauties of the National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is situated along the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley and north of the Virunga Volcanoes with Rwanda.
It offers a massive, enticing outlook through the slopes of the hills of Bwindi massif with its swath of steep mountains covered in thick steamy jungle. These forests is magnificent, magical, and otherworldly as you make your way through it, your excitement and anticipation builds as you prepare to look into the silverback’s eyes.
Being one of Africa’s most ancient habitats, it survived the last Ice Age as most of the continent’s other forests disappeared and is the only place where chimpanzees and gorillas coexist in the same habitat with forest elephants and extremely rare birds. The park has managed to house over 400 Gorillas due to sound conservation practices, resulting in a very interesting experience for Gorilla Trekking and viewing the amazing scenery of the Virunga massif, the Rwenzori backdrop, views of Lake Albert, plants, wildlife, birds, and primates.
Wildlife
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park With a great biodiversity of vegetation in the park, it is a great habitat for the animals and birds .120 species of mammals including mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, black and white colobus, red-tailed guenon, vervet monkeys, L’Hoest guenon, baboons, nocturnal prosimians, forest elephants, duikers, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, several small species of cats alongside 360 species of birds and over 200 species of butterflies.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has a variety of wildlife calling it home, but most notable are the impressive endangered Mountain Gorillas that can only be seen in Africa in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Only about 1000 Mountain Gorillas remain in the world and half of them inhabit the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The forest boasts 18 habituated gorilla families located in different sections of the Park, with four gorilla families in Buhoma (Mubare, Habinyanja, Rushegura and Katwe), four in Ruhija (Oruzogo, Bitukura, Kyaguriro and Mukiza), seven in Rushaga (Busingye, Bweza, Bikingi, Kahungye, Mishaya, Nshongi and Kutu) and three in Nkuringo (Nkuringo, Bishaho and Christmas).
Gorilla Trekking
A Gorilla Trek is one of the most thrilling experiences a traveler can have on a jungle adventure. The trek starts when you reach the briefing point at any tracking location. Tracking gorillas takes time, patience and good knowledge of the forest’s ways and the habits of the mountain gorillas.
Mountain Gorillas are mind blowing and many are often at a loss of words when they find themselves finally standing just a few meters away from them. You will have an hour to enjoy these truly magical moments that will forever be ingrained in your mind and can’t be replicated anywhere else in the world.
Bwindi Forest is mostly frequented for Gorilla Trekking and is the main reason that most visitors come to this park as it provides an incredible backdrop for this once in a lifetime adventure.
Gorilla Habituation Experience
In Uganda this experience can only be encountered in the Rushaga tracking location of the Park. Here, you will spend 4 hours with the Mountain Gorilla Family with not more than 4 participants.
There are presently two family groups being habituated, meaning that they are becoming used to human contact and will not run away from visitors trekking them..
How To Get There
By Road
Determining which route to use depends on which sector of Bwindi you could be going to and a 4wd vehicle would be recommended because these routes tend to be so slippery during the wet season. The following are the different routes;
To Buhoma sector;
This route will start from Kampala through Masaka – Mbarara – Ntungamo – Rukungiri – Kihihi – Kanyantorogo – Butogota and lastly to Buhoma. But is you are coming from Queen Elizabeth National Park, you may have to through Ishasha to Kihihi – Kanyantorogo-Butogota and then to Buhoma
To Ruhija sector;
This will also start from Kampala through Masaka – Mbarara – Ntungamo – Kabale and then keep on Kisoro road for some 20kms where you will find a big sign post on right showing Bwindi Forest National Park – Ruhija 26km & Buhoma 76km. This route can also be used by those coming from Kabale as well as those from Kisoro.
To Rushaga & Nkuringo sectors;
These two sectors can be accessed through Kisoro town. But if you are coming from Kabale you can use a shorter route before Kisoro town at a point which is around 45km from Kabale on Kisoro road. This point has a number of sign posts indicating the different lodges in Rushaga sector.
By Air
Some travelers can choose to fly to cut the time they spend on the road or because they have less travel days. A scheduled flight can be booked with Aerolink from Entebbe International Airport or from Kampala at Kajansi airfield to the airstrips in Kisoro if you are tracking the southern sector or Kihihi and Kayonza for travellers tracking for the northern area.
When To Go
Uganda is known as a year-round travel destination for any tourist planning to travel here due to its climate and unique weather patterns, location to the equator and Lake Victoria. Uganda mainly has two rainy seasons; October to November and the long rainy season which takes place from mid-March through the end of May.
The best time to visit Bwindi Forest National Park for the gorillas is June, July, August, September, January and February when the roads and the trials in the park are less slippery and passable.
Other Activities
Birding
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of Africa’s number one birding sites with many species endemic to the forest. As one of the prime birding destinations in Africa, it is home to over 347 species of forest birds. Of those recorded in the Park, at least 70 out of 78 montane forest bird species occurring in the Albertine Rift region are found in the forest and 22 of the 36 endemic species in the region.
Rainforest Walks
Hiking through the forest is led by a ranger-guide and can be done from Nkuringo tracking location to Buhoma or Vis versa and is famous with those who choose to trek gorillas twice, once in Buhoma and once in the South of the Park.
Community Visits
The Batwa People are the pygmies who were the first inhabitants of the forest for years as hunter-gatherers. The Batwa experiences in the Buhoma area and the Buniga Forest Walk, near Southern Bwindi, give you a glimpse into the lives and traditions of the Batwa as you help restore their heritage and keep their cultural practices alive.
Mountain Biking
Opt for a fascinating village walk or travel with a well-trained guide by bike, where you will ride into the Forest on paths such as the Ivy River Trail. The average Bike Ride is 3 hours or longer in length with much to see along the trail or road.
Village Walks
Conduct a 3-hour cultural walk through the village as you learn their ways of life and cultures of the people. You will be accompanied by a local guide who is knowledgeable about the local cultures and customs.
Why Travel With Us?
At Safaris By Jon, we guarantee a seamless travel experience and premium service throughout your unforgettable journey to Uganda. We are a globally partnered travel company that provides expert travel advice before your trip and some of the best guides in the industry throughout the entire duration of your stay in Uganda. We have over 10 years experience working in the tourism industry in Uganda and strive to ensure that Uganda remains a viable.
“I have gone on five safaris with Jon over the past five years, and each time has been incredible. I've taken groups of volunteers with me, as well as my own family. He's that good!”- Henry, USA (Tripadvisor)
“Perhaps the most important and my favorite part of the trip was the fact that Jon really put us in touch with the rich and beautiful culture of Uganda. The people are so wonderful and amazing. It really distinguished the trip from others I had taken. Go to Uganda. It’s the most breathtaking place I’ve ever experienced. And when you go to Uganda, go with Jon.”- Bryan, USA (Tripadvisor)
“John was a fantastic guide for our trip, first to the Bwindi and then onto Jinja. He has very professional throughout the 6 days we spent together and always ensured that we were being looked after. His knowledge of the country, the people and the wildlife was first rate and always interesting to listen to. He would continually ensure that we achieved everything we wanted to on our trip. He was an absolute pleasure to get to know over the days of our trip and is a true ambassador for Uganda. Strongly recommend using him for your adventures.”- Paul, USA (Tripadvisor)
“We had the pleasure of travelling part of Uganda with Jon earlier this month. He was incredibly knowledgeable and made the trip for us. The trip ran incredibly smoothly and he made extra effort to make our experience the best possible. We traveled to Murchison Falls NP, Queen Elizabeth NP, and Bwindi NP, and we tracked gorillas and chimps. Honestly could not recommend Jon enough, if you want a truly memorable amazing experience in Africa this is the company to go with! 5 star!”- Ashley, USA(Tripadvisor)
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