Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the most beautiful places on earth found on the edge of the Albertine Rift in the southwestern corner of Uganda. This 321 square kilometer Park is not just an ordinary Park but rather the home to the endangered, rare, and most sought-after Mountain gorillas that exist in only three African Countries in the whole World.

Established into a National Park in 1991 and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has since become a popular destination for tourists interested in being up-close with their giant apes.

Gorilla Trekking

Gorilla trekking has attracted travelers from the world over and it is without a doubt that almost every traveler who has had a safari to Uganda has had gorilla trekking on their travel itinerary. Buying a gorilla permit at $700 effective July 2020 is what will enable one to do gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park an activity that will have you hiking through the impenetrable forest in search of the endangered mountain gorillas with the guidance of the rangers, guides and trackers.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has 19 habituated gorilla families that travelers can track in the four different sectors of the park. Buhoma gorilla sector in the northern part of the sector has 4 habituated gorilla families, Ruhija gorilla sector in the east of the park has 4 habituated gorilla families, Nkuringo gorilla sector in the South has 3 gorilla families while Rushaga gorilla sector in the south as well has 8 habituated gorilla families.

Gorilla permits are in high demand, prior booking of at the very least 3 months is required to secure yours.

Gorilla Habituation

Gorilla habituation takes place in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi. Gorilla habituation will have travelers walking through the impenetrable forest with researchers collecting data and learning about the mountain gorillas and the gorilla family in particular. Travelers spend 4 hours with the gorillas once encountered and they get to learn of the behaviors of the family and interact with them. There are 2 gorilla families being habituated in Rushaga so only 8 permits per day are available for gorilla habituation only allows 4 persons per gorilla family. Booking in advance is also required to secure one’s permit. Gorilla habituation permits cost $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents and ugx750,000 for East African citizens.

Bird watching

There are about 350 bird species in Bwindi with 23 bird species being endemic to the Albertine Rift and 14 being recorded nowhere else in the country! The African Green Broadbill which is only found in the Ruhija sector and the Congo, the short-tailed warbler, blue-headed sunbird, Rwenzori night jar among so many others are some of the birds that travelers should look out for while in the park on a bird-watching spree. Remember to carry your binoculars.

The Batwa cultural experience

The Batwa cultural experience will have travelers reliving the lives and practices of the Batwa, the people that lived in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest before they got evicted and became squatters in the communities near the park. The Batwa people, during the cultural experience, will share and demonstrate how they lived, hunted, cooked, made use of the lest expected materials say sticks to make fire, how they collected wild honey and share on their knowledge of the plants that they used for both food and medicine. These people highly depended on the forest and had for a long time co-existed with the animals and plant life. The sad songs and exotic dances will also be shared during the experience.

Biking tours

Biking/Cycling Tours in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are mainly (but not limited to) arranged by Bwindi Community Rest Camp under the Ride 4 a Woman organization and takes tourists through parts of the Forest to see some of the wildlife species and the nearby community.

Lake Mutanda visit

Located in the southern part of the park, Lake Mutanda is a beautiful and refreshing place that travelers should go and unwind from after the gorilla trekking experience. The lake has many islands that can be explored on a dugout canoe with the help of a guide. Sunsets while at Lake Mutanda are exceptional.

Other activities conducted within and around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are Butterfly watching and volunteering among others.

Where to stay at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Just like the rich attractions, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is endowed with numerous luxury, midrange, and budget accommodation facilities across the four sectors of the Park.

The best luxury accommodation facilities to spend nights during your visit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are Clouds Mount Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Mahogany Springs Camp, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, and Chameleon Hill Lodge among others.

The most breathtaking midrange accommodation facilities to spend nights during your visit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park include Eco Marvels Gorilla Resort, Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, Lake Kitandara Bwindi Camp, Gorilla Mist Camp, Engagi Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, and Silverback Lodge among others.

The best-selected budget places to spend nights during your visit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort, Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Gift of Nature Lodge, Wagtail Eco Safari Camp, Bwindi Guesthouse, Ruhija Community Rest Camp, Nshongi Camp, Broadbill Forest Camp, and Bwindi View Bandas among others.

How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the southwest of Uganda, about 464 kilometers/8-10 hours’ drive from Kampala, and can be accessed by air or road transport. For tourists opting for the former, chattered flights are arranged from Entebbe International Airport to Kayonza, Kihihi, or Kisoro airstrips then connect to the Park by road.

For road transport, several routes are used to connect from Kampala to Bwindi, but tourists are recommended to choose the most convenient one depending on the sector visited. One of the routes to use is Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Ntungamo-Rukungiri-Kihihi-Buhoma for tourists planning to visit the northern sector.

Another popular route is Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale-Ruhija for tourists planning to visit the eastern sector of Ruhija. For tourists visiting both Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks, connect through the southern sector of Ishasha where you will see the tree-climbing lions to the Buhoma sector of Bwindi.