What Is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Famous For.
Before deciding to visit this stunning National Park, have you ever wondered what is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park renowned for? Comprising 327 square kilometers, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is in southwest Uganda. Bwindi locally refers to impenetrable, and certainly the phrase exactly matches this immaculate forest that has endured for 30000 years.
The entwined plants drape across a highly fissured terrain of steep, slippery valleys and high draughty hills.
Uganda’s most popular tourist destination is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and worldwide this is an unparalleled animal experience. Residents of this park include more than ten primate species, including the threatened mountain gorillas.
More primates include L’Hoest’s red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, blue monkeys, olive baboons, chimps, and others who find great solace in this park.
Elephants, cape buffaloes, Giant forest pigs, Duikers, Uganda Kobs, water bucks, and bushbucks are just a some of the more than 150 creatures that benefit from the freebies of Bwindi impenetrable National Park.
With over 350 bird species 23 of which are Albertine endemics, Bwindi forest’s abundant birdlife makes it Africa’s premier birding destination. Located in the Kigezi highlands, Bwindi Forest boasts Ruhija as the main birding destination where one may easily find several species.
Highlights of what distinguishes Bwindi impenetrable National Park
Trekking in Gorillas
Habituation experience with gorillas
trips for birding
Primate Research Center
Community Walking Tours and Cultural Events
Nature Trails
Trekking Among Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Given their great abundance, gorilla trekking in Bwindi forest offers the best possibilities of finding them. Nearly half of the mountain gorillas in the world find home in the Bwindi forest. Though additional locations include the Ruhija area, the Rushaga area, and the Nkuringo area, the primary headquarters of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are in the Buhoma area.
Uganda Wildlife Authority’s permit per person sold serves as the admission ticket for gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi forest. Eight licenses per gorilla family are sold to prevent over trampling of vegetation, the major source of food for mountain gorillas.
In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda has roughly 19 gorilla trekking families available for visitors. Among these families are those of Rushegura gorilla, Habinyanja gorilla, Mubare gorilla, Nkuringo gorilla family, Bweza gorilla family, Mukisa gorilla family, Oruzogo gorilla family.
Trekkers meet at the ranger station every day for a briefing; nonetheless, you have to go to a briefing for the region where your permit is registered. Overnighting in another location but hiking gorillas elsewhere might mean waking up earlier than others to drive. Particularly in heavy rain seasons or at times the tree logs obstruct the road, the roads in this isolated location are inaccessible. Book lodging in or near the location where your gorilla permit is scheduled to prevent such unknowns.
Starting at around 0800hrs and splitting you into a maximum of 8 trekkers, gorilla trekking is the main activity in Bwindi impenetrable National park. You follow the ranger guide along the path heading to the location where the gorillas were last spotted the day before. Usually, they never eat far from there.
Once you do find the mountain gorillas, you have just one hour to observe them and snap pictures. Though they move to challenge you, do not attempt to touch them; they are really beautiful to see. These wild creatures need to be let to live free away from human influence.
One hour is allotted to be with the gorillas so they may have opportunity to keep eating; attempt to breed free from intervention, interact freely with each other and have normal lives.
Gorilla Habituation in National Park Bwindi Impenetrable
One of the emerging programs with momentum in Bwindi Impenetrable National park is gorilla habituation. Simply said, gorilla habituation is the process by which wild gorillas get used to human presence without changing their usual activities.
Starting in 2014, only four visitors with researchers and ranger personnel accompany the semi-habituated mountain gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable National park. Starting earlier than usual gorilla trekking, this excursion may require you to record some information about the mountain gorillas. Currently, gorilla habituation operations take place in the Rushaga region of the southern Bwindi forest Nkuringo.
Though remember to carry the appropriate and sufficient gorilla trekking gear to last the four hours, follow the directions from the researchers and rangers team.
Currently, a gorilla habituation permit costs $1500 per person each trip and lets you spend four hours among the mountain gorillas.
You could spend the whole day in the jungle, so make sure you carry appropriate gorilla habituation tools for a pleasant encounter. These are semi-habituated gorillas, hence they are somewhat more reserved and guard of their habitat.
Birding in Impenetrable National Park, Bwindi
How do you bird in Uganda and ignore Bwindi forest, the best birding destination not just in Uganda but also in Africa? Including around 23 species of the 24 Albertine endemics, the Bwindi forest has more than 350 known bird species.
Early birding in the Bwindi forest could allow you to see bird-like African Green Broadbill, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Western Green Tinkerbird, Mountain Masked, Chestnut-throated Apalises, Rwenzori Batis and White-tailed Crested Flycatcher Collared Apalis Banded Prinia and so many more.
The main birding site in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the Ruhija region, particularly the tail leading to Mubwindi Swamp. Here are many of birds, particularly from the ridge top path that provides birders with amazing deep valleys perspective of the pristine rain forest.
A Primate Research Centre in Bwindi Forest
Special Cultural Events and Community Walks in Bwindi
It is amazing to enter Batwa pygmies’ archaic way of life on the community walk in Bwindi Impenetrable national park. Some of the underprivileged people in the world, the Batwa lost their ancestral land in the Virunga region to protect the mountain gorillas.
They lived on the fringe of Bwindi jungle and only exhibit their way of life in the jungle.
Community Tours and Cultural Events at Bwindi Park
Indigenous people the Batwa, whose lifeblood existed in the forest up to 1990 when they were expelled for conservation reasons, make Bwindi Impenetrable National Park distinctive.
In Buhoma, a nearby town, there is a three-hour local community walk across the village. Like traditional healers and beer makers, you get to marinate in the lives of the residents; you visit a household and plan customary events too.
The Nkuringo section of southern Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has a community walk where one visits a blacksmith, rural farmhouse, traditional healer, and brewer. That encounter with the indigenous clarifies additional aspects of their way of life.
One of the most straightforward methods to help the nearby community and inspire them to keep funding the gorilla preservation effort is here.
Nature walks inside Bwindi Impenetrable National park
Apart from providing a habitat for the mountain gorillas, the Bwindi forest is a superb biosphere reserve with more than 300 tree species, more than 88 months of amazing waterfalls, and a rich river network.
Many nature walk paths lead you for a day or more into the splendor of the forest.
For enthusiastic birders, the Munyanga river paths provide a great opportunity. Many primates also adorn this route including blue monkeys, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and so many more.
River Ivi paths follow an ancient road over exquisite tree cover developing on the southern side of the forest. Another paradise for ardent bird enthusiasts.
Your best option is the shimmering waterfalls you come across on the waterfall path. You skip orchids, epiphytic ferns, and tree ferns. This confirms once further that Bwindi is a pure forest with unparalleled natural beauty.
The remarkable characteristics of the western rift valley are shown on the Rushura Hill trek. Clear days will allow Lake Edward and the Rwenzori Mountains to be seen.
Getting To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park By Road
You travel around 414 kilometers from Kampala to Kabale then take a murram road for about 150km to Kanungu then Kanyantorongo. Before reaching the Bwindi region, time during this trip might run 8 to 9 hours.
From the capital to Rukungiri, another path runs from Kampala via Ntungamo to Rukungiri and the Buhoma region is the most direct one spanning around 390 km. then keep on a murram road for 82 kilometers to Buhoma.
More paths include a journey from Mweya, around 160km from Buhoma or Ishasha Sector, from Queen Elizabeth National park. This is 64km from Buhoma. The trip will take four to five hours.
From Kampala to Kabale, drive Nkuringo to reach the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Driven 414 miles from Kampala to Kabale, you then follow murram road for 105 km till you reach Nkuringo. There are chances of overnighting at Kisoro, eighty kilometers from Kabale. In case you have to catch up with a briefing for gorilla trekking, you have to get up early and travel to Nkuringo for around 35km.
Under Flight
Kajjansi Airstrip and Entebbe Airport offers daily scheduled domestic flights; you must prior seat booking.
Do you still find great appeal in what is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is known for? Are you trying to find reasonably priced gorilla trips to Bwindi under a reputable tour company? Look no farther than Katland Safaris and Fixers, who have the necessary background to plan such as seen by the numerous Trip Advisor ratings.
