Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP is a home to half of the world population of mountain gorillas among the unique variety of flora and fauna in this vast rain forest. The 330km2 UNESCO world heritage is a prime destination for mountain gorilla trekking experiences where daily treks are available to over 20 gorilla family groups. A trek up-close these biggest of the apes is often considered a lifetime humbling adventure.
Bwindi’s other fauna comprises of chimpanzee, L’hoest and blue monkeys with forest elephants and forest duikers. The rich ancient forest is also a top birding hotspot with over 360 specie checklist that includes the 24 Albertine Endemics and high altitude specialists.
Quick Facts:
- Park Size: 330km2
- Elevation: 1160m-2607m
- Birds: 360 species
- Mammals: 122 species including the Mountain Gorilla, Chimpanzee and more.
Activities to do in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP
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Gorilla Tracking Experience
The major highlight for visitors to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP is the life-time trek experience alongside and up-close a family of mountain gorillas in their natural rainforest home. Gorilla trekking here is offered on two different trekking options that give visitors diverse experience with these gentle apes.
A gorilla habituation experience is where a small number of visitors in a company of ranger researchers, trek to a semi-habituated mountain gorilla family to gain insights of its wild behavior and personalities. This behind-the-scenes experience gives you a chance to see the dedication and the delicate work of researchers and also offers an extended time for observation of these gentle apes.
This rewarding and almost full-day trek experience is more physical demanding, starting very early in the mornings to find the gorilla family leaving their nests and following along as they forage till late afternoon. These gorilla families are shy and forage in difficult forest sections completely away from the established forest trails. Limited permits are issued per day and the cost is 1500USD per person.
Ordinary Gorilla Tracking Experience tend to be shorter and rather easier as only 8 visitors trek to a well habituated gorilla family to its home range. And once the gorilla family has been located, the visitors spend the standard One-hour to observe, photograph and watch the different family interaction. These gorilla families are well used to visitors and less shy offering quality observation. Tracking duration at Bwindi forest vary daily but anywhere between 4-8hrs is normal.
It is important to note that gorilla tracking experience require a minimum age of 15years.
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Bird Watching in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is the region’s premier birding hotspot notably for the rare 24 Albertine Endemics and quality afro-highland specialists unique to this ancient rainforest. The rainforest of Bwindi offers the safest and best access to bird the Albertine Rift Endemic zone, known for its rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. Birding tours here explore various altitudes and micro habitats where from a total checklist of over 360 species occur. Bird highlights include; African Green Broadbill, Bar-tailed Trogon, Shelley’s Crimson-wing, African Broadbill, Western Green Tinkerbird, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Ayres Hawk-Eagle, Brown-necked Parrot, Montane Oriole, beautiful Doherty Bush-shrike, Stripe-breasted Tit, Strange Weaver, Neumann’s Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, Handsome Francolin and more.
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Guided Nature Walks
Bwindi Forest offers stunning guided walks that reveals the rich rainforest interior rich with mammals, birds, butterflies and various tree species. The UNESCO world heritage forest of Bwindi is the oldest in Africa estimated to be over 2-million years, with a rich diversity of flora and fauna including the endangered mountain gorillas. The forest which spreads over diverse vegetational zones between altitude ranges of 1650 to 2650m is a naturalists’ heaven where a checklist of over 360 species of birds, 300 species of butterflies and various tree species occur.
Guided forest walks range from short-to-full-day tours exploring various forest sections where scenic ice-white waterfalls occur. Long walks include the famous Buhoma to Nkulingo walk that exposes you to the forest interior rich with birds and other mammals and panoramic of surrounding highlands.
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Meet the Batwa on a Community Walk Experience in Bwindi
While at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP, take a community visit to meet the Batwa, an indigenous group of people that formally lived in the highland forests across the equatorial Africa. Rich in ancient traditions and culture, the Batwa lived as nomadic hunter gatherers in these vast rainforests till up to recent times when modernity came knocking. As a crucial need to preserve and conserve both the mountain gorillas and its dwindling rainforest habitats arose, the Batwa found them selves at cross roads and were forced out of their forest homes to adapt to modern lifestyle. This guided community tour is a demonstrative experience, showcasing the Batwa’s rich culture and traditions including various skills and sheds light into their adopted modern lifestyle today.
How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP
By road from Entebbe/ Kampala: The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP with its 4 sector offices lies close to 500km from Entebbe/Kampala requiring 9hrs to full-day drive. Transferring from Queen Elizabeth NP and L. Mburo NP requires 3-hrs and 5hrs respectively.
By road from Kigali, Rwanda: For travelers looking for short safari plans to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP and Mgahinga NP can opt to land in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital crossing into Uganda through the land borders of Gatuna/Katuna or Kyanika/Chanika. Here drive time is about 4hrs. Note that such travelers will need to purchase an East African visa that allows multi-entry to several East African countries.
By air: For travelers looking to avoid long direct drives or with short time on hands, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is served by domestic scheduled flights from Entebbe or Kajjansi airports landing at Kisoro Airport for southern sector offices of Rushaga and Nkulingo will be about 50km (1hr0 away. For the northern sector offices of Buhoma and Ruhija, domestic flights land at Kihihi Airport also 50km (1hr) away.