Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a protected area situated in southwest Uganda at the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, popular for hosting around half of the total population of the critically endangered mountain gorillas. So far, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has at least 22 habituated gorilla families. They live in 4 gorilla sectors: Nkuringo, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Buhoma.
What to see?
An impressive 357 bird species reside in Bwindi, with at least 23 of them Albertine endemics. Examples include regal sunbird, strange weaver, handsome spurfowl, black-billed turaco, Shelley’s crimson wing, Rwenzori turaco, and African green broadbill, etc. There are at least 120 mammal species living in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Among the unique ones are bush elephants, bush buffaloes, giant forest hogs, and bush pigs, etc.
Also, mammals comprise at least 12 primate species. These include the mountain gorillas, L’hoest’s monkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and chimpanzees, etc. Other fauna in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are 88 moth species, 51 reptile species, and over 310 butterfly species. All these find shelter in the diverse habitats in the forest. Habitats include bamboo forest, swamp, tropical moist forest, and others.
Other impressive sights in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park include waterfalls, streams, and the steep landscape.
What to do?
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has incredible tourist activities, as shown below.
Gorilla trekking
Available all year round to offer visitors a chance to encounter mountain gorillas in the wild. An hour is provided for you to watch a habituated group of mountain gorillas once you locate them in the forest. This activity of gorilla trekking starts with attending a short briefing before walking on rugged terrain to find the gorillas. This is done with park guides.
Nature walks
Guided nature walks offer a guided walk in a pristine rainforest to soak in the fresh air while viewing the biodiversity. Nature walks can be done either in the morning or the afternoon. There are plenty of nature trails where visitors can do this activity. Among the trails are the Muzabagiro Loop trail, Rushura Hill trail, Waterfall trail, Munyanga River trail, etc.
Community walks
Community walks offer a delightful time to meet the Batwa/Bakiga communities living at the edge of the Bwindi Forest. With the guidance of a local Mtwa, visitors will be offered insight into the lives of the people who once called Bwindi Forest home. They also offer traditional entertainment, folklore, and demonstrations as part of their survival strategies.
Gorilla habituation
Done in the Rushaga sector to ensure that visitors experience extensive stays in the presence of gorillas. The duration is usually 4 hours with the gorilla family. This time, visitors join a team of researchers and park trackers to locate and watch a semi-habituated gorilla family.
Birdwatching
Birding is a key tourism activity in Bwindi Forest thanks to the existence of at least 4 birding trails. These are the Mubwindi swamp trail, Bamboo trail, River Ivy trail, and Munyaga river trail. These offer birders a chance to observe the aforementioned bird species that includes endemics.
Weather and climate
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park experiences a tropical type of climate. This implies that it receives two peak rainy seasons and 2 peak dry seasons. The former occurs from March to May. This is also known as the long rains. Meanwhile, October and November are also characterized by rainfall. Annual rainfall ranges between 1,130 and 2,390 mm. Rainfall can fall at any time of the day.
Temperatures experienced in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park range between 7 to 20oC. The dry season occurs from June to August. June and July are often the driest months of the year. December to February are also dry periods in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. June and July are also the coldest months of the year. It is usually cold in the morning and at night.
How to get there?
Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be done either by road transport or by flight. A scenic drive from Kampala stretches across 475 kilometers to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will drive for 9-10 hours along routes that include Kampala, Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale, etc. A direct flight offers an alternative mode of transportation. From Entebbe Airport, you will fly to either Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip. one hour and 15 minutes is the flight duration.
From the airstrip, you will move by road transport to complete the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Choose our trusted car rental options for all road transport. Make the trip easier by traveling in our 4WD Toyota Land Cruiser or safari van, minibus, or bus, etc. The trip is made even better with one of our experienced drivers at the wheel. The driver is obviously going to ensure that you travel comfortably and safely.
Best time to visit
For the record, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be visited all year round. But visitors often find that the park is most accessible in the dry season. This is because the magic of Bwindi is best experienced when the precipitation is low. This causes relatively low humidity, clear skies above, dry gorilla trails, and less dense vegetation cover. Minimal rainfall in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park occurs from June to August and December to February.
However, for birders, wet seasons are very rewarding if you plan to do birdwatching tours in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You get the advantage of encountering plenty of migratory bird species in addition to the Albertine endemics. The heavy rains create a lush scenery for taking photos. Wet seasons in Bwindi Forest occur between March and May and October to November.
