Famous for its ultimate gorilla experience, this park is home to half of the world’s mountain gorillas – roughly 459 in total. Bwindi Impenetrable national park sits in the Southwestern part of Uganda along the Albertine rift valley and on the border with DRC.
It has a hilly terrain covered with tropical rainforest, which along with this park’s closeness to the equator, causes it to have a wet climate throughout the year as it receives lots of rain, although it tends to rain less in June and July. It’s therefore advisable to come with waterproof clothes and hiking boots to track gorillas in Bwindi.
Apart from gorillas, the park also hosts other primates, such as chimpanzees and baboons, and several mammals, which include forest elephants and duikers. Different bird species and butterflies also reside in this forest.
Bwindi has four sectors for tracking gorillas: Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhiji, and Nkuringo. Buhoma was the most popular destination for gorilla trekking before the activity got introduced in the other sectors, but now, it’s a preference for tourists who desire top-notch luxury accommodation as the area is the most developed of the four destinations.
Rushaga is currently the best sector for gorilla tracking because it has the highest number of gorilla families to track, which are 5. A factor that contributes to the sector having the highest number of gorilla permits issued (40 per day) in the country, and this makes it easier for tourists to get permits since they are many. Rushaga is also the only place in Bwindi where gorilla habituation is allowed.
For those who are both primate lovers and birders, Ruhiji should be your destination. Apart from having gorillas, this sector has the Mubwindi swamp – a birder’s paradise with plenty of bird species. This area was known for only birding before the gorillas were introduced there, so you can kill two birds with one stone-see the gorillas and also go bird watching.
Nkuringo is the most beautiful sector in Bwindi Impenetrable national park as it comprises rolling hills that its name literally means in the local language, and also offers scenic views of the Virunga Mountains in the DRC from atop the Nkuringo hill.
Moreover, tourists attest that the gorillas in this sector are the most interesting to trek. Though you need to bear in mind that they’re also the most strenuous family to trek, therefore, your fitness levels should be above par for you to opt for this sector.
Activities to Do
Gorilla Tracking
Tracking gorillas in Bwindi’s rainforest is an exciting lifetime adventure that can have you trudging up and down hilly terrains and across streams to find the endangered primates. This expedition may take an hour if you’re lucky or even last up to 8 hours, depending on where the gorillas are camping.
But the long trek can be worthwhile because having the opportunity to watch the silverbacks in their habitat as they feed, play and interact amongst themselves is a phenomenal experience to remember. Because gorilla tracking in Bwindi is quite popular and its permits get snatched up fast, you need to book the permits for the activity in advance, like 3-6 months earlier to get to trek in the sector of your liking.
Gorilla Habituation
With gorilla habituation, you can spend 4 hours with the families getting trained by researchers to become accustomed to human visits. To experience this, you need to obtain a separate permit from the gorilla trekking one to be part of the four people per group allowed to observe the habituation process.
Nature Walks
You can take nature walks in whichever sector you choose to track gorillas in as there are clear trails for this. These guided walks enable you to bask in the rich biodiversity of the Bwindi forest, which is said to have the best flora and fauna in East Africa.
And you will also end up visiting the waterfalls in the sectors that have them. Buhoma has the 3 Munyaga waterfalls, Rushanga has the Bayenda waterfalls, which are around 30 minutes away from the Rushaga headquarters while Nkuringo has the Suma Falls.
Birding
Bwindi Impenetrable national park is a popular birding spot as it has one of the most enchanting bird walks in the Ruhija sector. The park boasts over 350 birds, with 23 species endemic to the Albertine Rift, and you can tick 20 of these species off your list while on the Ruhija birding safari.
Some endemic birds you may see include the African broadbill, Black Bee-eater, Rwenzori Apalis, Black-faced Warbler, and Black-faced Rufous Warbler.
And other common birds include Grey-throated Barbet, White-starred Robin, Mountain Illadopsis, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Grey-green Bush-shrike Strange Weaver, Equatorial Akalat, and Yellow-streaked Green bull.
Community Visits
Bwindi neighbors the villages of the Batwa and Bakiga tribes, whom you can pay a visit to learn about their culture. You can get a feel of how they live, enjoy their cultural dances (that you can participate in), and take photos with them. You can also visit the women’s craft center and buy souvenirs for yourself and your loved ones.
Canoeing
Canoeing takes place on Lake Mutanda near the Rushaga sector. You can sail along the lake in tree-dugout canoes to explore its several islands while enjoying the beautiful sceneries of the towering Virunga Mountains in the backdrop.
