What Is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Famous For?

Have you ever asked yourself a question of what is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park famous for before planning to visit this beautiful National Park? Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in the southwestern corner of Uganda sitting on 327 sq km. Bwindi locally means impenetrable and indeed the meaning fits perfectly with this pristine forest that has survived over 25000 years.

The intertwined vegetation drapes beyond a deeply fissured landscape of steep, slick valleys and high draughty ridges.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is Uganda’s foremost tourist attraction and the world over is an unmatched wildlife encounter. Over 10 primate species including the endangered mountain gorillas are residents of this park. More primates include L’Hoest’s, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, blue monkeys, olive baboons, chimpanzees, and others who find great comfort in this park.

More than 120 mammals enjoy the freebies of Bwindi impenetrable National Park including elephants, cape buffaloes, Giant forest hogs, Duikers, Uganda Kobs, water bucks, and bushbucks to mention but a few.

The rich birdlife of Bwindi forest makes it Africa’s best birding destination harboring over 350 bird species 23 of which are Albertine endemics. Bwindi Forest lies in the Kigezi highlands with Ruhija as the key birding highlight where you can easily spot numerous birds

Highlights of What Makes Bwindi impenetrable National Park famous

• Gorilla Trekking
• Gorilla habituation experience
• Birding excursions
• Primate Research Center
• Community Walks And Cultural Performances
• Nature Walks

Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi forest gives you the highest chances of locating them because of their big number. The Bwindi forest has almost half the total number of the world’s mountain gorillas. The main headquarters of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are in the Buhoma area but other areas include the Ruhija area, the Rushaga area, and the Nkuringo area.

The entry ticket to go gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi forest is a permit per person sold by Uganda Wildlife Authority. To cab over trampling on vegetation which is the main food for mountain gorillas, 8 permits per gorilla family are sold.

Uganda has about 19 gorilla trekking families open for tourism in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Some of these families include Rushegura gorilla family, Habinyanja gorilla family, Mubare gorilla family, Nkuringo gorilla family, Bweza gorilla family, Mukisa gorilla family, Oruzogo gorilla family.

Each day trekkers gather at the ranger station for a briefing but you must attend a briefing for the area where your permit is booked. Overnighting in another area yet trekking gorillas elsewhere may require you to wake up earlier than others to drive. The roads in this remote area are impassable, especially during severe rainy seasons or at times the tree logs block the road. To avoid such uncertainties, book accommodation in or close to the area where your gorilla permit is booked.

Gorilla trekking is the key activity in Bwindi impenetrable National park starting at about 0800hrs after dividing you into a maximum of 8 trekkers. You follow the ranger guide using the trail leading to the area where the gorillas were last seen the previous day. They normally do not feed far from there

When you finally locate the mountain gorillas, you have just one hour to watch and take photos of the mountain gorillas. They are adorable to watch but do not try to touch them even when they advance to provoke you. They are wild animals that should be left to live a free life away from depending on humans.

Just one hour is allowed to be with the gorillas to give them chance to continue feeding, try to procreate without interference, interact freely with each other and live their lives.

Gorilla Habituation In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Gorilla habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable National park is one of the new activities that have picked momentum. In simple terms, gorilla habituation is getting wild gorillas used to the presence of humans without altering their natural behaviors.

The gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National park started in 2014 where only 4 tourists with researchers and ranger guides follow the semi-habituated mountain gorilla family. This activity starts earlier than normal gorilla trekking and you may be required to note down some information about the mountain gorillas. At the moment gorilla habituation activities are conducted in the southern sector of the Bwindi forest Nkuringo area or Rushaga area.

Follow the instructions from the researchers and rangers team but remember to pack the right and enough gorilla trekking gear to take you through the four hours.

The cost of a gorilla habituation permit currently is $1500 per person per trek and you are allowed 4 hours in the presence of the mountain gorillas.

Ensure you pack the right gorilla habituation gears for a comfortable experience because you may spend the entire day in the forest. Since these are semi-habituated gorillas, they are a little more shy and protective of their space.

Birding In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

How do you do birding in Uganda and exclude Bwindi forest which is the top birding sanctuary not only in Uganda but in Africa too? So far more than 350 bird species have been recorded to exist in the Bwindi forest including about 23 species of the 24 Albertine endemics.

An early rise to do birding in the Bwindi forest may give you chance to spot bird-like  African Green Broadbill, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Western Green Tinkerbird, Mountain Masked, and Chestnut-throated Apalises, Rwenzori Batis and White-tailed Crested Flycatcher Collared Apalis Banded Prinia and so many others.

Ruhija area is the chief birding spot in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, especially the tail leading to Mubwindi Swamp. Birds are plentiful here and easy to spot especially from the ridge top route which offers birders wonderful deep valleys view of the virgin rain forest.

Bwindi Forest A Primate Research Center

Unique Community walks And Cultural Performances in Bwindi

Walking into the ancient life of the Batwa pygmies during the community walk in Bwindi Impenetrable national park is incredible. The Batwa are some of the underprivileged people in the world that lost their ancestral home in the Virunga area to the conservation of the mountain gorillas.

They occupied the areas on the periphery of Bwindi Forest where they only perform to demonstrate their life in the forest.

Community Walks And cultural Performances in Bwindi Park

The uniqueness of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park includes indigenous people the Batwa whose lifeblood dwelt in the forest up to 1990 when they were evicted for conservation purposes.

In Buhoma, a local community walk through the village is conducted for about 3 hours. You get to marinade in the life of the locals like traditional healers, and beer brewers, visit a homestead and organize traditional performances too.

Nkuringo area in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park also has a community walk where you visit a traditional healer, rural homestead, blacksmith, and brewer. Having that moment with the indigenous helps you understand more about their way of life.

This is one of the most direct ways to contribute to the local community and encourage them to continue supporting the gorilla conservation project.

Nature Walks in Bwindi Impenetrable National park

The Bwindi forest doesn’t only pause as a home for the mountain gorillas but a great biosphere reserve with over 200 tree species, over 88 months of wonderful waterfalls, and a dense network of rivers.

A number of nature walk trails take you into the beauties of the jungle for a day or more.

The Munyanga river trails provide a wonderful moment for keen birders. Many primates also grace this trail like blue monkeys, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and so many others.

Using River Ivi trails following an old road through beautiful forest cover emerging near Nkuringo on the southern edge of the forest. Another haven for fanatic bird watchers.

The sparkling Waterfalls that you get to when you take the waterfall trail is a perfect choice. You bypass tree ferns, epiphytic ferns, and orchids. This reaffirms that Bwindi is a pristine forest with unmatched natural beauty.

Rushura Hill trail brings into view the amazing features of the western rift valley. On a clear day,  Lake Edward and the Rwenzori Mountains May come into view.

How To Get To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

By Road

From Kampala to Kabale to Kanungu to Buhoma, you drive for about 414 km before getting to Kabale then use a murram road for about 120km to Kanungu then Kanyantorongo. Time through this journey may last 8 to 9 hours before arriving in the Bwindi area.

Another route drives from Kampala to Ntungamo to Rukungiri to Kihihi and Buhoma area is the most direct route from the capital to Rukungiri for a distance of about 390 km. continue with a murram road for about 82 km to Buhoma.

More routes include a drive from Queen Elizabeth National park from Mweya which is about 160 km from Buhoma or Ishasha Sector which is 64 km from Buhoma. The drive may take between 4 to 5 hours.

Drive from Kampala to Kabale to Nkuringo takes you to the southern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. From Kampala to Kabale you drive 414 km and continue with murram road for 105 km until you arrive in Nkuringo. Chances of overnighting in Kisoro are open which is 80 km from Kabale. You need to wake up early and drive to Nkuringo for about 35km in case you have to catch up with a briefing for gorilla trekking.

By Flight

Daily Scheduled domestic flights are available at Kajjansi Airstrip and Entebbe Airport but you need to book a seat in advance.

Are you still interested in what is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park famous for? Are you looking for affordable gorilla tours to Bwindi with a reliable tour operator? Look no further than Encounter Africa Safaris and Fixers who have the required experience to organize such as evidenced by the so many reviews on trip advisor.