What is it like to combine gorilla trekking and Batwa experience in Bwindi

The combination of gorilla trekking and Batwa experience in Bwindi is a safari that resurrects historical memories. It is not only a chance to see the endangered mountain gorillas but even the Batwa whose ancestral history lie in this prehistoric forest.

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Bwindi impenetrable national park is a UNESCO heritage site but one of the survivors of the arid conditions of the ice age period that swept through Africa claiming so many forests. As a biosphere reserve, Bwindi forest is home to more than 200 natural tree species, over 350 bird species, 10 primate species including mountain gorillas and more.

Bwindi forest with its vast size was divided into four areas that is Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the East, Nkuringo and Rushaga in the south. Gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi are booked according to these four areas.

The Batwa are pygmies who were evicted from Virunga area forests including Bwindi forest as mountain gorilla conservation took charge. The Batwa were assimilated into the communities around but lost all their historical ties in Bwindi forest. Currently the Batwa only show their some of there former deeds through demonstrations, folk songs, talks and more.

What To happens During Gorilla Trekking And Batwa Experience In Bwindi

Hiking is the usual normal to get around areas of Bwindi forest because of the serious Volcanic action that affected this area leaving behind several highlands including ridges, plateaus and more. To explore most of the parts of Bwindi forest and its peripheries, you need to have some level of fitness.

On gorilla trekking day, all participating trekkers for the day gather at the ranger station with their gears and other necessary identification documents for briefing.

Late the ranger guides take you through briefing session where details about the rules of gorilla trekking, what is expected of trekkers and more most current information are communicated.

Later each tourists is allocated a gorilla family using a criteria best known by the rangers. No matter the Bwindi gorilla family you are allocated the joy of finding these primates is unique and unforgettable.

The ranger guide leads the way using trails leading where the gorilla family was last seen the previous day. Even the clues provided by early trackers are used to find the mountain gorillas.

Do maintain some level of patience before locating the gorillas and alternatively you can shift your focus to other forest dwellers including primates, several birds, amazing features and so much more.

You hear the gorillas before facing them so try to follow the guidelines provided by the ranger guides. Finally when you face the mountain gorillas maintain the recommended gap of 8 meters from them even though they try to close the distance and come closer.

Only one hours is allowed with the mountain gorillas during gorillas trekking so use it to the best of your ability so that you can capture enough photos to get back to later.

 Alternatively, in case you find one hour with the mountain gorillas unsatisfactory for your quest to see the mountain gorillas, you can opt to take gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi. For gorilla habituation experience, maximum 4 tourists accompany a team of trackers to have four hours with semi-habituated gorilla family.

The Batwa Cultural experience

The Batwa have made a set up where tourists get the chance to experience demonstrations of their past life in the jungle where they coexisted with the mountain gorillas and other primates. Even those the Batwa are still marginalized especially amongst the communities they try to join and this keeps them more private.

It is better to use a Mutwa guide with better knowledge about the life his or her ancestors wet through to the new life they are trying to adopt. During the visit to the Batwa community, they may take you through local fire making, honey collecting methods, identify medicinal plants they used and more.

The Batwa community visit is at an affordable cost and proceed collected are used to support their community projects.

Note that language barrier is still a problem amongst the Batwa since few have got the chance to attend education.

 How to Get To Bwindi impenetrable National Park

By road

From Kampala or Entebbe, several routes lead to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The estimated distance to Bwindi impenetrable National Park is about 530 kilometers.

Some of that routes that get to Bwindi Impenetrable National park from Entebbe or Kampala include:

Kampala to Ntungamo to Rukungiri to Kihihi to Buhoma

Kampala to Kabale to Ruhija To Buhoma

Entebbe or Kampala to Kanungu to Buhoma

Entebbe / Kampala to Kabale to Nkuringo.

From Queen Elizabeth National park you can get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha sector or from Mweya

Note that the roads are bumpy and get messy sometimes especially the severe rainy season.

Air transport

From Kajjansi or Entebbe, there are daily domestic flights to Kihihi airstrip or Kisoro airstrip but do book a transfer vehicle to your lodge because the planes do not land in Bwindi.

Charter flight services are open for a more private safari experience to Bwindi Impenetrable national Park.

Bwindi Accommodation to book for gorilla trekking and Batwa Cultural Experience

The Bwindi gorilla permits are booked according to areas that is Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo and so it is best to reserve accommodations for Bwindi according to these areas.

Bwindi accommodations are categorized into Luxury, Mid-range and basic

Luxury Bwindi accommodations: Gorilla Forest camp, Mahogany Springs, Clouds Lodge, Bwindi Volcanoes Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Buhoma Lodge

Mid-range Bwindi accommodations: Engage Lodge, Gorilla Nest Lodge, Lake Kitandara campsite

Basic Bwindi Accommodations: Bwindi view Bandas, Nshongi Camp, Bwindi Community Bandas,

What is the cost of Gorilla trekking and Batwa Community Experience In Bwindi

In general, the cost of gorilla trekking safari and Batwa community experience in Bwindi is categorized into Luxury, mid-range and basic. The cost of accommodation and transport means to use during this Uganda safari contributes a great part in determining the type of safari you travel.

The gorilla permit costs is $800 for international nonresidents, $700 for international residents, $500 for Other Africans and 300000shs for east Africans.

The cost of other logistics that support the gorilla trekking and Batwa experience also contributes to the differences in the type of safari you travel.

For a visit to the Batwa community, the cost varies with the time you hope to spend with them. Do not forget to generously tip the local ranger guide who takes you through the walk to the Batwa community as a token of appreciate and an encouragement for them to continue conserving what is left for the community. Get in touch with us for more information.

How easy or hard is gorilla trekking and Batwa community visit in Bwindi

In general, the topography of Bwindi is rugged from the several highlands that resulted from serious volcanic actions that affected this area. The dense rain forest cover that shades the slopes of these highlands is where the mountain gorillas spend most of the day so tourists have to hike to find them but this is quite challenging at times.

The way to find the mountain gorillas is highly moist all day from the thick layers of leaves that allow less sunray penetration to the ground. Rivers may over flow sometimes leaving the ground boggy making it hard to move fast but no matter the circumstances, finding the mountain gorillas is a sure deal.

Instead of focusing on finding the mountain gorillas, tourists are encouraged to look out for other forest dwellers including other primates, birds, mammals, different tree species and more. Attending gorilla trekking is like hitting a jack pot so it is best to keep the urge to find the mountain gorillas burning.  

To walk ways to the Batwa community requires hiking too because after they were evicted from Bwindi forest, they occupied the outskirts of the land for the indigenous communities close by.

How long is the walk to Do Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi And Batwa Community

The walk to do gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes about 2 hours or more depending on the location of the gorillas and factors prevailing in the forest. No matter the time you take to find the mountain gorillas, try to maintain the desire of finding them.

Finding the mountain gorillas depends on food location, mood of the gorilla family, weather conditions of the day, pace of fellow tourists and more. When you locate the mountain gorillas only one hour is allowed with the gorilla family.

Note that the presence of humans frustrates part of the day activities of the gorilla family including feeding, playing and much more. This is why the time of gorilla trekking is minimized to one hour. Utilize the time given to be with the mountain gorillas to the best of your advantage while adhering to the rules of gorilla trekking. 

Can I Do Gorilla Trekking in Another Area Of Bwindi Where The Gorilla Permit was not booked

When booking the gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable national park, they are reserved according to the four areas under which the park is divided that is Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo.

On gorilla trekking day tourists are expected to report to the briefing point of the sector where the permit is booked. Every tourist must report to the right sector under which their permit is booked and may not be allowed to trek gorillas in another area.

To avoid this confusion, reserve accommodation within or closer to the area where your gorilla permit is booked. This is to avoid having to drive in the dark to get to the gorilla trekking briefing point of another area. There are possible obstacles you may encounter that may delay your time to reach the briefing point and this may cost you the chance to do gorilla trekking.

What is the best Bwindi gorilla trekking family to visit

All Bwindi impenetrable forest gorilla families are interesting to visit anytime and determining the best family to trek at a personal basis and after exploring almost all families in the park.

Bwindi has some historical gorilla families that is Rushegura, Mubare, Habinyanja and Nkuringo gorilla families were some of the prior families opened to the public. Over time more gorilla families have been habituated and opened to the public with so far about 19 gorilla families in Bwindi

Note that every gorilla family has its amazing characteristics and history that resonates with tourists that allocated to it for the day. To enjoy a gorilla family allocated to you, you need to open your mind and live in a moment. Note that the gorilla family that was closest the previous day may be the furthest the next day.

What Are The Rules Of Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi

• Volunteer to stay behind in case you catch a communicable infection like flu, covid-19, cough and more. The mountain gorillas  are highly susceptible to human communicable infections and may end in massive death of these primates.
• No using flash photography when with the gorillas because they may run into hiding.
• Avoid surrounding the mountain gorillas as this may seem suspicious so remain in a tight group. Do not litter or dump garbage in the forest because this alters the nature of the forest where the mountain gorillas and other inhabitants thrive.
• In case you wish to sneeze or cough do this in the folded arm or in a handkerchief but without facing the gorillas
• Spitting on vegetation or soil is forbidden because this may pass infectious germs to these mountain gorillas
• Maintain a distance of approximately 8 meters away from the gorillas  to prevent chances of contacting them. Even when they try to approach you out of curiosity get away slowly without appearing suspicious.
• Burry the fecal materials   well beyond recognition to avoid the curiosity of the forest inhabitants that may try to exhume it.
• In case you wish to eat or smoke do it at a distance of about 200 meters away from the mountain gorillas .
• Age limit for gorilla trekking is 12 years and beyond
• Only one hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas when you locate them. These primates are habituated to be Infront of humans for just that time.
• Wear a clean face mask when you approach the mountain gorillas as this was adopted to prevent chances of spreading any infection to these primates.

For more information, please get in touch with us.