Affordable tours to Bwindi

Affordable tours to Bwindi Forest: Bwindi impenetrable forest national park home to endangered mountain gorillas is located in the southwestern part of the country in Kisoro. The park was gazetted with the aim of protecting wildlife more so than mountain gorillas that were about to get to extinction at that time. With the good work of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the park currently has the highest number of mountain gorillas in the world most of which can be visited in their natural habitats.

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is a very affordable gorilla trekking destination allowing all kinds of travelers to have an opportunity to see endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. The park has cheaper permits compared to volcanoes national park of Rwanda which sells permits at $1500 per person. Apart from mountain gorilla activities, the other park activities are very affordable like we are to see below.

Activities that can make a safari affordable in Bwindi

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi

Every one that visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park would love to see mountain gorillas. This is because these apes are said to be second closest relatives to human beings with over 98% of their DNA. Gorilla trekking is a very affordable exercise going for $800 for foreign non residents, $700 for foreign residents, and UGX300,000 citizens of East African Member States.

Gorilla trekking starts early in the park at all sector headquarters with a briefing from the park rangers who teach the rules and regulations of trekking and group trekkers not exceeding 8 people. Armed ranger guides protect the trekkers and help them to locate the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats.

Trekkers head into the jungle with armed ranger guides where they search the mountain gorillas. Once located, tourists have one hour around the members learning about their habits and also watching them carry out daily activities. Tourists are allowed to take photos, and record videos for future memories. While trekking trekkers get to meet several wildlife species that live in the park.

Bird watching

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park hosts 350 bird species 23 of which are said to be endemic to the Albertine region. Bird watching with in Bwindi would enable birders to see several bird species they could have missed in other birding destinations. The activity is very affordable to travelers as it goes for $40 for foreign non residents, $30 foreign residents, and UGX30,000 citizens of East African member states.

Bird watching in Bwindi is carried out with well-experienced local birders in different birding spots around the park. It comes with an opportunity of spotting species such as Shelley’s crimsonwing, little green sunbird, ross’s turaco, white-browed crombec, regal sunbird, grauer’s broadbill, handsome francolin, banded prinia, while tailed blue flycatcher, mountain yellow warbler, red chested flufftail, blue headed sunbird, grauer’s swamp warbler, tambourine dove, African black dark, red-headed bluebill.

Black-billed turaco, hairy-breasted barbet, strip-breasted tit, brown-capped weaver, grey cuckoo shrike, velvet mantled drongo, grey cuckoo shrike, equatorial akalat, ansorge’s honeyguide, joyful greenbul, yellow spotted barbet, grey winged robin chat, red-headed malimbe, northern puff back, black-faced rufous warbler, cape wagtail, black-throated apalis to mention but a few.

Batwa cultural tour

To visit any of the communities around the Batwa community you don’t need a lot of money. 15usd to 25usd per person is enough to visit any of the communities around the lodge or park. You can drive or walk to the Batwa where you will find a local guide that knows English to help you communicate with the locals.

By visiting the Batwa, tourists are able to interact with the elders who tell stories of how they lived in the jungle alongside the animals. While in the park, the Batwa hunted small animals using bows and arrows, collected fruits and made fire using sticks. The Batwa dancers will entertain the tourists through dances and drama making the visit a memorable one.

Nature walks

Nature walks are other activities that can be done when looking for an affordable safari in Bwindi. The nature walks are the best way tourists can get so close to the nature and get to see different forest attractions nearby. Different nature walks trails are used to enable birds see wildlife such as forest elephants, side stripped jackals, giant forest hogs, monkeys, wild chimpanzees, birds, water sources, and local people to mention but a few.

The best time to have affordable tours in Bwindi

Tourists can have tours in Bwindi at any time of the year however the dry season is the best time to visit. June to September and December to February are the best times to have tours to Bwindi. This is because of the good weather that is characterized by little rainfall and plenty of sunshine. The weather is so good favoring most of the park activities which makes the safari very memorable.

During the dry season, the Gorilla trekking trails in Bwindi are dry and easier to pass through which makes it easy for tourists to move from one place to another. The vegetation is very short and scattered allowing tourists to see clearly the park attractions. The roads leading to the park are in good condition which allows driver guides to access different destinations on time.

Accessing Bwindi Forest  for affordable tours

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is located in the south western part of Uganda and can easily be accessed by road transport as well as air transport. The best mode of transport to use while looking for affordable tours to Bwindi is the road transport. It’s very cheap and affordable to all kinds of travelers compared to when one is using air transport.

By road transport, tourists from Entebbe/Kampala drive through Mpigi, Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale or Kisoro to the park. Tourists who are from Kigali International Airport drive to the Ugandan borders Katuna or Cyanika and cross to Kabale or Kisoro to any of the sectors of the park. Tourists from Entebbe use 9 to 10 hours while those from Kigali use 3 to 4 hours.