Budget activities in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Budget activities in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park: Visiting Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is every travelers’ dreams come true especially for those that love primates. Bwindi is the most popular gorilla destination in the world and it’s located in the south western part of the country. It’s a 321 sq.km piece of land harboring the highest number of endangered mountain gorillas. The park also harbors 120 mammals, 350 bird species and a few primate species.

The main reason as to why tourists visit Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is to encounter mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. This is an activity that can be done by all kinds of travelers that are interested in seeing these apes in the wild. Apart from gorilla trekking there are other tourism activities in park which include habituation, bird watching, cultural visits, community tours and much more.

In this article, we are looking at the different tourism activities that budget travelers can engage in while on a safari to the park. The activities are all affordable and we believe tourists that are looking for budget activities to do while in Bwindi can afford them. The activities enable tourists to see most of the attractions within the park and they also get a chance to see the local people around the park.

Activities that can be done during a budget safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Gorilla trekking

Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is affordable to all kinds of travelers who would really wish to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. Uganda has the most affordable gorilla trekking permits compared to Rwanda. While in Bwindi, tourists can go gorilla trekking in any of the park sectors to have a memorable time around the mountain gorillas as they do their day to day activities.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi will require you to have a trekking permit which is a document that allows one to be part of the gorilla trekking exercise. On the day of trekking, tourists will need to move to the sector headquarters for a briefing from the rangers. These teach the rules and regulations of the activity and group trekkers not exceeding 8 people. Armed ranger guides are assigned to lead the trekkers into the jungle.

Tourists are driven to the starting point of the trekking and left with armed ranger guides to lead them into the jungle. Inside the jungle, trekkers use different trekking trails to search for the mountain gorilla family assigned. While searching, trekkers get to meet different forest animals but as soon as the mountain gorilla family is assigned tourists get 1 hour around the members.

Batwa community tour

Visiting any of the Batwa communities around Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is an activity every budget traveler can afford. At less than 30USD, tourists are able to visit the Batwa pygmies and know how they live their day to day life. The Batwa initially lived in the forest of Bwindi not until the government evicted them to create a peaceful environment for the animals especially gorillas.

A visit to the Batwa community is usually lead by a local guide who knows English. While at their homes, you get to interact with the elders who tell stories of how they lived, survived, hunted, and made fire in the jungle. They have a group of traditional dancers who entertain visitors through dance and drama. At the end of the visit, you may have traditional food with them and see how Uganda food tastes.

Nature walks

Nature walks in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park are the best way tourists can get so close to the nature. These nature walks are done using different trails of different length around the forest. While carrying out nature walks, tourists get to see some of the wildlife species that live in the forest, vegetation, water sources, and you might meet the locals that live around the park.

When is the best time to visit Bwindi for budget tours?

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is best visited during the dry season when the weather is favorable. Tourists who are looking at the cheapest safari tours to Bwindi should however choose to travel during the rainy/low season. This is a period when the park is receiving a few visitors because of the bad weather. When the tourists a few the lodges and tour companies reduce prices to attract the few tourists intending to travel.

Tourists should however know that during the rainy season, there is plenty of rainfall that affects the park activities. The trekking trails are muddy and slippery, vegetation is tall with unclear views of attractions and roads leading to the park are in poor condition. Tourists who will go during the dry season will find the best weather that is characterized by little rainfall and plenty of sunshine.