Safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park the world’s favorite destination harboring mountain gorillas. It is found in the southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro district. Bwindi is one of the most visited national parks in Uganda attracting thousands of travelers each year from different parts of the world. The park hosts over 120 mammals, 350 birds, and 11 primate species among which include the endangered mountain gorillas.

With so many attractions living inside and around the national park, different safaris can be done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Tourists can carry out different activities they are interested in doing while in the park to have the best during their travel time. Mountain gorilla trekking, Mountain gorilla habituation, bird watching, nature walks, and community tours are the possible activities tourists can do in this park.

Safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Gorilla safaris

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is the best place to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitats in the whole world. The most done safaris in this park are gorilla safaris where thousands of tourists visit the park every day to have a good time with endangered mountain gorillas. On a gorilla safari to Bwindi, tourists have an opportunity of doing gorilla trekking or habituation.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park hosts the highest number of mountain gorillas in the whole world. On a safari to this park, the gorillas can be seen in any of the sectors of Bwindi in case its trekking and habituation can only take place in Rushaga sector. Other sectors include Nkuringo, Ruhija, and Buhoma where only gorilla trekking takes place.

Gorilla trekking safaris to Bwindi come with one hour of being around mountain gorillas while gorilla habituation comes with 4 hours of being with mountain gorillas and making them get used to human presence around them. Both activities start with a briefing and grouping at the sector offices. The armed ranger guides are assigned to lead the trekkers into the jungle where they search for where the apes could be.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park may take 2 to 5 hours. Different trekking trails are used in the search for mountain gorillas and while going through them there are chances of seeing some of the park attractions like the animals and birds. Chances of seeing mountain gorillas are very high in Bwindi for the park has the highest population of these apes.

When the mountain gorillas are located, trekkers always give trekkers one hour if it is gorilla trekking and 4 hours if it’s gorilla habituation. While tourists are with the mountain gorillas, they get to learn about their habits, watch them carry out daily activities, take photos, and record videos.

Bird watching safaris

The impenetrable forest of Bwindi is home to more than 350 bird species and 23 are said to Albertine endemics. This makes the park one of the best destinations for bird watching safaris in the country. Bird watching in Bwindi is mostly done in Buhoma and Ruhija sectors. Buhoma waterfall trail, Mubwindi swamp rail, Ivy river trail, Bamboo zone trail, and Kanshasha river trail are some of the commonly used trails in the park.

With a good birding guide and the best birding equipment, you will be able to see bird species such as Great blue turaco, shelly’s crimsonwing, zebra waxbill, little grebe, dwarf honeyguide, African paradise flycatcher, grauer’s warbler, white-throated greenbul, pin-tailed whydah, European honey buzzard, grey crowned crane, oriole finch, archer’s robin-chat, African olive-pigeon, MacKinnon’s shrike, archer robin chat, woolly necked stork.

Papyrus canary, brown chested alethe, green hylia, brown illadopsis, white-winged tit, buff spotted woodpecker, palm nut vulture, African pygmy kingfisher, ayres hawk eagle, chestnut throated apalis, mountain wagtail, hadada ibis, green crombec, African hawk eagle, horus swift, little grebe, klaas’s cuckoo, shikra, chapin’s flycatcher, sooty falcon, and crested guinea fowl to mention but a few.

When to have safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

The driest months of the year are the best to have safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. June to September and December to February a period when the park is receiving little or no rainfall is the best time to visit for gorilla trekking and bird watching safaris. The trekking trails are dry and easier to walk through while the vegetation is short and scattered with good views of the attractions of the park.

Tourists, especially budget travelers can visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park during the rainy season to benefit from the low proceed tour packages. The lodges and tour operators reduce prices to attract a few travelers who are visiting the country. There is too much rainfall during this period and it makes the trekking trails slippery. The vegetation is also tall which leads to unclear views of some of the attractions of the park.

Where to stay on a safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Are you wondering on where to stay on a safari to Bwindi? Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has four sectors and where to stay depends on the sector you are to visit. Lodges of Bwindi are budget, mid-range, and luxury and where to stay depends on someone’s travel budget. Lodges include Gorilla Leisure Lodge, Bwindi Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Ride 4 a Woman, Nkuringo Bwindi Lodge, and Four Gorillas Lodge to mention but a few.

Getting to Bwindi Forest for safaris

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda and can be accessed by both air transport and rad road transport. Tourists choose to mode of transport to use based on their travel budget. Air transport is quick but tourists should know that it is expensive while road transport is affordable but takes 9 to 10 hours.

By road transport, tourists can access any of the sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in a single day. The journey from Entebbe/Kampala goes through Mpigi, Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale or Kisoro to any of the park sectors. Flights to Bwindi are from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kisoro or Kihihi Airstrips.