The biodiverse habitat of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a popular destination for tourists entering the nation, was created to safeguard the critically endangered mountain gorillas. They are allowed to exist in the natural ecosystem that is tucked away along Uganda’s borders with Rwanda in the southwest. One of the last surviving sections of Uganda’s tropical rain forests, Bwindi is home to half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas, a subspecies of eastern gorillas. In1991, the forest was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overnight stays are available for visitors to see habituated gorilla families in any sector of the conservation area, which is elevated between 1160 and 2607 metres above sea level.
The national park is subdivided into four sectors: Nkuringo, Buhoma, Rushaga, and Ruhija. The gorillas are found in the bamboo forest region, where they eat mushrooms, forest plants, and tree backs. The forest regions are surrounded by naturally beautiful vegetative cover ranging with different vegetative zones. Apart from the bamboo area, the majority of the park is covered in thick bushes, herbs, and Afro-Montane forest. In these various altitudinal zones, the odds of survival for mountain gorillas are higher. The conservation area is home to a variety of animals, including chimpanzees, golden cats, giant forest hogs, yellow-fronted duikers, side-striped jackals, elephants, and pygmies, the last group of short people in Uganda who once coexisted peacefully in the forest with other animals.
More than 350 species of birds have been identified in the forest, including 23 endemic species, 14 of which are unique to Uganda. These include the African green broad bill, grauer’s broadbill, white-bellied robin chat, blue-headed sunbirds, and collared apalis, to name a few. If you want to enjoy the park’s bird life, bring binoculars and a good camera. Popular trails include the Buhoma and Mubwindi. Bring binoculars if you want to enjoy a bird safari, and be prepared to spend more time in the outdoors for a greater experience.
The park’s most popular activities include gorilla trekking, which begins with a briefing from park rangers in the morning. You will track each gorilla family in groups of eight, and depending on how far the families have moved, the experience may take two or more hours. You are allowed to spend an hour with the gorillas while adhering to the park’s rules and regulations, such as maintaining a 7-meter distance, and guests with communicable diseases are also not permitted to track. In addition to the gorillas, visitors can explore the Batwa community’s culture. This is the sole remaining group of short-strung people in Uganda; they were formerly forest dwellers but were eventually driven out for reasons of conservation. Because the national park is home to several bird species, birding there is reputable.
Accessing Bwindi Impenetrable National Park requires travelling from Entebbe by road, which takes around 8 hours, or by air, which takes 2 hours to reach Kisoro or Kihihi. Buhoma Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, and Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge are just a few of the luxurious and reasonably priced accommodations that are available. It is crucial to make reservations in the area where you have purchased your gorilla permit, which costs $800 and can be obtained through your ground handling team from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Permits must be obtained before the time of tracking.