Distance from Entebbe to Bwindi
Distance from Entebbe to Bwindi: Entebbe is located in the central part of Uganda while Bwindi is located in the southwestern part of the country. The total distance from Entebbe to Bwindi is about 500km by road and it’s 9-10 hours’ drive from one place to the other.
By road transport, Bwindi can be accessed directly from Entebbe by using the Entebbe express highway to connect to Busega Kampala to Masaka, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, Kanungu, or Kisoro Road.
Distance from Entebbe to Bwindi
It takes 9-10 hours to complete a 500km journey from Entebbe to Bwindi. The journey is not boring and this time includes stopovers at places such as the equator, Mpambire royal drum makes, and Igongo cultural center. Travelers that want to access Bwindi using road transport are advised to use good 4×4 safari cars with pop up.
The road from Kampala to Kabale or Kisoro is made of tarmac but branching off to the sector is marram and therefore the good cars help you move through the bumpy roads.
Travelers that see the driving time to the park so long can choose to fly to the park and the flights are available at Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport. Flights are conducted by Aerolink Uganda, Fly Uganda, and Bar Aviation Uganda on specific days of the week. Those visiting Buhoma region fly to Kihihi airstrip while those visiting Nkuringo, Ruhija, and Rushaga use Kisoro airstrip.
Top activities to do in Bwindi from Entebbe
Gorilla habituation: This is a rare activity only done in Bwindi national park in the whole world. Travelers from Entebbe that want to habituate mountain gorilla will visit the southern sectors of Bwindi which are Nkuringo and Rushaga where Bikingi and Bushaho mountain gorilla families do live.
You will need gorilla habituation permits to encounter these mountain gorilla families and we believe by the time you are setting off to the park you have these permits with you.
Habituation comes with the opportunity of being around semi-habituated mountain gorillas for 4 hours and it’s the armed ranger guides that led you to the gorilla family. While around the gorilla family, you must keep rules and regulations as taught by the armed ranger guides and you will be able to be part of the activities that make these apes get used to human presence around them together with the rangers.
Trek Gorillas in Bwindi
Gorilla trekking: From Entebbe travelers can visit any of the regions of Bwindi because different mountain gorilla families are open for trekking. The gorilla permits can always show the sector where you want to trek because UWA now days sells permits with the gorilla trekking region on it. Gorilla trekking sectors in Bwindi include Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo.
Early morning is when gorilla trekking starts in all sectors of Bwindi and it starts with a briefing from the park wardens who teach rules of trekking, group people not exceeding 8 people, allocate mountain gorilla family to trek as well as armed ranger guides to lead you in the jungle.
Searching for a mountain gorilla family assigned takes hours and the moment the family is spotted; trekkers are given 1 hour to be around the family.
Birding: Visiting Bwindi from Entebbe, you can visit any of the sectors of the park for birding activities. Buhoma and Ruhija are said to be having the best birding spots in Bwindi with different birding trails such as Ivy river trail, Mubwindi trail, Kashaha river trail, and bamboo zone trail among others. There are over 350 birds that have been so far recorded in Bwindi and keep bird watchers can spot almost all of them.
Notable bird species in Bwindi include regal sunbird, shelley’s crimsonwing, black bee-eater, great blue turaco, mountain oriole, grey crowned crane, African jacana, bar-tailed trogon, Rwenzori nightjar, black crake, hadada ibis, marabou stork, shikra, African cuckoo hawk, woolly necked stork, purple heron, olive pigeon, red-eyed dove, common cuckoo, grey wagtail, alpine swift and bar-tailed trogon among others.
Cultural tours: Visiting Bwindi from Entebbe, cultural tours can be made from any of the regions of the park you visit. These activities are normally combined with gorilla trekking and are done by those that love to explore the culture. Travelers are most of the time interested in visiting the different communities around the park to see how people live their day to day life, support schools, and maybe do some donations.
Different tribes live around Bwindi but the most liked are the Batwa people because they are said to have been living in the jungles of Bwindi alongside wild animals. The Batwa used to feed on fruits, honey, and meat from animals. The government evicted them out of the jungle to protect the mountain gorillas and they decided to settle around the park boundaries where travelers that easily locate them.
Best time to visit Bwindi from Entebbe
Bwindi can be visited at any time of the year but the dry season is arguably the best time to visit the park. The dry season occurs from June to September and December to February and the months are characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails stay dry, the vegetation is short and scattered with great views of the mountain gorillas and the roads connecting to the park from Entebbe are passable.
Travelers can still have Bwindi tours from Entebbe in the rainy season of March to May and October to November and this favors budget travelers because they do get discounts on accommodation facilities. The rainy season is however characterized by too much rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, the vegetation is thick and tall with unclear views of the mountain gorillas and the roads leading to the park are impassable.
