Driving from Entebbe to Bwindi gorilla park

From Entebbe to Bwindi gorilla park is about 435 km via Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale-Kisoro road. The driving time from Entebbe to Bwindi is 9-10 hours of great views of the different attractions on the roadsides. Driving from Entebbe to Bwindi gorilla park takes you through tarmac roads and the last sections after branching off Kabale and Kisoro roads are the only ones that are made of marram.

Driving from Entebbe to Bwindi gorilla park

Driving from Entebbe to Bwindi gorilla park requires one to use a good safari vehicle that can pass through any kind of road. The roads to Bwindi tend to be bumpy most especially in the rainy season due to plenty of rainfall and therefore good cars will enable you to get to the park in the quickest time and very safe.

Driving from Entebbe to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has got different stopovers and these include Mpambire village which is famous for being a place where royal drums are made. Travelers driving from Entebbe to Bwindi can stop at this place for a few minutes and see how drums are made as well as support their business.

The other stopover while driving from Entebbe to Bwindi is the equator crossing at Kayabwe where travelers usually stop to have photographs and buy souvenirs from gift shops around. The equator cuts the world into two hemispheres and therefore while at this place you can put one leg in the southern hemisphere and the other in the northern hemisphere. Another place to pass by while driving from Entebbe to Bwindi is Igongo cultural center where you get to know about the Ankole culture and then taste their local foods.

Activities to do in Bwindi gorilla park

Encounter mountain gorillas in Bwindi

Encountering mountain gorillas

Most travelers visit Bwindi gorilla park to see the endangered mountain gorillas. The national park has mpuntain gorillas living in nkuringo, ruhija, rushaga and buhoma sector. To encounter mountain gorillas, you must have valid gorilla trekking permits that are got from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. On the day of trekking, you will have to present them to the park wardens at the briefing centre.

The process of encountering mountain gorillas starts very early in the morning at the sector offices where park wardens do group trekkers not exceeding 8 and those going for the habituation not exceeding 4. The trekkers are first taught about the rules and

regulations of the gorilla trekking activity and then armed ranger guides lead the treks.

The search for the gorilla family can take 2-7 hours depending on the location of the gorilla group and the speed of the trekkers. During the search, there are chances of meeting park animals such as buffaloes, bush pigs, elephants, duikers, giant forest hogs, and birds among others. When the gorilla family is located, trekkers are given a certain period of time to be around them, watch them do daily activities, and learn about their habits as you take photos.

Bird watching

Birding watching is another activity travelers that use road transport from Entebbe to Bwindi can be part of. The national park harbors over 350 bird species of which 14 are endemic to the Albertine region. Bird watching activities are mostly done in Buhoma and Rushaga regions of the park using trails such as Mubwindi, ivy river walk, Bamboo zone, and much more,

Bird watching activities give you an opportunity to encounter birds such as little grebe, hadada ibis, shikra, black kite, augur buzzard, southern pochard, marabou stork, African jacana, hammer kop, African hawk-eagle, bat hawk, European honey buzzard, African fish eagle, scaly francolin, red chest flufftail, African hobby, speckled pigeon, common sandpiper, russ turaco, olive pigeon, grey crowned crane, red-eyed dove, and olive pigeon among others.

Other notable bird species in Bwindi gorilla park include diederik cuckoo, dusky turtle dove, red chested cuckoo, yellow bill, African wood owl, African emerald cuckoo, black swift, red chested owlet, black bee-eater, narina tragon, alpine swift, blue-throated roller, mottle swift, Rwenzori night jar, crowned hornbill, lesser honey guide, greater honeyguide, speckled tinker bird, rock martin, black sawing, African pitta, olive woodpecker, and yellow whiskered greenbul.

Batwa cultural tour

The Batwa cultural tour is done by those that are interested in knowing more about the Batwa pygmies. The Batwa are the shortest people in the country who used to live inside Bwindi forest until the government evicted them to protect the endangered mountain gorillas. The Batwa did not move so far from the park and therefore visitors to Bwindi can always visit the communities that are found around the park boundaries.

A visit to Batwa communities is led by the local people who know a lot about their culture. They take you around the forest first where they tell you stories of how they used to live inside the jungle and later they take you to their communities where you meet local people do their day-to-day activities, the traditional healers use plants as local medicine and you will be entertained by the traditional dancers through dance and drama.

Nature walks in Bwindi national park

Nature walks

Nature walks in Bwindi are activities that are done by travelers that want to explore the national park on foot. Nature walks are done with a help of ranger guides who take you through designed trails seeing different plant species, animals such as bush pigs, duikers, giant forest hogs, buffaloes, elephants, and birds such as grey wagtail, black sawing, rock martin, little greenbul, African jacana and little greenbul among others.

Best time to drive to Bwindi from Entebbe to Bwindi gorilla park

Travelers visiting Bwindi gorilla park from Entebbe can drive to the park at any time of the year however there are months that are better than the rest. The dry months that happen from June to September and December to February are the best to drive to Bwindi gorilla park from Entebbe. The dry months are characterized by little or no rainfall which keeps the roads passable, the vegetation in the park is short and thin with good views of the mountain gorillas and the trekking trails in the park are dry and passable.

Travelers can drive from Entebbe to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in the rain season of march to May and October to November but they should know that too much rainfall destroys roads and makes transportation delay at some points. During the rainy season, the trekking trails in the park are muddy and slippery, and the vegetation is thick and tall with unclear views of the park animals. Travelers who will visit Bwindi gorilla park in the rainy season will enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities.