Is Bwindi National Park safe for solo travelers?

Is Bwindi National Park safe for solo travelers? Yes, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is safe for solo travelers. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a gorilla trekking destination in the southwestern part of Uganda commonly visited by tourists who are interested in seeing the closest relatives to human beings. Mountain gorillas are one of the top reasons why tourists travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park live in 4 sectors all considered to be safe to visit. These are Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south while Ruhija and Buhoma are found in the northern side of the park. All sectors have armed ranger guides who protect trekkers in the jungle from anything that could be dangerous.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a safe area to visit by all kinds of travelers including those that travel alone. The forest is safe from dangerous animals like lions, and leopards. While carrying out Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, there are armed ranger guides who lead trekkers in the jungle and their role is to protect them from anything that could be harmful.

Solo travelers need to know that apart from the forest being safe, the surrounding areas like communities and lodges are safe as well. Solo travelers are advised to travel with licensed tour operators to be on the safe side. These will get you the best driver guides, safari vehicles, and book you at accommodation facilities where you will be safe with your property.

Gorilla trekking for solo travelers

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park starts very early in the morning at different sector headquarters. Tourists must present trekking permits and passports at the briefing point. Rangers take the trekkers of the day through a briefing where they learn the rules and regulations of trekkers. Groups not exceeding 8 people are made and armed guides are assigned to lead the trekkers in the jungle.

From the briefing point, trekkers are allowed to hire potters at a fee in case of excess luggage. The safari drivers transfer the trekkers to the starting points of the trekking trails and leave them to head into the jungle with armed ranger guides. Inside the jungle, different trekking trails are used to search for where the mountain gorillas could be. This search can take 3 to 6 hours.

When the mountain gorillas are located, trekkers are given 1 hour to be around the members. This comes with an opportunity of learning about their habits, take photos, and watch the members carry out different activities among which include nesting, hunting, mating, playing, and breastfeeding among others.

After a successful hour with the mountain gorillas, trekkers are asked to move away from the gorilla family and leave the members carrying our day to day activities. While trekking out of the jungle, trekkers get an opportunity to see different forest attractions which include mammals, primates, and birds among others. You will be awarded a certificate and you can join your driver guide for a transfer back to the lodge or next destination.

The cost of gorilla permits for solo travelers

For anyone to see mountain gorillas they need to have a valid gorilla trekking permit which is a document that allows them to enter the forest and search for where the mountain gorillas could be. These permits are sold by Uganda Wildlife Authority at a fee of 800usd for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, 500usd Rest of Africa, and UGX300,000 citizens of East Africa member States.

The appropriate time to visit Bwindi as a solo traveler.

Bwindi is safe throughout the year but if someone is looking for the best time they need to travel during the dry season. This season is also known as the high season because it attracts a lot of tourists from different parts of the world especially those coming from winter countries. June to September and December to February are the best times to visit Bwindi because of the plenty of sunshine and little rainfall.

Solo travelers may still visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in the rainy season because the park is always open. Tourists intending to travel in such as season which happens from March to May and October to November need to know that there is a lot of rainfall and little sunshine. This makes the activity less enjoyable as the trekking trails tend to be muddy and sleepy with vegetation very tall giving unclear views of some of the attractions.

Where can solo travelers stay while in Bwindi?

Solo travelers on a safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park have several accommodation facilities where they can stay. These range from budget to mid-range to luxury options and where to stay depends on someone’s travel budget as well as the sector they are to trek. Lodges include Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Gorilla Leisure Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Bakiga Lodge, and Bweza Lodge to mention but a few.

Getting to Bwindi Forest Park

Solo travelers can get to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park by road transport or air transport in just a single day. Road transport takes longer hours but comes with great views of different attractions along the way while air transport is the quickest. By air, solo travelers can fly from Entebbe to Kihihi or Kisoro to any of the sectors of the park.

By road transport, solo travelers can drive from Entebbe/Kampala to Bwindi a journey that takes 9 to 10 hours. This journey goes through Mpigi, Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, or Kisoro to the park. The journey comes with different stopovers and views of hills, local people, and plantations along the way.