Safaris to Bwindi gorilla park
Safaris to Bwindi gorilla park: Bwindi forest National park is one of the famous national parks in Uganda gazetted in 1991. The national park is well known for harboring mountain gorillas that are said to be closest relatives to human beings. Bwindi gorilla park is home to mountain gorillas, 10 primate species, 120 mammal species, 345 birds, and about 160 tree species. The national park comprises of tropical rainforest that harbors different wildlife of the park.
Bwindi forest park attracts a huge number of tourists from different parts of the world and most of them visit the area to trek mountain gorillas. The park is divided into 4 sectors which are Ruhija, Nkuringo, Buhoma, and Rushaga. Each of the sectors of the park has its own mountain gorilla families that are over 21 when it comes to the whole. A number of safaris can be conducted in Bwindi national park as follows;
Gorilla safaris to Bwindi gorilla park
Gorilla safaris to Bwindi gorilla park are the most popular activities done in the park. Mountain gorilla safaris to Bwindi gorilla park are done in 4 sectors of the park which are Nkuringo, Buhoma, Ruhija, and Rushaga. Visitors to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park can trek over 19 mountain gorilla families and 2 semi habituated families. Gorilla safaris in Bwindi forest park can be done at any time of the year by those that have valid gorilla trekking permits.
Gorilla safaris in Bwindi impenetrable park give tourists an opportunity to encounter mountain gorillas in their natural habits with a help of guides. Gorilla trekking starts with a briefing and armed ranger guides led the treks till they meet the mountain gorillas. The trekking activity takes 2-7 hours of meeting different park mammals, birds, and privates. Once the mountain gorilla family you have been looking for is allocated, the ranger guides give trekkers 1 hour or 4 hours to be around the gorilla group.
Cultural safaris to Bwindi gorilla park
Bwindi gorilla park is located in the densely populated communities of the southwestern part of Uganda. The park is surrounded by the Batwa pygmies, Bafumbira, and Bakiga although the Batwa pygmies are the most visited. Cultural safaris in Bwindi national park can be combined with gorilla trekking safaris, wildlife safaris, birding safaris, or chimpanzee trekking safaris in Uganda.
The Batwa people are called pygmies simply because they are the shortest people in the country. They were initially hunters and fruit gatherers not until the government evicted them from the jungle in 1991 to conserve the tropical rainforest as well as the animals most especially the mountain gorillas. The Batwa people leave in the north of Bwindi impenetrable national park and a visit to their community is led by a Batwa guide.
Cultural safaris to Bwindi park give tourists an opportunity to learn how the Batwa survived in the forest, gathered fruits, and collected honey. The Batwa guides will take you through different homesteads, watch people do day to day activities, be part of food preparations, taste their local foods, and support their local shops. You will get a chance to visit their traditional healers who will show you how they use local medicine to cure diseases.
Spectacled Weaver (Ploceus ocularis)
Birding safaris to Bwindi gorilla park
Birding safaris to Bwindi gorilla park take you to one of the best birding destinations in Africa. There are over 350 bird species in Bwindi forest park of which 14 are only found in this park and 23 are confined to the Albertine region. Tourists that have birding safaris to Bwindi forest park can combine the activity with gorilla trekking to have an amazing tour. Bwindi birding safaris give you an opportunity to see birds such as African green broadbill, grauer’s warbler, short-tailed warbler, African swallowtail, jameson’s antpecker, waller’s starling, grey crowned crane, and mountain wagtail.
More bird species to look out for on a birding safari in Bwindi gorilla forest park include African goshawk, klaas’s cuckoo, crested guinea fowl, cape wagtail, yellow-fronted canary, dusky twin spot, Rwenzori batis, African olive pigeon, African paradise flycatcher, klaas’s cuckoo, buff-spotted woodpecker, cassin’s flycatcher, helmeted guinea fowl, sooty falcon, ross’s turaco, African citril, African dusky flycatcher, black tee-eater and broadbill among others. Birding safaris in Bwindi are mainly done in Buhoma sector using Buhoma waterfall trail, and the bamboo zone as well as Ruhija sector using the Mubwindi swamp trail.
Natural walk safaris to Bwindi gorilla park
Nature walk safaris in Bwindi are done to give tourists the scenic view of the park with its attractions. Bwindi forest park has nature walk trails in different sectors of the park such as Muyanga waterfall trail, Rushura hill walk, Buhoma-Nkuringo trail, Muzubijiro loop trail, Habinyanja trail, and ivy river trail among others.
Nature walk trails in Bwindi impenetrable forest park give tourists an opportunity to explore the park on foot and encounter different park mammals, primates, and birds. The nature walk safaris in Bwindi park are led by armed ranger guides that lead the trekkers in the jungle protecting them from dangerous wild animals. Some of the animals you are likely to see in Bwindi national park include buffaloes, giant forest hogs, elephants, duikers, olive baboons, blue monkeys, civets, bush pigs, red-tailed monkeys, chimpanzees, and birds such as black bee-eater, black-billed turaco, regal sunbird, and crowned hornbill among others.
Bwindi Impenetrable National park
Best time for safaris in Bwindi gorilla park
Safaris in Bwindi impenetrable park can be done at any time of the year but there are months that are better than the rest. The dry months that occur from June to September and December to December are the best months for safari in Bwindi because the trekking trails because they are characterized by little or no rainfall, the trekking trails are dry, the vegetation is thin with clear views of animals and good photography and lastly, the roads leading to the park are passable.
Travelers can still have safaris in Bwindi forest park in the rainy season of March to May and October to November to have huge discounts on accommodation facilities and some of the park activities. However, travelers need to know that during the rainy season, there is too much rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, the vegetation is tall with unclear views of the park animals and the roads leading to the park are impassable.
Accessing Bwindi gorilla park
Bwindi gorilla park can be accessed using air transport from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport using Aero Link Uganda. The flights land at Kihihi airstrip for those having safaris in Buhoma sector and Kisoro airstrip for those having safaris in Rushaga, Nkuringo, and Buhoma sectors.
Travelers can still use road transport to access Bwindi gorilla park. Travelers in Queen Elizabeth can access Buhoma sector of Bwindi gorilla park through Ishasha sector. Travelers in Kampala will have to use Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale or Kisoro road to access Bwindi gorilla park and the journey takes 9 to 10 hours. Tourists from Kigali can access Bwindi gorilla park in 4-5 hours using Katuna border in Kabale or Cyanika border in Kisoro.
Where to stay on a gorilla safari in Bwindi gorilla park?
Accommodation in Buhoma sector: Buhoma Lodge, Engagi Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Bwindi Forest Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Ride 4 women Guest House, Silverback Lodge, Buhoma Rest Camp, Haven Lodge, and Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge.
Accommodation in Rushaga sector: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Bwindi Jungle Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, Nsongi Camp, Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Resort, and Wagtail Eco Safari Lodge.
Accommodation in Nkuringo sector: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Heights Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Backpackers Lodge, Mutanda Eco Community Centre, Nshongi Camp, Crested Crane Bwindi Hotel, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, and Virunga Campsite
Accommodation in Ruhija sector: Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, Ruhija Community Rest Camp, Bakiga Lodge, Gorilla Mist Camp, Broadbill Forest Camp, Agandi Lodge, Gift of Nature Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Cuckoo Land Tented Lodge, Ecomarvels Gorilla Lodge, and Trekkers Tavern.
