Bwindi Forest National Park

With an altitude range of 1,160 to 2,607m, the national park boasts of 90 mammal species, including 11 primates, with the black-and-white Colobus, which is prominent for its beautiful flowing white tail to show which makes it a flourishing Uganda wildlife safari destination as well.

Bwindi with its 23 highly localized Albertine Rift endemics present,, the forest ranks as one of the best birding tour/ birding safari destination in Uganda.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park habitats over 400 endangered gorillas which is about half the total population of mountain gorillas the world has, it has over 30 elephants and 120 species of mammals which include 7 diurnal primates. with 360 species of birds and 200 butterfly species, the Afro-montane rain forest has a dense under store of ferns, vines, and shrubs, and over 324 tree species recorded there, of which 10 don’t appear elsewhere in Uganda making Bwindi a must trek to any enthusiastic tourist or traveler.

Gorilla trekking tours are the main attraction in Bwindi, home to 400 Mountain Gorillas. Daily, two gorilla groups are available for visits: the Mubare group, opened in 1993, and the Habinyanja group, opened in 1998. Permits, sold by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), are limited to 8 per group per day and must be booked at least 3 months in advance. Trekking starts at 8:30 am and lasts the whole day, with an hour spent with the gorillas once tracked. Tourists should be physically fit and equipped with jungle boots and rain jackets due to the wet forest conditions.

A short walk for visitors with little time to spare along the forest edge offers tourist a memorable sight of birds as well as primates.This famous waterfall walk gives an attractive feature of the forest with a colourful array of butterflies, a natural fusion of tree ferns, epithetic ferns, orchids and colorful which is typical of Bwindi impenetrable forest. The walk leads to 3 attractive crystal clear waterfalls which is a typical ingredient of a tropical rain forest.

Bwindi is the best birding safari tour destination it’s a sanctuary to over 348 bird species that are impossible or hard to see in any many other part East African regions. Birding watching tours can be arranged in Bwindi Forests especially for bird lovers, this the best place for bird watching.

Among others, special on its list are; the honey guide, the Wing, White-tailed Blue Monarch Short-tailed Warbler, Kivi ground thrush, Wilcock’s, Rusty-faced woodland Gruel’s Rush Warbler, Yellow-eyed black Fly-catcher, Warbler, Bar-tailed Trogon and Dusky Crimson An enthusiastic bird watcher can be able to identify as many as 100 species daily.

Visitor with two or more days in Bwindi impenetrable national park, can ably engage in a hiking tour along the four outland hiking trails that are famously done in the park. On all these trails, you will ably experience and get a educated about the various bird species, the primates, butterflies,the trees as well as the other members of this Eco system.Its advisable that you arrange for a guide’s services and company from the reception for your safety and to attain an excellent understanding of the park’s entire Eco system.

The Rushurra walk gives an extensive view across the western rift valley floor, and to its west, the Congo Parc Nationale Des Virungas providing a wonderful view, and is also visible to both Lake Edward and Rwenzori Mountain as well. The Muzabajirro walk provides an un forgetable view of Bwindi Forest, the Western Rift Valley and the Virungas. Various pre-historic tree ferns can be witnessed as you make your way to the top, which is a great place for a picnic or lunch.

This leads to one of the areas of high diversity in the park that offers 14 vegetation types . At the pick of this walk, you will be presented with unforgettable views some of which include the L. Bunyonyi and Mafuga forest.

Mostly recommended for bird viewing for bird watchers, is the longest in the park and will take you a full day. Buhoma village walk, offers tourists eye catching views like those of a typical Ugandan rural homestead setting in this region, a visit to the local traditional healers, the banana beer brewing demonstration site, captivating traditional cultural performance in the evenings which are usually performed by Women groups provide the opportunity to experience the traditional dressing fashions as well. This walk that takes over three hours,is an activity that is managed by the local community thus money received is invested back into the community to improve on their general welfare usually. Visitors may as well walk to the Bamboo zone which is a unique area in Bwindi impenetrable national park.

A variety of accommodation options cater to your needs in Bwindi, from upmarket tented camps and lodges to budget facilities. Luxury options include Gorilla Forest Camp and Trackers Safari Lodge, while others like Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, and Silverback Lodge offer high-quality services. New high-end accommodations include Ruhija Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Engagi Lodge, and more. Camping is not recommended due to cold and rainy conditions, but a local community rest camp offers simple bandas with clean accommodations and meals. The Savanna Resort Hotel in Kihihi provides another option, located about 40km from Buhoma and adjacent to the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Bwindi can be accessed through various routes, converging near Butogota:

• From Kabale, it’s a 108km drive to Buhoma via Ruhija, taking about 3 hours, longer in rainy conditions. 4WD vehicles are recommended.
• From Kampala to Buhoma, take the surfaced road to Kabale, then head to Ntungamo, Rukungiri, Kambuga, Kanungu, and finally Butogota, a journey of 534km taking 9-11 hours.
• From Kasese/Fort Portal, two routes are available: one via Katunguru, Ishasha, and Kihihi, taking 3-5 hours; the other through Mbarara to Ishaka, then Kagambe on Kabale road, following directions to Buhoma as above. By Air: AeroLink Uganda offers scheduled flights to Kihihi airstrip, making reaching Bwindi in just 2 hours possible. Gorilla flying safaris are now regular into Bwindi Forest National Park.