Bwindi National park
Bwindi National park is the largest forest located in the South Western Uganda and is located in the three districts of Kisoro, Kabale and Kanungu. The Bwindi Forest is on the edge of the Albertine Rift, the Western, the western branch of the East African Rift. It was established in 1991. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994 and the site id is 682. Bwindi National Park covers 32000 hectares of land. Its elevations ranging from 1160 to 2607 metres
Bwindi is exceptional for biodiversity, with more than 160 species of trees and over 100 species of ferns, and countless flowers. It is notable for the 400 Bwindi gorillas, half of the world’s population of the endangered mountain gorillas is found in Uganda of which three quarters live in Bwindi.
Gorilla trekking is the main activity attracting thousands of visitors to the park every year. It is done in four sectors of the park, that is Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga and Ruhija.
Buhoma sector: Buhoma sector in north western part of park that has three habituated gorillas, Rushegura, Mubare and Habinyanja.
Nkuringo Sector: Nkuringo is found in the southern part of the park. the Nkuringo part is the most popular for gorilla tracking in Bwindi. Tracking is more strenuous because of the challenging terrain in this region.
Rushaga sector
Rushaga sector on other hand lies in the south eastern part of the park. Rushaga has got several habituated gorilla groups including Nshongi, Busingye, Kahungye, Mishaya and Bweza
Top Activities to in Bwindi National Park.
There are many activities to do in Bwindi National Park. Some of these include the following;
Gorilla Habituation Experience: Gorilla habituation is the process of training mountain gorillas to live closer to people as they continue with their daily lives. Gorilla habituation experience is very amazing since one gets to spend more time with the gorillas, compared to the less time of gorilla trekking. The gorilla habituation in Bwindi is not recommended for everyone since it takes more money, time, effort, permit expenses and more endurance. Gorilla habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable takes 4 hours on all day trek where you are given a chance to observe the mountain gorillas in their wildlife. There are only 4 people permitted a day and only group undergoes gorilla habituation process. this activity has been in place sine 2016.Gorilla habituation is only done in Rushaga and it can only be accessed from Uganda but you can as well access it from Rwanda taking a 4-hour drive.
Gorilla trekking
watching what gorillas look like and be able to view the environment where gorillas stay and it is basically done in Bwindi Impenetrable national park.: is an experience where a group of people hike through the thick forests in order for them to catch the Glimpse
Visit Ride for a woman.
Ride for a woman is a charity organisation set up to help women struggling with poverty, HIV, and domestic violence. Ride for a woman carries out many projects to empower women socially and economically and improve lives of the women in Bwindi. Tourists /visitors are welcomed to the centre daily. Kanywa plus theatre and performances Kanywa HIV+ women’s association has a mission to improve and empower HIV+ women to share their experience and inspire others in the community and beyond.
Batwa cultural experience
Through the Batwa Development Club just outside the park gates. The historical re-enactments by their Batwa demonstrates the use of medicine herbs, traditional shelters, fire making, honey harvesting, burial rituals, different types of snares a tribal dance. The Batwa share their heritage with tourists as well as their children do their culture may be preserved out of the rainforest. They strive for authenticity.
cultural tours
Buhoma and its margin immerses visitors in the customs and practises of the Batwa people and Bakiga such as Batwa forest experience, dance performances, brewing local beer, farming, and concludes with dancing displays by both the Batwa and Bakiga
Nature walks / Hikes in Bwindi National Park
Popular hikes in Bwindi include Rushura hill trail, Munyanga waterfall trail, Bamboo trail, Kashasha river trail, the Ivy rail, the Habinyanja trail. several guided nature walks range from 30 minutes to 8 hours in duration offering the opportunity to enjoy the tranquillity and broader.
Birding in Bwindi
The best time for birding is early in the early morning hours because there are more bird species one might view .in 2011 Bwindi was voted as Africa’s number one birding site. The recorded bird species are 360 with 14 of these not recorded elsewhere in Uganda. the birds include; the common bulbul, African blue, fly catchers, crowned hornbill, Giant kingfisher, African green pigeon among others.
Visit Rafiki Memorial Wildlife Conservation Initiative.
Art Galleries. This is a great art gallery and store that uses art to teach about conservation. They teach the children and the youth in using art. A great place to hang out and observe artists or even try one’s hand oneself painting.
Best Time to visit Bwindi National Park
Bwindi National Park can be visited all year round. Although the Best Time to Visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is between June and August, then again in December through to February.
Dry Season
These are the driest months, with the best chance of sunny skies and clear days perfect for wildlife viewing, although showers are always possible. the tropical climate of Bwindi Impenetrable national park means regular weather patterns are hard to predict and so you should expect some mist and some short down pours during the dry season
Wet Season
During the rainy season with run from march to may and then October to November, the forest trails can be slippery and harder to pass, there are more mosquitoes, and the misty and wet conditions may be cloud some of the specular views. Conditions for the gorilla trekking are not great during the heavy rains but it is a popular time to for bird watching as the rains bring migratory birds to the park.
The rain season months are considered quiet months as there are fewer travellers in the country, and so some lodges may be closed, although many remain open and offer “off season discounts”. Gorilla permit prices do not change throughout the year but you are likely to trek in smaller groups in the off season. Regardless of when you go, gorilla permits must be booked far in advance with tour operators.
How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi forest can be accessed from Queen Elizabeth National Park just two to three hours drive, from Kampala through Mbarara about 6 to 8 hours or from Kabale town to the Southern 1 to 2 hours. These roads converge at Butogota just 17 kilometres from the Buhoma gate entrance, A4*4 vehicles is needed through the rainy months. Booking a Uganda gorilla trekking safari recognized tour operator is recommended.
By air, travellers can choose to fly from Entebbe or from Kampala-Kajjansi airfield to the up-to-date tarmac airstrip found in Kisoro. Additionally, planes may as well be chartered to the savannah or the grass Kayonza airstrips. Bwindi is served by 3 airfields at Kihiihi plus Kayonza for the Northern area in addition to Nyakabende found in Kisoro for people going to track mountain gorillas within the Southern area.
Conclusion
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is important for the conservation of the Afromontane fauna, especially species endemic to the Western Rift valley. And so,S it should be considered a destination for every tourist most especially those that love nature.
