Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the amazing destinations for any intending or planning to visit Uganda. It is very popular for its endangered mountain gorillas which are trekked by visitors on a daily basis. The park is located in southwestern Uganda and it is covered by an impenetrable forest which is made up of both lowland and montane forest features. The park’s vegetation is thick with trees and streams making it a home of various wildlife species such as chimpanzees, African forest elephants, olive baboons, monkey species and several bird species. Encounter Africa Safaris organizes trips to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and other destinations in Uganda.
Tour Packages For Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
If you are considering trekking gorillas or visiting Uganda, these are some of the tour packages Encounter Africa Safaris organizes to Bwindi.
- 3 day gorilla Uganda safari
- 2 day Bwindi Gorilla trekking through Kigali
- 5 days Gorilla and Chimp Uganda safari
- 3 day Gorilla Habituation experience
- 8 days Uganda Gorilla safari through Kigali
These and many more tour packages to Bwindi are available for you to choose from. Even better, you can have a tailor made trip that fits into your preferences to ensure that you enjoy yourself to the fullest. For more information on our tour packages for gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable park, Contact Encounter Africa Safaris.
Activities In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The most popular activity in Bwindi Is gorilla trekking, but visitors in the park can also indulge in other activities such as nature walks and community visits to add to the gorilla trekking experience.
Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable involves hiking through the dense forest with the help of guides and trackers in search of the mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is done in four different sectors which are known as Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga. Gorilla trekking starts early in the morning at the briefing station where every person with a trekking permit for that day is assigned a gorilla family that is to be trekked. Once the briefing is done, you are led by guides who take you on a trek to find the gorillas. The treks take a different time span but once the gorillas are found, you are allowed one hour with them. For more information on gorilla trekking and habituation in Bwindi, please feel free to contact Encounter Africa Safaris.
Gorilla Habituation
Gorilla Habituation is the second most popular activity in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This activity is only done in the Rushage sector of the park at the moment. Gorilla habituation involves you walking through the park with the researchers to find the habituated gorillas. The habituated gorillas are a bit different from the normal ones as habituation allows the researchers to study them before putting them out for gorilla trekking. Once they are found, visitors are allowed to spend 4 hours with the gorillas. If you are interested in Gorilla habituation in Bwindi , don’t hesitate to contact Encounter Africa Safaris.
Gorilla trekking permit cost in Bwindi
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi can only be done if you have a gorilla trekking permit. Bwindi Park is under the management of Uganda Wildlife Authority which means that you have to get the gorilla permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority through a registered local tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris. The cost of the gorilla permits differ accordingly as shown below
Non Resident Foreigner – USD 800
Resident Foreigner – USD 700
African citizens – USD 500
East African Citizens – UGX 300,000
Gorilla habituation fees in Bwindi.
If you would like to spend more time with the gorillas, you can choose to pay for the gorilla habituation permit which costs;
Non Resident Foreigner – USD 1500
Resident Foreigner – USD 1000
African citizens – USD 1000
East African Citizens – UGX 750,000
The process of booking gorilla permits is very easy. All you have to do is reach out to Encounter Africa Safaris with your desired dates of trekking and our tour consultants will be able to check availability for you from UWA. Once it is confirmed that the permits you want are available, then booking is done and once the payment is made, then a receipt and copy of the gorilla permit are shared with you.
Nature walks
In addition to gorilla trekking and habituation, nature walks are another activity that can be done when in Bwindi’s impenetrable national park. Several trails in all sectors of the national park allow you to explore the forest and everything in it. If you enjoy walking, you can adventure on the long nature walk from Nkuringo to Buhoma which costs 140 USD. Other nature walks within the park costs 30 USD to 60 USD depending on the sector of the park you are in. If you are a lover of walking, you can indulge yourself in these walks. For more information please contact Encounter Africa Safaris.
Community visits
When in Bwindi, you can also choose to do some community cultural experiences. These include visiting the Batwa and the Bakiga people who stay on the borders of the national park. The Batwa are very traditional and indigenous people who have not taken up modernization in their way of life. In this experience, you get to see their way of living according to their local customs such as dances, the way they hurt and more. If you are interested, you can also participate in activities such as banana wine making. If you want to include this in your activities while trekking gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park, contact Encounter Africa Safaris.
How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
If you are travelling to Bwindi, You can choose to use road or air transport. Once you land in Uganda, using road transport will take about 8-9 hours from Entebbe to Bwindi. The road trip has a lot to offer. If you are not a fan of long journeys, you can choose to fly to Kisoro and Kihihi airstrip depending on where you will be trekking the gorillas. The journey from the airstrips to the different sectors is about 1 to 3 hours. Are you planning a trip to Bwindi impenetrable, let Encounter Africa Safaris be your tour operator.
What to pack for your visit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Going for a trip to Bwindi requires one to be prepared and pack necessary items especially for gorilla trekking. You have to be physically fit and in good health. Once you have embarked on the trek, you cannot go back to get anything so it is important to be prepared for the trek. Below is a list of items that you should have as you embark on your journey to trek gorillas and visit Bwindi.
- Hiking boots. The terrain of the park requires you to have hiking boots if you are going to participate in gorilla trekking or nature walks in the parks. The boots should cover your ankles and be able to protect you as you walk through the different kinds of vegetation in the park.
- Bag pack. This is very essential for keeping your day’s essentials especially on days of the gorillas trek. The bag pack will help you carry your packed lunch, drinking water, your phone and any other things you would like to have with you on that day.
- Warm clothing. These could be jackets, shawls or sweaters. The region of Bwindi is very cold especially in the mornings and at night so having warm clothing will come in handy.
- Long sleeved shirts and long trousers. These are important to protect your skin from getting into contact with plants or insects that might cause certain skin irritation while you are trekking. The long trousers should be tucked into your hiking boots to avoid incidents of insects crawling up to your legs. The clothes you pack for your trekking should be of neutral colors. Avoid very bright colors as these might irritate the gorillas.
- Raincoat or umbrella. Bwindi forests usually experience showers of rain even in the dry season so it is always safe to have a raincoat and umbrella with you as you embark on your trek to see the gorillas.
- Insect repellent for your body to keep insects away from you. Sunscreen is also important to protect your skin from sunburn.
- A portable size first aid kit that can fit in your backpack. This is important in case you incur any accident while trekking.
- A camera for photography. Ensure that you pack batteries and lenses to capture amazing photos as you trek in the park.
Please note that it is very important to keep the environment clean and everything that you bring inside the park should be taken with you at the end of your trek. Avoid throwing any rubbish or waste in the park. For more help in planning for your trip in Bwindi to trek gorillas, contact Encounter Africa Safaris.
Accommodation in Bwindi Impentrable National Park
In Buhoma Sector
- Sanctuary Forest camp – Luxury
- Buhoma lodge – Luxury
- Mahogany Springs Lodge – Luxury
- Buhoma Haven Lodge – Midrange
- Ride for a woman – Budget
- Buhoma community rest camp – Budget
- Ruhondeza lodge – Budget
In Ruhija Sector
- Kiho Gorilla Lodge – Luxury
- Ruhija safari lodge – Midrange
- Gorilla nest camp – Midrange
- Trekker tavern – Budget
- Bakiga Lodge – budget
- Ruhija community rest camp – Budget
In Nkuringo sector
- Clouds mountain lodge – luxury
- Nkuringo bwindi gorilla lodge – Luxury
- Gorilla Heights Lodge – Luxury
- Lake Mutanda lodge – Midrange
- Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge – midrange
In Rushaga Sector
- Four Gorillas Lodge – Midrange
- Gorilla Leisure Lodge – Midrange
- Rushaga gorilla camp – Midrange
- Rushaga Havens Lodge – Budget
- Bweza lodge – Midrange.
For more information or help booking accommodation for your visit in Bwindi contact Encounter Africa safaris.
Best time to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Visiting Bwindi Impenetrable can be done all year round. Uganda is a tropical climate country that experiences both dry and wet seasons. For the case of Bwindi, we advise that you visit during the dry season. This is because Bwindi is both a forested and mountainous area and it is easier to trek in the dry season and the Gorillas can be easily seen because the vegetation is not thick. The wet season is also okay if you don’t mind the rain and it usually has fewer visitors trekking the gorillas and Another advantage of the wet season is that it won’t take a lot of time to trek the Gorillas as food in this season is abundant and they don’t always have to move far in search of food. Overall, Bwindi can be visited at any time you choose. The dry season runs in the months of June to September and January to March and the wet season is in the months of March to May and September to December. For more information and help organizing your trip to Bwindi impenetrable national park in Uganda, contact Encounter Africa Safaris.
Why use Encounter Africa Safaris
Encounter Africa Safaris is one of the leading tour operators for the East African region, we have been organizing amazing safari experiences to Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania for the last 15 years and are in a position to give you the best advice in terms of getting the best out of any penny spent. We have a team of competent safari designers and guides who will make sure that planning and executing your safari is done with ease. Encounter Africa Safaris is owned and run by locals and part of the money paid by you is channelled to benefiting projects that support community development as well as conserving the environment. If you are looking for an operator to curate and plan your trip to Uganda and the rest of East Africa, choose Encounter Africa Safaris and I assure you that the package will be amazing. Encounter Africa safaris is highly recommended on trip advisor as well as safari bookings. Feel free to visit our trip advisor and get to see what other clients say about our service.
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