Filming in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Filming in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the national parks in Uganda found in southwestern Uganda and is best known for gorilla trekking as it has half the remaining population of mountain gorillas in the world. Filming in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park requires one to have filming permits and gorilla trekking permits to be able to have access to the national park. All filmmakers have to follow the guidelines to make sure that the activities they are doing do not disrupt the mountain gorillas and the environment. When you work with experts like Encounter Africa Safaris, you will have the best filming experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Requirements to film in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The gorilla trekking permit: Getting access to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is impossible if you do not have the gorilla trekking permit as this is the ticket to gaining access to the endangered mountain gorillas. The standard gorilla trekking permit cost in Bwindi is UGX300,000 for East African citizens, $800 for foreign non-residents and $700 for foreign residents.
Bwindi in the Rushaga sector offers gorilla habituation, and the permit cost is UGX750 000, $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for African citizens from other countries and $1000 for foreign residents.
These have to be purchased at least 3 to 6 months before the trekking date and an experienced tour operator can help you with the booking and purchase of the gorilla permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Press Accreditation card: The Press accreditation card is from UCC and Uganda Media Council. It is a card that will give you access to Bwindi for filming and every filming crew member needs to have one. There are things that you need to have and do to be able to get the media card, and these are a fully filled-in Form G by all filming crew, an introduction letter, a copy of the passport or national ID where applicable, a certificate of good conduct and two coloured passport sized photos.
After this, you have to pay for the card, and the fees are $175, valid for 30 days per person, $225, valid for 60 days per person and $35, valid for 2 years per person.
You also need to apply for a work permit visa to have access and film in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Best time for filming in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, just like any other park, is an all-year-round safari destination, and although filming is done throughout the year, the best time is during the dry season from December to February and June to September.
The filming permits: All tourists have to apply for the filming Visa from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. These will give you access to the mountain gorillas and the requirements needed to get the permit include the names of all the crew members, copies of a valid passport, a list of all the equipment that is to be used for filming, a script and reasons why you need to want to film in Bwindi, an application letter, and details of the filming location.
UWA usually drafts an agreement between itself and the people planning on filming to ensure that a copy of the film that is made is given to UWA authorities for study purposes.
The application process for filming in Bwindi can take 3 to 5 working days and confirmation upon receipt of the application will be sent within 24-48 hours.
For better planning, we advise that you send in the application at least 3 weeks before the planned date for filming. Encounter Africa Safaris will help you with the entire application process until you get the cards.
Clearing the filming equipment: Clearing of the filming equipment has to be done at the customs office at your point of entry into Uganda. There is usually a 10% fee that is levied on the total value of the equipment, and this is used to clear the bond, which is non-refundable. The first step in clearing equipment is to contact your tour operator, and they will give you the steps to follow. You have to take photos of all the equipment that is to be used for filming and make sure that the serial number on the equipment is visible. Send these photos to the operator and send in the cost of the equipment. Decide on whether you are going to travel with your equipment or send them on their own, but the best option is travelling with the equipment.
What to film in Bwindi
Below is a list of things/attractions that you can film in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Mountain gorillas:
Mountain gorillas are the main attraction in Bwindi and there are almost over 600 mountain gorillas in the national park. These are spread all over the national park in the different four sectors that are found in the park, and these are Ruhija, Buhoma, Rushaga and Nkuringo. These different sectors are home to different habituated gorilla families that are open for trekking throughout the year.
When you want to film mountain gorillas in Bwindi, you need to first purchase a gorilla trekking permit from UWA through a tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris. The current cost of the gorilla permit in Uganda is $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents and UGX300,000 for East African citizens.
Mountain gorillas are intelligent, giant and gentle primates for as long as they are not provoked and during your filming safari, make sure that you follow all the rules and regulations for gorilla trekking that were set up to protect the Mountain gorillas and their natural habitat.
Bird species:
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to 350 bird species and including about 23 endemic bird species unique to the Albertine rift and 14 of these are not recorded elsewhere in the country. The best time to bird watch in Bwindi is from November to April with the migratory birds around.
Some of the bird species that can be filmed in Bwindi include the Blue-headed sunbird, Dwarf honeyguide, Black-billed Turaco, African broadbill, Bar-tailed trogon, Cinnamon-chested bee-eater, Carruthers’s cisticola, Chapin’s flycatcher, Grauer’s warbler, Great Blue Turaco, Fraser’s eagle owl, Dusky crimsonwing, Kivu ground thrush, Purple-breasted sunbird, Red-chested fluftail, Lagden’s bush-shrike, Neumann’s warbler, Red-throated alethe, Ruwenzori Batis, Shelley’s crimsonwing, Strange weaver and Regal sunbird among others.
The Batwa people:
The Batwa people are an indigenous group that used to live in Bwindi before it was gazetted off to be home to mountain gorillas and other wildlife species. They are pygmies who now live in the communities around the national park and survive on tourism and farming as their livelihood.
When the Batwa people lived in the forest, they survived by gathering fruits and hunting. Many of them have been rehabilitated and help in the conservation of the mountain gorillas acting as guides and porters to earn a living.
Before filming the Batwa people, you have to ask for permission from the elders of the communities as a sign of respect. Do not film or take photos of the locals without their permission.
On your trip with the Batwa people, you will learn more about the locals and how they live day to day, enjoy and join in their day-to-day activities, shop for souvenirs from the locals, enjoy the songs and dance, and their local dishes as you listen to stories from the elders.
When you visit the local communities, you will not only be learning about the culture of the Batwa but also contributing to their livelihood.
Tree and plant species:
The vegetation in Bwindi is over 25000 years old and diverse in nature, with many of the trees in the park acting as homes to birds, moths, butterflies and reptiles. Bwindi has more than 200 tree species, and they are believed to be Afromontane, a rare type of vegetation that is found on the African continent. Bwindis vegetation types are categorized into high altitude, also known as the Afro-montane, Moist evergreen and medium altitude.
Some of the species that are found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park include East African yellow wood, Symphonia globulifera, Monospora, Red stinkwood, Xymalos, Newtonia, Myrianthus holstii and Allophylus abysssinicus, among others.
The canopy is filled with hardwood trees like the African mahogany; the mid-layer, which is located beneath the canopy, has small shrubs and trees with tree species like Polyscias, and the understory forms the shadowy and dense trees with ferns, including polystachya and Cyathea manniana, among others.
Popular activities carried out in Bwindi Impenetrable NP
The different safari activities that are carried out in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park include gorilla trekking, gorilla habituation experience in Rushaga where you have more time with the mountain gorillas, bird watching, guided nature walks, cultural trips to the villages and taking on the Batwa walk among others.
All these activities are carried out throughout the year but they are to be paid for independently. There are queries about whether the cost of the gorilla permit covers the various activities, but the answer is no, you have to pay for each of the activities you wish to participate in.
What is the role of filming in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Filming in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park plays an important role in the conservation of mountain gorillas and their natural habitat. The documentaries that are filmed by either crews or individuals highlight the life of the mountain gorillas, their struggles, the anti-poaching policy that has been adopted to protect the gorillas and putting focus on community-based conservation programs.
Filming encourages more tourists to come to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and trek the mountain gorillas which in turn has increased the gorilla population in the entire world.
Other logistics needed for filming in Bwindi
Before being allowed to film in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you will have to get a media card from the Uganda Media Council and the Uganda Commissions Commission and a trekking permit. However, other logistics are needed and these include:
Transport: Transport to Bwindi for filming can easily be arranged by Encounter Africa Safaris and it can either be air or road transport. The drive from Kampala to Bwindi is 9 to 10 hours and 4 to 5 hours from Kigali. Driving is the most commonly used mode of transport because it is affordable and provides beautiful scenery along the way. Flights from Entebbe can also be easily arranged using domestic flights from Entebbe to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip which takes about 1 to 2 hours. From the airstrip, you will be driven to the national park headquarters or your accommodation.
Accommodation and meals: When we are booking accommodation for our clients, we book full board and three meals are provided per day throughout your safari. During the booking process, make sure that you provide any dietary needs if you have so that the chefs can prepare meals without making any mistakes.
Accommodation in Bwindi is in the form of budget, mid-range and accommodation facilities, and each sector in the park has facilities that can be used during filming. You are advised to book accommodation in the sector you have been assigned so that you can keep time.
Some of the accommodation facilities that you can use when filming in Bwindi include the Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Clouds Mountain Gorilla lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Mahogany Springs Safari Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp, Four Gorillas Lodge, Mutanda Lake Resort, Ichumbi Lodge, and Chameleon Hill Lodge among others.
Best time for filming in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, just like any other park, is an all-year-round safari destination, and although filming is done throughout the year, the best time is during the dry season from December to February and June to September. During the dry season, trekking through the forests is easy because the trails are dry and the forest thickets are not as thick as they are during the rainy season.
Contact us for more information, details and information about filming in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.