Bwindi gorilla and boat cruise safaris

You may see the renowned mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park on this trip before going to Lake Bunyonyi for some R&R and a boat trip. Depending on the airport you will be using, this safari may begin in either Kagali or Kampala. Tourists from Kampala may access any of the park’s sectors by car through Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, or Kisoro to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. For those traveling to the Buhoma area, high-end tourists may fly from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airstrip to Kisoro airstrip, and for those visiting the Rushaga, Ruhija, and Nkuringo areas, they can then fly to Kisoro airstrip.

Drivers traveling from Kigali may access Bwindi by traveling to the Uganda-Rwanda border and crossing from the Katuna border in Kabale or the Cyanika border in Kisoro to any of the sectors of the park. When you arrive in the sector, you will check in at your lodge after driving to your reserved lodging. You will spend the evening unwinding and getting ready for the gorilla trek the next day.

You will wake up to a morning breakfast at the lodge on the day of your gorilla trek in Bwindi, gather your belongings, and then meet your driver to take you to the sector offices. At the park headquarters, you’ll meet various trekkers and park wardens who will instruct you on the guidelines of the gorilla trekking expedition, divide all trekkers into groups of no more than eight people each, and provide you with armed ranger guides who will take you through the jungle.

The armed rangers guide the treks by leading the trekkers along the fastest routes to find the mountain gorilla family. The hunt will last anywhere from two to seven hours, depending on the speed of the trekkers and the whereabouts of the mountain gorilla family. You will be able to observe a variety of park creatures, including buffalo, duikers, giant forest hogs, bush pigs, birds, and many more, as you search.

The mountain gorillas are found and armed after a number of hours of looking. Trekkers are given an hour by ranger guides to be in the presence of the apes, snap pictures, shoot videos, learn about their behaviors, and observe them engage in their everyday routines, such as hunting, nesting, playing, mating, and other activities. Following your encounter with mountain gorillas, you will hike out of the jungle, obtain your trekking certificate, and proceed to the lodge where you will have lunch before leaving for Lake Bunyonyi.

It takes three to four hours to travel from Bwindi impenetrable forest national park to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park via Kabale and Kisoro town. You’ll check into your lodge upon arrival at your reserved lodging and spend the evening relaxing in anticipation of the boat tour the following day. You will need to get up early in the morning for breakfast and travel to the lake on the day of the boat tour.

You will encounter a wide variety of boat riders, guides, locals, shops, and other attractions at Lake Bunyonyi. With the native guides, you will ride in a canoe boat as they share various facts about the lake with you. The boat tour will take you to several Lake Bunyonyi islands, including Akampene, which is well-known for being the location where unmarried girls who became pregnant were sent to starve and die. Bushara, Kahungye, Bacuranuka, Bwama, and Njuyeera are among the additional islands you’ll see.

On the boat trip on Lake Bunyonyi, you’ll be able to observe a variety of birds that call the lake home, including the grey crowned crested crane, slender-billed baglafetch, weavers, African harrier hawk, Swamp flycatcher, cardinal woodpecker, grey crowned cranes, African kingfisher, heron, regal sunbird, golden-backed weaver, pin tailed whydah, great cormorant, Bronze manikin, Hadada ibis, grey shrike, malachite kingfisher, fan-tailed widow bird, and levillant cuckoo, among others.

After a boat trip on Lake Bunyonyi, you’ll head back to the lodge and unwind while you wait for lunch. You may choose from a variety of activities in the afternoon, such as going on a leisurely nature walk around the lodge or seeing the neighborhood and the schools. You will have an overnight stay along with a leisurely evening at the lodge meal. The next day, you will get up early for breakfast and leave the lodge for your transportation back to the international airport in Kampala/Kigali, with lunch along the way.

What should be included in the package

Among the items you should bring on a boat excursion and gorilla tour of Bwindi are waterproof hiking boots, a pair of gaiters, a hat, sunscreen, a light backpack, insect repellents, a facemask sanitizer, a camera, a pair of binoculars, a water bottle, and energy-boosting snacks, as well as long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved trousers, a sweater, a rain jacket, and long cotton stocks.

When should this safari take place?

You may take a boat excursion and a gorilla tour in Bwindi at any time of the year, although some months are better than others. This safari is best done during the dry months because there is little to no rain, which keeps the trekking routes dry and passable; the flora is sparse and short, providing clear views of the wildlife; and the water levels at Lake Bunyonyi are low, which favors the boat tour, and the roads leading to these locations are in excellent shape.

During the rainy season, visitors can still take a boat cruise and gorilla trip in Bwindi, which will allow them to take advantage of significant savings on lodging options. Because the rainy season, which lasts from March to May and October to November, brings too much rain, it draws a small number of guests, forcing the hotel’s owners to lower prices in order to entice them. Due to excessive water levels during the rainy season, the blat cruise at Lake Bunyonyi may be delayed or canceled. The roads leading to the park are in bad shape, the trekking routes in Bwindi are slick and muddy, and the flora is high and dense, making it difficult to see the park animals.