Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

The Ultimate Gorilla Experience

Deep in the heart of Africa lies an Impenetrable forest where ancient trees whisper secrets and the rare endangered Mountain Gorilla roam freely. Welcome to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Located in the southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley covering an area of 321sq.km. Known as the Impenetrable due its dense and ancient forest. It was designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 due to its exceptional ecological significance.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park hosts almost half (50%) of the world’s remaining population of the endangered Mountain Gorillas making it an ideal destination for Gorilla Tracking.

1. Why visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park? (Attractions )

A Forest Like No Other: Bwindi Impenetrable forest is believed to be a mere remnant of a very large forest which once covered much of western Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It has the highest diversity of tree species (over 200 species including 10 endemics) and ferns (some 104 species) in East Africa.

Biodiversity Hotspot: The forest is home to over 120 mammals including the endangered Mountain Gorillas, 350 bird species including the 22 Albertine Rift Endemics, 200 butterfly species(84% of the country’s total) including the 8 Albertine Endemics.

2. Gorilla Tracking Adventure: What to Expect?

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers the best opportunity to come in close encounter with the gentle giants. It is home to 23 fully habituated groups of the mountain gorillas which can be tracked from the the four sectors of the park; Buhoma,  Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. One Nyakigezi family can be tracked from Mgahinga Gorilla National park.

How is a Gorilla Tracking day in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park like?

The day starts with the clients waking, preparing yourself, putting o the recommended attire, having breakfast and packing your lunch.

Then heading to the park’s briefing point for briefing on the do’s and don’ts of the gorilla tracking.

After you are divided into groups of eight members per group and are assigned one gorilla family. Then a ranger guide and armed rangers to escort you to the forest in search of the gorillas.

The gorillas are manually tracked by human trackers who move with them and once they locate them, they give the directions to the ranger guides who take you to the location. Usually the time taken to track them is depended on their location and the terrain alongside the physic of the client.

You can only spend a maximum of 1 hour with the mountain gorillas. Though you can opt to do a gorilla habituation which allows to stay with the gorillas under habituation process for 4 hours. After you are awarded a certificate to appreciate you for the contribution to the conservation of the mountain gorillas.

How do you Buy a Gorilla Tracking permit?

The Gorilla Tracking permit can only be bought from the Head quarters of Uganda Wildlife Authority in Kamwokya, Kampala through a registered local tour company. All the reservations, bookings and purchase of these permits is done by the Reservations Department at the Head quarters.

How much does Gorilla tracking permit Uganda cost?

Gorilla tacking permit Uganda

$800 per person for Foreign Non Residents(FNR)

$500 per person for Rest of Africa

$700 per person for Foreign Residents(FR)

Ugx300,000 per person for East African Citizen (EAC).

Gorilla Habituation permit Uganda

$1500 per person for FNR

$1000 per person for FR and ROA

Ugx750,000 per person for EAC.

3. Other activities in Bwindi beyond Mountain Gorilla Tracking

Besides, Gorilla Tracking , Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers a wide range of other activities to enhance the clients experience.

Birdwatching; Bwindi Impenetrable forest offers has 350 bird species and among them the 22 Albertine Rift Endemic bird species like Red throated Alethe. Other forest bird species like African Green Broadbill, Grauer’s swamp warbler, Turner’s Eremomela, Chapin’s flycatcher and Shelley’s crimson-wing that can be carried out in Buhoma, Ruhuja , Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors.

Nature walks: You can choose to do a short walk to the falls or the long walk from Buhoma to Rubuguli that takes around 2 hours. It enables you connect with the untamed nature as you walk through the ancient forest.

Cultural encounter with the Batwa people. They were the original guardians of the forests from the ancient times where they lived in harmony with nature before they were forcefully evicted from the forest they called home by Uganda Wildlife Authority to conserve the mountain gorillas. Visiting the Batwa people and learn about their traditional way of life and how they are being affected by modernity as they resettle in the surrounding communities.

Photographic opportunities; Bwindi Impenetrable National park has diverse wildlife species like Mountain Gorillas, stunning landscapes, dense vegetation, bird species, misty mountains which offers the best photography opportunities for photographers.

4. Planning your Gorilla Tracking Trip: A Travel Guide

How to access to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park :

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be accessed by road from Kampala and Entebbe via Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale Road by both private and Public means of transport but preferably Private.

It can also be accessed by Air from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrips through chartered flights.

Best time for Gorilla Tracking safaris:

The best time to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National park are the two peak season months of June-September and December-February. This is because they align with uganda’s dry seasons. It offers the best opportunity to track the Mountain Gorillas and spot other wildlife in other parts on Uganda. March-May and October- November are wet season months that make the trails slippery and challenging to navigate thus requiring extra preparations for the muddy conditions.

Accommodation options

Bwindi Impenetrable National park offers a wide range of accommodations from the Luxury, Midrange and Budget level for the clients who visit the park for Gorilla Tracking. These are some of the lodges where you can spend a night while in Bwindi.

Luxury lodges; Trackers Safari Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Gorilla Heights Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Four Gorilla Lodge among others.

Mid range Lodges; Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Bakiga lodge , Bweza Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Haven among others.

Budget Lodges; Broad Bill Forest Camp , Ride for a woman , Buhoma community camp.

5. Conservation and community impact

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority(UWA) whose role is to protect the endangered mountain gorillas. UWA is helped by other NGOs like Conservation Through Public Health to ensure gorillas , wildlife and the local people surrounding the park coexist by improving thir health and livelihood.

The local communities contribute to the conservation of Mountain Gorillas  in Bwindi Impenetrable National park due to the direct and indirect benefits the local people benefit from the Gorillas tracking; such as employment opportunities like the porters, trackers. The Revenue shared from the gorilla tracking by starting up income generating activities like basket weaving to improve on the livelihood. The locals also donated buffer of 4sqkm to protect the park on the southern end of the park.

6. Origin of the name Bwindi Impenetrable National park

The name is drived from the ancient story of Mubwindi bwa Nyinamuraki “ a dark place of Nyinamuraki”. About a hundred years ago, people migrated from Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kisoro to the northern side of the forest in search of livelihood.

One day, a family was moving to the northern side and came across a lage difficult to cross swamp. The spirits of the swamp spotted a beautiful girl, one of the member of this family named Nyinamuraki. They asked the family to offer this beautiful girl to successfully cross the swamp. The family was faced with dilema and stayed for two days without deciding. Later they sacrificed their beautiful daughter to the spirits and crossed peacefully.

After some days the story spread in the community and they referred the place using the word “Mubwindi bwa Nyinamuraki” which meant the dark place of Nyinamuraki and people started to avoid the swamp as they beileved that it had evil spirits. The story has been told for centuries and continues to live in the communities.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

1. Is Gorilla Tracking safe?

Yes, Gorilla Tracking is very safe for all travelers from the world. The Gorilla families are fully habituated and are tolerant to human presence. Armed rangers escort you to Track the Gorillas in Bwindi to ensure you are safe.

2. What should I pack for the gorilla tracking safari?

• Long sleeved shirts and trousers
• Walking sticks
• Rain jacket or poncho
• Waterproof hikinh boots
• Reusable water bottle
• Insect repellants
• Face mask

3. Can children participate in the Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi?

Children who are 15 years and above are eligible to Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. You need to write officially to Uganda wildlife Authority to request children below 15 and once they allow then they can track Mountain Gorillas.

4. What are the Gorilla Tracking Rules in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

BEFORE YOU SET OUT:

• Ensure to carry with you payment receipts and permits
• Do not visit the gorillas if you have a cold or other infectious illness
• Minimum age for tracking is 15 years
• Human waste should be buried 30cm (12 inches ) deep
• Maximum number of visitors is eight persons per gorilla group

WHEN YOU ARE WITH THE GORILLAS:

• Maintain a 10m (32.8ft) distance from the gorilla
• Smoking, eating and drinking are not permitted during the tracking
• If you must sneeze or cough cover your face and turn away from the

gorillas, as they can catch coughs and colds from humans

• Visits are limited to one hour per gorilla group per day
• Do not use flash photography.
• Do not leave litter in the forest

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is not just a travel destination, it’s a living testimony of natural beauty, resilience and conservation. From  tracking the mountain gorillas in the forest , birding in search of the exceptional bird species, encounter with the ancient Batwa people the guardians of the forest to Nature walks, every moment is tranformative.

Whether you are a photograper, nature lover or an adventurer seeking a once in a lifetime gorilla experience, Bwindi promises you an experience that will last forever.

Don’t just dream but make it a reality with Exclusive Gorilla Vacations. Our tailor made itineraries promise unforgettable Gorilla Tracking Experience. Visit our website at www.exclusivegorillavacations.com or send us an email at info@exclusivegorillavacations.com or whatsapp at +256705452806.