Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Introducing
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (or, officially, Impenetrable National Park) is an ancient, deep forest rising up along the south western border of Uganda. Climbing up along the slopes of a mountain range, the park consists of a series of narrow, steep valleys, deep green and cloaked in mist. The park is an old and complex ecosystem with a wealth of biodiversity and within its depths lies a rare and striking world. Due to the dense undergrowth and rugged terrain, large portions of it can only be reached on foot, preserving its primordial nature. Forest elephants, giant forest hogs, hundreds of butterfly species and several types of primate roam beneath the thick canopy of trees.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has so many habituated mountain gorilla groups located in different regions of the forest. This means that its very possible to get gorilla permits when you decide to plan a gorilla tour to Bwindi. These regions include Buhoma in the north with 3 gorilla families, Ruhija in the East with four gorilla families and the rest of the gorilla groups are in the south of the forest.
Highlights
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to half the world’s remaining population of critically endangered mountain gorilla.
Home to Forest elephants, giant forest hogs, hundreds of butterfly species and several types of primate roam beneath the thick canopy of trees.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has so many habituated mountain gorilla groups located in different regions of the forest.
Bwindi offers shelter to a additional 120 mammals, among which are various primate species like the baboons plus chimpanzees, in addition to elephants as well as antelopes.
Wildlife Viewing:
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Bwindi’s altitudinal span, antiquity, remoteness, and flora have contributed to creating one of Africa’s most biodiverse forests. Bwindi is home to over 120 mammal species, more than any other Ugandan park with the exception of Queen Elizabeth National Park. There are more than 160 tree and 100 fern species. Of the mammals, the mountain gorilla is the most famous. However, another 10 primate species are present including chimpanzees (unhabituated), olive baboon, black-and-white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkey, red-tailed monkey and blue monkey. There is a seldom-seen herd of over 30 ‘forest’ elephant in the south-east of the forest and six antelope species: bushbuck and five duiker species.
Best time to visit:
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Due to Uganda’s equatorial position and an increasingly variable climate, the weather in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be unpredictable, and you should always be prepared for rain when visiting Bwindi. However, the heaviest rainfall normally occurs from mid-March to the end of May and then again at the end of September through to November. While the rains in March to May are often short, those in September to November are more often characterised by hours of soft drizzle. Gorillas can be tracked at any time of year, but it does become harder when the trails are mud-slides and water is running down your neck, soaking you through. So the most popular times to track the gorillas is the drier months of June to mid-September and December, January and February. But don’t discount the ‘rainy season’. Permits are easier to come by at relatively short notice and there is something exhilarating about sitting, mud-covered and uncaring, among a group of gorillas, feeling like you are the only people in the forest.
How to get to:
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
For many years the journey to Bwindi took at least two long days driving on bad roads. But times have changed, and while it does still take over 10 hours on a good day to drive from Entebbe to Bwindi, it is also possible to fly to one of two airfields, Kihihi (for the north) and Kisoro (for the south of the forest), cutting the journey to a flight of about 90 minutes and a short drive of about 1.5 hours. The flights operate on a daily schedule, combining with other destinations within Uganda. The drive from Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, takes about 2 hours and Lake Mburo National Park can be reached in 5-6 hours. It is also becoming increasingly popular to drive from the south of Bwindi across the border into Rwanda, either to explore the neighbouring country or continue to Kigali to fly home. The journey from Nkuringo in southern Bwindi to the Rwandan border takes about two hours and the second leg to Kigali about 3 hours, depending on local conditions.
