Bwindi impenetrable Forest national park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is the world’s gorilla hub. With about 50% of the remaining mountain gorillas in the wild. The Unique montane tropical rain forest was reserved a UNESCO world heritage site sheltering one Africa’s ancient habitants serving the most ace age.
The combination of the montan displays and its broad thick tropical rain forest stature. The park one of the special with biodiversity of flora and fauna, about 120 mammals recorded, 350 bird species. Also 220 butterfly species, 27 frogs and about 10 other primate species. Including black and white colobus monkeys, De Brazza monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, blue monkey, baboons, potto, red tailed monkeys, galago and chimpanzees but rarely.
Other wildlife animals include forest elephants, forest buffaloes, duikers, bush big, giant forest hog, and smaller cats. Some of the bird species that can be sighted are francolin, African green broadbill, Bee eaters, green tinker bird, mountain masked and chestnut palsies among many.
Bwindi impenetrable forest is located in southwestern Uganda (Kigezi region) bordering DR Congo. The montane park is elevated at an altitude of 1190m to 2067m. Bwindi survives within the great western Albertine Rift Valley. The Batwa pygmies were known to inhabit the thick forests where they co-existed alongside mountain gorillas before their eviction. one can book a full safari or take a self drive safari to the park
This prime gorilla park divided into 4 trekking sectors of Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. There about 19 habituated gorilla group which positions Bwindi with the greatest trekking opportunities. Gorilla trekking adventure premier the other adventures done in African and the opportunity to trek gorillas remained only in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo.
What to do at Bwindi Park
Gorilla trekking
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park only famous for gorilla trekking, with the highest number of habituated gorilla families, the park offers the highest opportunities of trekking gorillas per day. This is the only park where a trekker can decide either to do gorilla trekking or doing gorilla habituation experience and spend almost a full day with the gorillas.
Gorillas here are fully habituated for a close up encounter with and an encounter with gorillas almost guaranteed. To find the gorillas is a challenge through the thick hilly jungle, rain showers and muddy grounds are all you must go through until the blink on the giants.
A permit to trek gorillas costs $700, then you can follow them right from their previous night nest, fresh dungs and foots prints and sometimes the guide testing the sounds makes your reach where your gorillas. Realizing their gorillas and an eye to eye with the silverback back it may be the reason why you’re there and it’s a lifetime experience.
Gorilla Habituation
One of the unique adventures done in Africa, gorilla habituation is a special offer only available at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Consider spending a full day into the jungle following the world’s largest primates. Gorilla habituation is an exercise which is done to every newly surfaced gorilla family and is mainly aimed at training gorillas that they become used to human presence.
Mountain gorillas with their pride of huge bodies are very aggressive apes that can react aggressively to any threat, so for new gorilla family must undergo the mandate monitoring of less than 2 years to ensure they are safe to be trekked.
Only at Rushaga sector trekkers a maximum number of 4 trekkers join a group of researchers and roll into the forest to follow the habituated gorilla family and finding these gorilla, you have more 4 hours in their presence studying and understanding a lot about that family. Gorilla habituation is a bit costly $1500.
Nature walks
The ancient forests of Bwindi are rich with a cool serene to keep your mind relaxed, walking through paths to far ends is rewarding with a lot to offer. The Uganda wildlife authority organizes walking trails that can last for 3 to 4 hours trekking through the hills and valleys of the park.
There are several walking trails that are nature rewarding, nature walking tracks is not for a particular concentration rather the rich biodiversity is rewarding with greater encounters. The walking trails can state from Buhoma sector with the waterfalls trail that extending into the valleys to impressive magnificent water falls on river Munyara pouring at 33m down.
Many other considerations are brought into consideration when on a nature walk, watching several things including other many primate species, duikers, expect forest elephants though sometimes hide into the dense.
Nature walks can be complemented with hiking experiences, hiking through several hiking trial is more interesting where you can take on the few hours track or full day hike. The longest trails is the full day trail crossing from Buhoma north of the park to the southwest of Nkuringo, this hike gives the over view of the Virunga volcanoes and sighting the western Albertine rift valley.
Batwa Cultural experience
The Batwa people before their eviction from the Bwindi forest lived in the forest alongside the gorillas. However, in 1991 the government decided to evict them from their ancestral forest without their consent and without compensation. This made their next life very miserable and many of them lost lives not until recently in 2006 when they started their own cultural initiative that aimed at seeing them using their bitter story to survive.
Since the booming of tourism at the destination the Batwa formed initiatives where they show case their culture to tourists visiting the Bwindi impenetrable forest for gorilla tracking to improve their lives. These forest smaller group of people left an ecological footprint to live in harmony with nature, but the government evicted them due to their voiceless left with no land to settle and they almost suffered vanished. Today their rights were restored and partake in the conservation initiative which contribute a higher portion to their living, Bwindi impenetrable Forest national park
Can also add the batwa cultural visits and the community visits, through any sector their different communities that you can add on your community visit to see the local healers and witness the twa songs and dance show evening testing the local banana beers.
Bird watch
Bird witching at Bwindi impenetrable forest is inevitable, stands the finest and fascinating activities done at the park alongside gorilla tracking. Nature walks and hiking experience avails mores chances of watching several bird species.
Bwindi being a virgin and an ancient forest nesting about 350 speices of birds, about 22 species are endemic to Bwindi impenetrable forest 70 of the species lives in the montane forests of the Albertine rift valley. Birding trails are becoming more catching as birders increase the demand of encountering the forest birds in the accompaniment to gorilla tracking adventures.
Mountain bike rides
Ride for a woman is an NGO community support initiative that offers bike rental for the mountain riding and guided rides in and outside Bwindi impenetrable national park. Wishing to explore the forest on a bike ride it’s never hard with your rented bike it’s made easy.
The buhoma area provides the best riding experiences with guides who are well trained knowledgeable about Bwindi some of them are good birders, cultural guides but they can rewards the best out of it. With long riding trail being 3 hours can decide to do a community visit on the bike, birding and nature tours on the bike.