7 THINGS TO DO & SEE WHILE IN BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST NATIONAL PARK UGANDA.
The Best 7 things to do & see while in Bwindi Impenetrable national park Uganda. Bwindi forest national park is one of the best tour destinations in Uganda. This Bwindi forest boosts bucket list activities that should not be missed on a Uganda safari itinerary.
More than half of the remaining population of mountain gorillas reside in Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park making it the top places to visit in Uganda and the world’s iconic travel destination.
Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The park is the most visited national park in Uganda with rare activities not found in most savanna parks of Uganda. Below are the top things to do in Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park.
- Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla trekking is the number one reason to why most visitors come to Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park. Trekking permits can be booked and issued by the organization called Uganda Wildlife Authority through a trusted tour operator in Uganda. Only 8 visitors are allowed to trek one gorilla family for one hour per day. You are advised to book a gorilla permit in advance at least 6 months before the actual trekking day since there is a lot of demand for trekking permits.
Mountain gorillas are endangered species of gorilla found only in Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. These are the only 3 African countries in the world where mountain gorillas live. In Uganda mountain gorillas are found in Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park.
Bwindi alone has more than half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas and another half live in the Virunga mountains shared by Volcanoes national park Rwanda, Mgahinga national park of Uganda and the Virunga national park of Democratic Republic of congo.
Some of these mountain gorillas are habituated and are open for visitors to trek them. In Uganda, There are 22 habituated gorilla families located in the four sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable national park namely, Buhoma, Ruhiija, Nkuringo and Rushaga sector.
Gorilla tracking can be done at any time of the year but the best time is during the dry season. Bwindi impenetrable national park has all forms of accommodation ranging from luxury to budget in all the sectors of the park. Visitors need to carry good cameras, strong hiking shoes, rain coats and appropriate wear fit for gorilla tracking.
- Bird Watching
Bwindi impenetrable national park is one of the top birding destinations in Uganda recording over 350 bird species including 23 endemic birds. Birding in Bwindi is done along the nature walk trails and Mubwindi swamp in Ruhija sector which is the best spot for the endemic birds.
Some of the bird species in Bwindi are Yellow eyed flycatcher, African green broadbill, barbets, Black billed turaco, Cabanis’s Green bill, Red tailed Greenbill, Cinnamon chested bee eater, Rwenzori batis, Archer’s Robin chat, Regal sunbird, Blue headed sunbird, Mountain masked apalis, short tailed warbler, collared apalis, montane Oriole and more.
Bird watching may last 2-3 hours but prepare to spend more time out looking for some birds. The best time for bird watching is during the early morning hours so don’t be offended if asked to wake up so early. The best time to visit Bwindi national park is during the dry season when the park is easily accessed though for bird watchers the preferred time is in the wet season.
- Nature Walks into the Forest
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has a dense rainforest and mountains making it one of the best places to do a nature walk. The park offers many walking trails that lead to different parts of the forest with different attractions but the most rewarding trail is the Manyaga river waterfall in Buhoma sector. The waterfall trail which takes 3 hours walking in total leads you deep into the forest and along this trails visitors get to enjoy nature and watch primates, mammals, vegetation cover, birds, butterflies and finally see the beautiful waterfall.
- Hiking Tour
The different nature hiking is available in Bwindi forest to enhance the hiking experience for visitors whose dream is to enjoy the heights of different mountains and hills. The Famous Bwindi hiking trails include; Ivi river trail, Buhoma-Nkuringo trail, Mubwindi swamp trail, Kashasha river trail, Bamboo trail, Habinyanja trail, Rushura hill trail, Munyaga Waterfall trail and Rusiza river trail.
These nature hiking trails take 2-6 hours walking in total depending on the trail you choose to take. You can choose to hike through Bwindi forest to the southern sector at Nkuringo and meet your driver there.
Choose the trail that will lead you to the point of your interest. Trails will lead you to the waterfalls, hills, rivers, mountains, swamps, local communities and deep in the forest. Along the trails expect to see a lot of bird species, animals like chimpanzees, baboons, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, duikers and many plant species.
Nature walks and hikes require visitors to be physically fit to walk the long distances of which some require you to hike up the hills. Remember to carry some binoculars, a camera, enough drinking water, comfortable clothing and strong hiking shoes. These nature walks reward visitors with great views of the park, the forest scenery and the surrounding areas like lake Bunyonyi and Virunga mountains.
- Batwa Cultural Experience.
Batwa cultural experience is famous among the best things to do & see while in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The Batwa cultural experience allows the displaced Batwa people share their heritage and tradition with the outside world. They display their traditional hunting and living skills, the huts they stayed in, the foods they ate and the traditional medicine they used to treat diseases in case one get sick while staying in the forest.
Bwindi impenetrable forest is surrounded by communities of Bakiga and batwa people. The batwa are an indigenous group of people that once lived with the endangered mountain gorillas in the Bwindi forest before it was made a national park in 1991.
Batwa are also known as the forest keepers. Going on a batwa cultureal experience to the community near Bwindi Impenetrable forest allows you learn about their history, culture and their daily lifestyle. Batwa culture experience is the highlight of all the cultural experiences in Bwindi Impenetrable national park and is done by different local organizations. These include; Batwa Development Program (BDP), Batwa rock settlement walk, Buhoma community walk and Batwa culture among others.
Visitors are required to pay a fee in order to do Batwa cultural experience in Bwindi. This helps these batwa people earn a living since they were displaced without compensation by the government. Visitors are led by a mutwa guide into the forest as he/ she explains their past lifestyle in relation to the present day life.
You will visit batwa homestead to learn about all of these and see how they prepare a local meal and serve it. The cultural visits can be done alongside gorilla trekking, it takes around 4 hours but can be shorted or extended depending on visitor interests.
You can schedule the this tour after a gorilla trek or on the next morning before you proceed to your next destination for visitors heading to Lake Bunyonyi or Queen Elizabeth national park.
- Community Walk Tour.
Community walk tour is one of the things to do & see while in Bwindi national park of Uganda. Bwindi impenetrable national park is surrounded by different communities of which the Bakiga and batwa people live. Taking a community walk tour will immerse you into their unique culture. You will learn about their day today lifestyle in comparison to the traditonal way of living.
Get to know how to grow banana plantation, squeezing yellow banana into juice then to banana beer and banana gin. go for coffee experience where you learn how to grow cofffee, hearvest and roast coffee beans until you make your cup of coffee to test. Learn how traditional medicine men use local herbs to treat different kinds of diseases among the local people. visit tea plantaion and witness how tea is picked.
You can also join local kitchen to prepare and cook different local dishes which you will test before you return to your lodge. Finally visit handcraft shops of your joice to learn about craft making and weaving baskets. By doing a community tour around Bwindi forest, you directly promote eco tourism in the region.
- Cycling & Biking
Bicycle riding is among the things you could do and see in Bwindi. Cycling is the perfect way to explore the park apart from using cars or walking. It takes you to deep in the villages and places which are not accessible by a car. Biking is done in all sectors of the park with the famous one being in Buhoma known as Ride for a Woman.
This ride for women organization is a privately run by a locals that offer bicycle riding services within and around the park. They keep bicycles in good condition and the money collected helps in supporting the community especially the women.
Visitors are led by an experienced cycling guide who will give all the information about Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park. Cycling activity takes 1-3 hours depending on preference by the visitor. The cycling trip will lead you to the communities, craft center, to a local brewery and many other interesting places in the community. Bicycle riding offers you great views of the forest and communities around and also allows you to keep fit as you ride.
There are so many things to do & see when you visit Bwindi Impenetrable national park but the above mentioned ones are the best and famous, liked by many visitors.
