Just make yourself happen to be in the claimed most beautiful places in the world by CNN travel. The Unique montane tropical rainforest is a UNESCO world heritage site sheltering numbers of wildlife and the prime citizens are the world most endangered primate specie the giant mountain gorillas.
Bwindi is stared for as the best world gorilla trekking destination that every traveler should visit, it’s the gorilla hub harboring over half of the world’s population. It’s believed there’re only about 1000 remaining population in the world, and spectacular serene of Bwindi is positioned with highest number.
Still the park maintains the position as the only park to encounter mountain gorillas and chimpanzees co-existing. Is the highly visited gorilla park with the highest number of habituated gorilla families and the only park where tourist engage in the habituation process to stay more hours with the human closest cousins.
Bwindi impenetrable forest is situated in southwestern Uganda bordering DR Congo covering district of Kisoro in the Kegezi Mountains raised at an altitude of 1190 to 2067m, it survives within the great western Albertine rift valley. The forest before was inhabited by the Batwa people the forest pygmies who are believed to have co-existed with the gorillas for about 400,000 years ago. This makes the park to have its ancient species which are not found elsewhere in the world.
The forest is seen as one of the most biodiversity harboring number of wondrous flora and fauna, making with over 120 mammals, 0ver 350 bird species, 220 butterfly species, 27 frogs and about ten 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. Its estimated here there’re about 400 chimpanzees but are rarely found and are not habituated for tracking.
Other mammals found in dense jungle of Bwindi include 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 tinkerbird, mountain masked and chestnut apalises among many.
Bwindi impenetrable national park was the first place to do gorilla tours in Uganda and currently has 17 habituated gorilla families availing 136 permits daily. Bwindi impenetrable forest has four sectors where you can trek gorillas from of which include Buhoma sector the park headquarters and where gorilla trekking started, eastern is the Ruhija sector about 45 minute drive from Buhoma, Rushaga sector in the south of the park and Nkuringo the most adventurous sector giving a view of the Virunga forests.
Gorilla trekking activity premier all among the things you can partake within the park, however there several other partaking when visited this park on your safari adventure. The forest have adventure which can spend you some days discovering one of the world’s ancient forests.
Gorilla trekking
Without doubt gorilla tracking is a reason why 97% of visitors coming here. The activities number in Uganda well as positioned the best east African tourist adventure destination and highlights all other African safari adventures.
Bwindi Impenetrable Park provide best ground for all gorilla trackers around the world for this lifetime adventure experience. Obtaining a permit to track here drops to one of the four tracking trail heads of the park to hangout with any of the habituated family.
Bwindi avails about 136 permits for trackers daily, securing a track permit at USD $600 qualifies you for an hour encounter with the gorillas. Odds to encounter gorillas are higher almost guaranteed and it’s on top score that nearly all gorilla trackers at Bwindi impenetrable forest have had the chance to encounter gorillas. However the mountains, impenetrable jungle, rain showers and muddy grounds can present a challenge especially when gorillas are somehow far.
Following 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
Having more hours with the gorillas, it’s only in Uganda at Bwindi impenetrable national park that trackers can stay for over four hours in the presence of habituated gorilla family. For gorilla habituation a limited number of 4 trackers join a group of primatologist and researcher to a have a full day tracking the gorillas.
Currently gorilla habituation is only done at Rushaga sector with only two habituated gorilla families, this means 8 permits are available daily and a permit costs USD $1500 and then have a four hour encounter with the gorillas within their jungles. The gorilla are in the habituation process started getting familiar to human presence they will not shy away.
Nature walks
The virgin forest has enough serene to keep your mind relaxed, walking through paths to far ends is rewarding enough to accompanied your gorilla track. The Uganda wildlife authority organizes these walking trails which can last for 3 to 4 hours discovering the best offers of the forest.
Following different walking trails nature rewarding is the best you can spot, nature walking tracks avails no concentration on particular sight rather several wildlife are observed. Among the trails is the waterfall trail on the Buhoma sector extending into the valleys to watch impressive magnificent water falls on river Munyara pouring at 33m down. Watching different sightings including several chimpanzees and other many primate species, duikers, expect forest elephants though sometimes hide into the dense.
Cultural encounters.
Visiting the forest people commonly known to be the forest pygmies, the Batwa cultural encounter is another encounter that no one can’t miss. These people co-existed with the gorillas in the same forest over years until when the government displaced them from the forests to preserve and conserve the mountain gorilla which were nearly extinct.
These unique people is amazing visiting their communities and comprehend their way of life. 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.
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.
Hiking
Sometimes can be added to nature walks but hiking through different 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.
Hiking trails goes around the park through sectors of Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo and most catching are birding hikes however scenery hikes of the Bwindi Mountains. The hikes can continue within the park and outside the park extending to Lake Mutanda and towards Kisoro town.
Bird watching
Birding at Bwindi impenetrable forest 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.
