Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
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Famous for its ultimate gorilla experience, this park is home to half of the world’s mountain gorillas – roughly 459 in total. Bwindi Impenetrable national park sits in the Southwestern part of Uganda along the Albertine rift valley and on the border with DRC.
It has a hilly terrain covered with tropical rainforest, which along with this park’s closeness to the equator, causes it to have a wet climate throughout the year as it receives lots of rain, although it tends to rain less in June and July. It’s therefore advisable to come with waterproof clothes and hiking boots to track gorillas in Bwindi.
Apart from gorillas, the park also hosts other primates, such as chimpanzees and baboons, and several mammals, which include forest elephants and duikers. Different bird species and butterflies also reside in this forest.
Bwindi has four sectors for tracking gorillas: Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhiji, and Nkuringo. Buhoma was the most popular destination for gorilla trekking before the activity got introduced in the other sectors, but now, it’s a preference for tourists who desire top-notch luxury accommodation as the area is the most developed of the four destinations.
Rushaga is currently the best sector for gorilla tracking because it has the highest number of gorilla families to track, which are 5. A factor that contributes to the sector having the highest number of gorilla permits issued (40 per day) in the country, and this makes it easier for tourists to get permits since they are many. Rushaga is also the only place in Bwindi where gorilla habituation is allowed.
For those who are both primate lovers and birders, Ruhiji should be your destination. Apart from having gorillas, this sector has the Mubwindi swamp – a birder’s paradise with plenty of bird species. This area was known for only birding before the gorillas were introduced there, so you can kill two birds with one stone-see the gorillas and also go bird watching.
Nkuringo is the most beautiful sector in Bwindi Impenetrable national park as it comprises rolling hills that its name literally means in the local language, and also offers scenic views of the Virunga Mountains in the DRC from atop the Nkuringo hill.
Moreover, tourists attest that the gorillas in this sector are the most interesting to trek. Though you need to bear in mind that they’re also the most strenuous family to trek, therefore, your fitness levels should be above par for you to opt for this sector.
