This park has been in existence even in the prehistoric era as it has a history of over 25,000 years but its current history begins in 1932. In this year two forest blocks were rendered as crown forest reserves where the southern one was Kayonza and in the north there was Kasatora Crown Forest Reserve.
These reserves were later rejoined in 1942 to form the Impenetrable Central Crown Forest. In the same year, the area was changed to a forest reserve before it was gazetted as a national park in 1992. Because the park hosted over half of the population of mountain gorillas in the world, Uganda wildlife Authority expanded the park by buying land from the Batwa in 1993. Bwindi impenetrable national park stands out as one of the most visited national parks in Africa.
Uniqueness of the park.
It is the only park that offers gorilla habituation experience. There are a total of four national parks that offer mountain gorilla trekking but being amidst these animals more than just an hour is only offered in Bwindi national park.
It is the park with the highest number of gorillas, with over 600 mountain gorillas that make up almost half of the population of the apes that are in the world. So, it consequently has the highest number of gorilla families that are about 50 although 21 are habituated and available for trekking daily.
It is the country’s oldest national park. Its history stretches to over 25,000 years ago and involves over 400 species making the park the most biologically diverse rain forest in Uganda.
Attractions in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Batwa culture
Culture in Africa is diverse and interesting and when it gets to that of Batwa, it is awe-inspiring. These were the original survivors of Bwindi and Mgahinga forests hence they are well vast with the back and front of the impenetrable forests. Tourists get to find out the untold stories of Batwa people through stories and engaging in cultural practices like hunting, community walks among others.
Mountain gorillas
Broadly speaking, the main tourist attraction in the park are these gigantic apes that are not common to other national parks. Bwindi is a haven of over 600 mountain gorillas and 21 gorilla families are available for tourism. Watching King Kong plainly face to face is extra-ordinary and amazing as some lucky tourists might spot them do the chest beating gesture that they are most loved and known for.
Watching these creatures is intriguing because they also have emotions like humans hence, they can be spotted laugh, cry and support each other in the family.
Water falls.
The hilly nature of the park offers great landscape for the glittering waters to freely fall with ease until they find their way down stream. There are various waterfalls across the park that are best navigated through nature walks and hikes with experienced guides.
Tourists get to spot falls like Ntegyero that finds its way to Lake Edward, Munyaga river falls, Kashasha river falls and others that tourists get to notice while moving through the park.
Wildlife
In the lush green forests of Bwindi, there rests a great number of forest animals that are estimated to be over 100. The size of the elephant is unforgettable and their gentle nature is surprising and these can be sighted in the park, bush pigs, unique African golden cats, bush bucks, duikers among others.
Primates
Finding a look alike is an extra-ordinary amazing feeling but watching primates is beyond what happiness can trigger since these creatures are our neighbors and family relatives. While in the park, tourists get to sight a variety of moneys like colobus monkeys, L’hoest monkeys, black and white monkeys and other monkeys that tourists can spot while in the park. These definitely raise the spirits of the tourists as they are seen playing and jumping from one tree branch to another without missing.
Birds
A one stop place for a variety of birds is definitely Bwindi because the nature of its environment favors their existence into the park. With over 300 different bird species, the park has over 24 species that are endemic to the Albertine rift. Tourists who get to the park should be ready to be amazed by the chirps of black-billed turacos, Ruwenzori turacos, African broadbill, fowls among others.
Tourist activities
Hiking and forest walks
There are various hiking trails that tourists can embark on like the Munyaga River trail, Buhoma-Nkuringo and others where tourists get to travel through forest and enjoy the cool air that is offered by the trees, watch the small and beautiful creatures in the ambient forests like butterflies, insects, hear birds chirp, sing and watch them fly in the sky. There are various waterfalls and tourists can enjoy the sound of the water pouring down, relax from the environment offered by the surrounding among others.
Mountain biking
The landscape in Bwindi offers an undulating environment on which tourists are challenged and tasked to ride on. The best biking trails are located in Buhoma and tourists just need to book a bike and a guide to navigate the whole surrounding of the village enabling them spot homesteads, magnificent surrounding like waterfalls, hills, forests found near the park.
Visiting Lake Mutanda.
The ambiance found on the shores on this lake are to-die for, making visitors wish they could stay there forever. The intriguing sound made by water waves and their views cannot be gotten anywhere else and visitors also get to see water bird species and other water animals.
Canoeing is something that tourists shouldn’t miss to explore all the islands found on the lake and if dawn gets tourists in the vicinity, watching the sun set offers exhilarating moments that cannot easily be forgotten.
Batwa cultural experiences.
This gives tourists an opportunity to blend with the individuals surrounding the area by reliving the lives of the Batwa. This is done through taking part in the Batwa cultural experiences like hunting, cooking, mixing herbal medicine through plants and trees among others.
Bird species
The park flourishes with over 350 bird species that fly among the thick forest found in the park and about 23 are endemic to the Albertine Rift with 14 of those found in Bwindi. Visitors here shouldn’t miss watching the African green broadbill in Ruhija and other species like the Ruwenzori Turaco sighted in the Albertine Rift only among others.
Gorilla habituation experience.
This experience gives visitors an exhaustive understanding of the famed mountain gorillas as they spend four hours in their midst. It is only in Uganda where this exquisite activity is offered and it is only done in Rushaga sector, south of Bwindi impenetrable national park.
Visitors get an opportunity of working along with the researchers in grooming the apes into understanding humans for these apes to get used to human presence.
Gorilla trekking adventure.
Gorilla trekking is the most undertaken and famed tourist activity in all three countries where mountain gorillas are found. Tourists don’t mind going through the thick vegetations and raged landscape just to spend one hour appreciating these creatures that have humans’ habits.
HOW TO GET TO THE PARK?
By air
Getting to the park with ease involves travelling to the park by air. From Entebbe, tourists get to book another flight that drops them to Bwindi, depending on the sector they are supposed to visit. For those visiting Ruhija or Buhoma, the easiest airstrip is Kihiihi and Kisoro airstrip saves the burden for those visiting Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors.
By air, the flight takes just 1.5 hours hence it doesn’t stress tourists with lengthy road drives.
By Road
Alternatively, the most common means of transport highly used to access the park is by road. There are a huge number of routes that tourists can take depending on what and how much the tourists intend to see because hitting the road is tiring and strenuous but tourists get to go through beautiful scenery. Traveling from Entebbe to Bwindi takes roughly 8-9 hours especially if few or no major stops are encountered.
When to visit the park?
Uganda generally has a fantastic climate, but the beauty of dry season is dazzling and fascinating when it comes to undertaking safaris. The sun provides beyond vitamin D during the dry seasons of June to September and December to February because the dry and passable roads are available in this season, sunlight gives rainbow impressions to the waters falling heavily in waterfalls and the photos taken while the sun is out are bright, colorful and cheerful compared to the gloom created by the foggy environment of wet season.
The world at large hears about mountain gorillas in stories or watch them on TV shows but East Africa has always been blessed to know and host these chest-thumbing creatures. Over the years, their exposure to the world has been progressing thanks to the endless efforts of researchers like Dian Fossey. Tourists have the opportunity to travel to Uganda, Rwanda or D.R. Congo to appreciate natural environment that breed the existence of these rare species.
