Bwindi Forest National Park – Uganda

It’s a National Park found in the southwestern part of Uganda. And it takes over 8-10 hours drive an estimated 530kms from Kampala through Mbarara, Kabale, and Kanungu to Buhoma where the Park is located. The Park was established in 1991and covers over 331sqkm. Its one of the National Parks in Uganda that features the mountain gorilla. An estimated 320 individuals of the surviving mountain gorilla in the world live. The Park contains about 20 forest elephants 10 species of primates including (chimpanzees, colobus red tailed and blue monkey, black and white colobus, and baboons) bush bucks and the rare giant forest hog, 310 species of butterfly. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is also best known as a birder’s haven There are about 346 species of birds, 23 Albertine rift endemic that can be seen such as African green broadbill, Graver’s Rush, warbler, Short tailed warbler, Rwenzori Turaco, Purple breasted Sun bird, regal sun bird among others.

Major interests at the Park.
Buhoma is located to the northwest of the park and faces the dark hilly forests of Bwindi. Many activities can be arranged from here such as gorilla group tracking, community-run village walks for exploring the culture and lifestyle of the local Bakiga and Batwa tribes. Nature walk, Mountain biking and parts of the. All starts from here.

Wildlife and Birding
Gorillas.
Bwindi has a population of around 320 gorillas of which an estimated 116 are familiar. Gorillas are intelligent, giant peaceful, royal and they have 98.4% of their hereditary material with humans. All of Bwindi’s habituated gorillas are known individually by the rangers and have been given names in order to identify them. There also 120 mammals living in the forest. These include eleven types of primate including L’Hoest’s monkeys black-and-white colobus, baboons and chimps. There are also forest elephants and several species of antelopes plus over 200 butterfly species.

Birding.
The park is also home of over 320species of birds that are recoded in the area so visitors who are in interested in watching birds can do go ahead and watch them.

Activities done include;

Mountain gorilla tracking. Done at Nkuringo viewing all the three species of primates such as gorillas, monkey colobus and baboons. This is the most exciting activity done by tourists at the park.
This is an exhausting experience and one should be fit to enjoy it and strong walking shoes are recommended. Anyone with signs of communicable diseases like flue, cough or other air-borne diseases will not be allowed to track.
Guides will accompany groups but no porters are available to carry personal belongings.
While possession of a gorilla permit is a guarantee of tracking, it cannot be a guarantee of sighting. But the chance of sighting is high – 95% or more. Maximum time allowed with the gorillas is one hour at a minimum distance of 7 meters. Minimum age is fifteen years.
Flash photography is not permitted so fast film is recommended (minimum 400-1600 ASA).
In Gorilla country, it rains often unexpectedly so we suggest that you bring along, a lightweight rain jacket or poncho, a warm jacket, a long-sleeved shirt and trousers, leather gardening-type gloves, sunscreen, cap or sun hat, insect repellent, sunglasses comfortable day pack for carrying water and minimum amount of personal items.  Cameras and video cameras are allowed, but bring film and batteries from Kampala.
Birding. The Park has over 320-345 species recorded, including 23 endemics such as blue headed sun bird the short tailed warbler, red headed blue bill. Easy to see are the African emerald cock, common bulbul, African blue flycatcher. So indeed bird lovers are given a great opportunity to view all these species of birds in case they take a trip to Bwind Impenetrable Forest Notational Park.

There is also Bukoma community walk and cultural performance. The village walk is organized by the local community takes between 2-3 hours they visit their typical home stead, traditional healers, local dance group are also organized to entertain the visitors.
Nature walks. These are also organized in order to view various species of bird and different types of primates together with guides.