Things to see and do Southwest Route

The focus of any stay in Uganda. Except in Mgahinga National Park where the possibilities remain more uncertain, all gorilla trackings take place in Bwindi Park. It is essential to book your permit several months in advance through an agency or directly with UWA in Kampala. The permit will cost you the coquette sum of 700 US$ (park entrance fee and guide fee included) for a meeting with the great apes strictly limited to one hour. In case of illness (cold, flu, Covid-19...), it is wise, for the health of the gorillas, to abstain and ask for a refund of your permit. Expeditions are done in groups of eight maximum, an inflexible rule, and each person must be at least 15 years old. They are supervised by a guide equipped with a walkie-talkie to keep in touch with the team of trackers in charge of locating primate families and guiding the walkers. Three other men, armed with machetes and rifles, lead the way through the forest and ensure the protection of the group, because although the area is now secure, the Congolese border is close by. In 2020, Bwindi National Park was home to nineteen groups of gorillas accustomed to tourists (eight in Rushaga, four in Buhoma, three in Nkuringo and four in Ruhija). Appointments are scheduled at 7:45 am for a briefing, with departures for the tracking taking place around 8:30 am. The groups in the Nkuringo area are technically the most difficult to apprehend with rough terrain, a steep walk followed by a descent on slippery ground. The approach can take from one to four hours depending on the position of the monkeys. In Buhoma, and a priori on the other three sites, you can ask, before departure, to be assigned to the closest group if you suffer from a physical problem or lack of endurance. In any case, bring good shoes, loose, waterproof and covering clothes and a plastic bag to protect your photo or video equipment. Also bring enough water and a snack (most lodges will provide a picnic basket). You can also hire a porter (minimum US$15) to help you carry your bags. Thus equipped, you are ready to live a great adventure, a magical and timeless moment: watching for sixty minutes our big hairy cousins eat, play and frolic in the high grass of the millennial forest, as in the first days of the world.

Canoeing is a very popular activity. Boat rentals (canoes, kayaks, etc.) - by the hour or by the day, with or without a guide - as well as cruises are offered by most hotels. You will certainly be able to see an otter as you travel across Lake Bunyonyi from one island to another. During the day, you can, for example, have lunch on islands such as Bushara, Itambira and Njuyera. You may come across schoolchildren returning from school by canoe from Bwama Island, the most important island in the lake, where you can dock to see some of the remains of the old leper colony (founded at the turn of the 1920s and 1930s by Dr Leonard Sharp, a British missionary) and buy some souvenirs from the craft shop. You will be told the story of Akampene Island, known as Punishment Island since, until the middle of the 20th century, the Bakiga used to send there in penance young girls who became pregnant before marriage, until they starved to death or drowned trying to escape (unless they were rescued at night by local peasants who wanted to take a wife without paying a dowry). Or the legend of Bucuranuka, the island that had turned over, victim of the bad fate of a woman who had been refused a sip of homemade beer by the revelers living there... For a guided tour of the islands of the lake, aboard a speedboat, count from 22 to 55 US$/boat (1 to 3 hours).

Fed by several rivers, including the Ndego which meanders down from Lake Bunyonyi and separated from Lake Mulehe by a green shoulder, Lake Mutanda is the perfect place to let off steam. If you like walking, don't deviate from your inclination! The establishments bordering the lake offer guided walks, which to discover the lakeside villages and the habits and customs of their residents, which to crawl in the heart of rural hills, which to indulge in ornithological observation (kingfishers, African gymnogens, ibis and weavers are among the occupants of the place ...). Nothing prevents you, however, from walking alone: the track along the eastern shore of the lake is picturesque as is the panoramic and much more physical one, leading to Mulehe Lake from the Mutanda Lake Resort. ATVing is also a popular activity here. The Chameleon Hill offers routes that differ in length and difficulty but are similar in the views they offer (forests, cultivated fields, swamps, terraced houses on the hills...). This lodge also offers the possibility to combine sport and culture in the same day: mountain bike to Kisoro (about 20 km), viewing the preparation of coffee beans (drying, grinding...), boda to the Mutanda Eco Community Centre and return by motor boat (from 63 US$ pp, sliding scale). Finally, in and on the water, swimming and visiting the islands of the lake by canoe or speedboat are a must ...

From the Visitor Centre in Ntebeko, it is possible to take an easy guided walk to the panoramic platform (1 hr return, US$ 10) offering magnificent views of the region. This walk, although within the park boundaries, does not require payment of an entrance fee (US$40). More difficult, the Border Trail and the Sabinyo Gorge Trail will take you respectively to the Congolese border (5h walk) and the lush eponymous gorge (5 to 6h walk) where birds thrive and (sometimes) golden monkeys can be seen.

Various trails criss-cross the park which can be explored during traditional game drives, preferably in the early morning or late afternoon (hiring a UWA guide is US$ 20), or even at nightfall (US$ 30/person). Impalas, buffaloes, zebras and possibly giraffes (in 2020, twenty-four individuals were counted within the park's perimeter) will be present. The night safari (departure at 6.30 or 7pm) will allow you to spot galagos, pottos and, with a bit of luck, a leopard. With the exception of the night drive, the presence of a mahout is not mandatory and you can do your own game drive, which will however deprive you of interesting information about the fauna and flora. It is also possible to ride through Lake Mburo National Park with a guide (30 US$/person) on the saddle of your bicycle. Boat trips (five daily excursions) on Lake Mburo are another activity made very popular (US$ 30/person for about 2 hours) by the presence of crocodiles and hippos. UWA also offers nature walks (US$15/person for 2-3 hours) with an armed guide. The latter will be able to explain the different species of the acacia genus and the correlated project of modification of the park's plant formation (passage from a wooded savannah to a grassy savannah). Ornithology enthusiasts will also be able to ask him for a trip to the Rubanga woods (in this southern part of the park, whose lakes and marshes are fed by the Rwizi river, you are likely to perceive the endemic gonolek papyrus and blue-naped coucal). For fishermen, finally, the lake is home to six species of fish, including tilapia, but you must have your equipment (the permit costs US$15/person for one day). For more information on these activities, ask at the UWA Interpretation Centre or ask the staff of your camp or lodge. For those who are unwilling or unable to pay the park entrance fee, rest assured: the animals do not care about the boundaries of the protected area. You will be able to discover them on horseback (offered by Mihingo Lodge and Leopard Rest Camp), on foot or by bicycle (bicycle rental available from Rwakobo Rock, Mihingo Lodge or Leopard Rest Camp) outside the park.

Hotels in the area compete with each other in inventiveness to brighten your stay outside the confines of Bwindi Forest. All of them organize, directly or indirectly, activities to discover the sublime landscapes and the friendly people of the south-western corner of the country. In addition to the recreations mentioned below, the Nkuringo Walking Safaris (www.nkuringowalkingsafaris.com) and Gorilla Highlands (www.gorillahighlands.com) companies are organizing excursions (with a focus on walking) lasting from a few hours to several days to survey the areas bordering the southern part of the park; they also offer the possibility of crossing the Nkuringo-Buhoma crossing, if necessary.

Hiking. There's nothing like walking on two feet to criss-cross the area. In the south of the park, several hikes, more or less difficult, are included in the program of the lodges. Let us mention, among others, the walk in the residual forest of Nombe, dissociated from the forest massif of Bwindi because of anthropic pressure but whose oars are still cherished by a myriad of birds. The buffer zone (mainly tea bushes) separating the Bwindi protected forest from the cultivated plots, and the hills surrounding Rubuguri, provide opportunities for stretching one's legs. Don't hesitate to contact Karungi Camp which offers - like Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge - a beautiful range of bi-paedic getaways in the south of the park. Cyclists can also rent mountain bikes from Ride 4 a Woman in Buhoma, for example...

Village and community walks. Ideal for cultural immersion enthusiasts, these getaways allow you to visit schools, orphanages and traditional breweries, taste local honey and food, and meet local healers, artisans and farmers. The Nteko Ridge Community Trail in Nkuringo, the outings organized by Karungi Camp on the Rubuguri side, and the walk village developed by the Buhoma Community Development Association may be of interest to you.

Meeting with the Batwa. On the programme of most of the local lodges, this meeting, which is unfortunately not always the most "authentic" and respectful, should allow you to better understand the way of life of the Twa Pygmies, who were evicted from the Bwindi forest when the national park was created in 1991.

Several hiking trails start from Buhoma, Nkuringo, Ruhija and Rushaga to lead you to discover the rich flora and fauna of the rainforest. Experienced ornithologists can, for example, go in search of Grauer's very popular eurylaime (do not hesitate to ask for a guide from the UWA in Ruhija if you wish to discover this colourful bird). Note, moreover, that the UWA has the project to develop the butterfly watching in order to flush out the endemic butterflies of Bwindi. Guided walks start, for the most part, in the morning, but the shortest ones can be started in the early afternoon (at 2 or 2.30 pm). Finally, people who combine gorilla tracking and trekking on the same day do not have to pay twice for entry into the park (US$ 40), but must still pay the US$ 30 for the bird watching or nature walk.

The Buhoma Waterfall Trail is one of the most popular bird watching excursions. In 3 hours return, we enter the heart of an area populated by monkeys, giant ferns and orchids, and following the Munyaga River, we reach a 33 m high waterfall. There is also another Waterfall Trail in the Rushaga area (3-4 hours walk).

Boththe Rushura Hill Trail and the Muzabajiro Loop (Buhoma) allow you to climb a few hills in about 3 hours to embrace the view of the forest and the Virunga. The Habinyanja Trail, a little longer, gives the opportunity to see black bee-eater, black duck and Pel's fishing owl.

TheRiver Ivi Trail will take 7 hours for good walkers to take them from Buhoma to the southwest of the forest (or vice versa), in the vicinity of Rubuguri. You may well come across some wild boars on your way... The Nkuringo-Buhoma crossing (or vice versa) takes the same trail (3-4 hrs walk). The two villages can also be reached via the Kashasha River Trail (6-7 hrs), a scenic but slightly more physically demanding variant.

The Mubwindi Swamp Trail (Ruhija) is a bit of a birdwatcher's Mecca. Your walk (4-5 hrs return) to the depression where the eponymous swamp lies could bring you face to face with a gorilla

The Bamboo Trail in the extreme south-east of the park (access from the Ruhija-Kabale trail) will take you to the highest point of Bwindi Forest, Rwamunyonyi (2,607m), for breathtaking views of the area. Count on 6 difficult hours of trekking during which you will cross bamboo groves..

The Batwa Trail allows you to discover the local traditional culture, that of the Pygmies. Pygmies lived in the forest until 1991. This cultural hike (and one of solidarity since part of the funds goes to the community) is led by Twa guides who describe along the way the different characteristics of their former life in the forest: hunting techniques, configuration of huts, medicinal plants, collection of honey (of excellent quality) in wild beehives, beliefs... The walk ends with a visit to a lava tunnel (Garama Cave) in which the Batwa took refuge during conflicts with neighbouring populations. 200 m long, it is part of a network of galleries that are said to cross the mountain to Rwanda. The Garama cave, in addition to the protection it provided, also served as a court of justice, royal residence and place of palaver. Bring good walking shoes and a good torch (with batteries) for the cave. At the end of the route, twa dances and songs are usually organized. The hike takes about three to four hours. Relatively easy and very pleasant, the Batwa Trail is one of the most informative and respectful tourism initiatives in the region for anyone wishing to learn about the culture of the Batwa, who were robbed of their land (without compensation) and continue to be despised, discriminated against and exploited by both the administration and Bantu farmers.

Experienced hikers can tackle one of the three peaks in the park in a day's trekking. Good physical condition and proper equipment including waterproof footwear, K-way and warm clothing are required. The ascent of the Gahinga should take no more than 6 to 7 hours from Ntebeko. It will allow the discovery of different birds in the bamboo groves and small antelopes on the summit in the marshy crater. A little more difficult, the access to Sabinyo (3 669 m) will take between 6 and 8 hours for 14 km. The summit is divided into three peaks. On the last one, you will find yourself simultaneously in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. Finally, the biggest challenge is the ascent of Muhavura (4,127 m), whose starting point (Muhavura Trailhead) is 4 km east of Ntebeko. It is very advisable to camp there the day before the trek to start as early as possible. Allow a minimum of 9 hours return journey to cover the 12 km which will take you rather abruptly from an altitude of 1,700 m to 4,100 m (lack of oxygen can be felt). Along the way, you may be lucky enough to come across a superb small Johnston's Sunbird, a passerine endemic to the Afro-Alpine flora, while at the end of the trail a small crater awaits you (swimming is possible, but the water is frigid!) surrounded by giant lobelias and above all an extraordinary panorama of the Virunga, the Albertine Rift, Lake Edward, and even, on a very clear day, the Rwenzori massif.

In the absence of gorillas, you will be able to test your primatologist talents by scouring the bamboo forests in search of the golden monkey(Cercopithecus kandti), a rare species, endemic to the Virunga and classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature following its decimation during the Rwandan genocide and the political instability, still in progress, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (poaching for its meat and skin, destruction of its habitat...). This pretty monkey is characterized by its body, cheeks and tail of a golden orange that contrasts with the black of its skull, limbs and the tip of its tail. The population of golden monkeys in the Mgahinga National Park is estimated at three to four thousand individuals. Because their territorial habits are more marked than those of gorillas, the probability of encountering them is very high. Living in groups of thirty individuals on average (at low and medium altitudes, colonies of sixty to one hundred monkeys have already been seen; a contrario,less than ten individuals generally make up the communities frequenting the higher slopes), communicating by vocalizations and feeding mainly on bamboo (shoots, leaves....), or even an insect larva from time to time, the golden monkey can be observed during a tracking organized by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (count four to five hours of walking), in the morning or early afternoon, from Ntebeko.

Approximately forty-five gorillas live in the Mgahinga region. But in this "golden triangle" formed by Uganda, Rwanda and Congo, the animals know no borders and no one can predict their exact location. Today, however, two families (Nyakagezi I and Nyakagezi II) live almost permanently in the park, where cross-border groups are regularly observed. As the movements of these hominid placids remain unpredictable, the Uganda Wildlife Authority does not normally issue permits for the Mgahinga National Park in advance. For travellers who have been unable to obtain permits for Bwindi, this is the ultimate opportunity. Simply travel to Kisoro and check with the local UWA branch; allow a few days of patience and keep your fingers crossed. Park rangers monitor the monkeys' movements on a daily basis. If the gorillas are there, you can buy your permit at the last minute and prepare for a 3 to 4 hour round trip (less demanding than in Bwindi) to discover our giant cousins in the bamboo forests. The departure is at 8:30 am from Ntebeko, the number of excursionists is limited (eight people maximum) and the duration of the encounter with the great apes is strictly limited to one hour. At the end of 2020, the two groups accustomed to tourists included twenty individuals (9 for Nyakagezi I and 11 for Nyakagezi II), five fewer than a year earlier (one birth and six deaths).

There are several walking trails through the forest. The Base Line Trail follows the main road for 3 km to the Nakyetema swamp. The Hornbill Loop covers a distance of 5 km, fording several streams, while the Butterfly Loop is a short (1 km) walk. The Family Trail, which takes an average of 45 minutes to walk, is marked with explanatory signs. Finally, the Colobus and the Red Tail Trails are dedicated to the observation of colobes and ascagnums.

In addition to the weavers, the lake is home to a wide variety of arboreal, aquatic and shorebird species, such as the emblematic crowned crane. In addition to the islands and wooded shores, birdwatchers can explore the swampy area at the northern end of the lake (Ruhuma Swamp), which follows the course of the Ndego River. Little four-eyes, orange-shouldered euplecte, Koli's serin, aquatic chloropet and papyrus gonolek (which will be appreciated by birdwatchers) are likely to be observed here. To meet the winged gentleman of the Ruhuma swamp, it is possible to stay in the Heritage Camp of Muko, wedged between the lake (where egrets, grebes and purple herons are splashing) and the Kabale-Kisoro national road. It is also possible and easy to make a day trip from Rutinda, Kabale or Kisoro (leaving early). For the moment, but you will have to make sure of it during your trip, the Bushara Island Camp organizes this guided birding in Muko every Saturday; count 50 US$ for the return boat transportation and the visit (duration: 6 hours). The Nyombe Swamp, which is geographically diametrically opposed to the Ruhuma Swamp, is the other major birding site on Lake Bunyonyi. Most of the hotels in the area organise three- to six-hour trips (US$ 40-70 per boat, including guide) to discover the birdlife of this southern marsh: mountain bee-eater, kingfisher, golden-breasted jacana, marsh flycatcher, etc.

The small guided walk to the waterfall will allow you to discover the monument "Darkness to Light", the suspension bridge and the cows grazing in the meadow (their milk is used to feed the infants of the hospital of Kisiizi). Other activities are offered by the centre: zip line, kayaking on the (tiny) pool, mountain bike rental, visit of the hydroelectric power production unit which provides the electricity necessary for the hospital to function properly.