Things to see and do Forêt Impénétrable De Bwindi

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.

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..