Activities in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Are those many pursuits available to visitors to liven up their safari. Ranked among the most visited national parks worldwide is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Most visitors to the park engage in gorilla trekking; those threatened animals are a real wonder once seen. But there is more to Bwindi Impenetrable National place than just gorilla walking; the place offers a lot! Not ignoring the leisurely housing facilities tucked away in the wild, its mist-covered forests, the people and their cultures, the other monkeys that co-exist in this thick jungle, the rear birds and so much more beg for one to visit this park. That it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site makes perfect sense.
One can engage in many activities in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. While some of them might need particular degrees of physical fitness, others might not.
The following list of activities is what one can do in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park:
Trekking in Gorilla Style
Walking or hiking in a group of at least eight with a ranger in the deep forest in search of the mountain gorillas is the basis of Gorilla Trekking activity. Many visitors to the park and exploring the deep forest in search of the threatened species highly value the mountain gorillas; when at last they come into direct touch with them. Visitors get one hour maximum to view and engage with them from a safe distance of seven meters. Tracking gorillas calls for a minimum age of fifteen.
Four areas of Bwindi Impenetrable forest let visitors track gorillas from i.e. Buhoma, Rushaga, Nkuringo, and Ruhijja. 4-5hrs driving from Kigali compared to 8-9 hours from Entebbe; given the nearness of the park from Rwanda, gorilla tracking expeditions with starting points in Rwanda or completely there can be conducted. The dry season makes June-October and December-March the ideal times to see the gorillas in their native habitat. Although this is also the busiest/peak season and gorilla tracking licenses tend to sell out faster. Uganda’s wildlife Authority has these permits available for $700 just; one may decide to have their preferred tour operator buy them on their behalf.
Gorilla habituation
An event known as “gorilla habituation” involves participants spending more time—four hours—with the gorillas than is typically one-hour maximum. This gorilla habituation serves to familiarize the gorillas with the people. At the Rushaga and Nkuringo areas, gorilla habituation is under progress. Gorilla habituation may thus only be carried out in the southern portion of Bwindi Forest.
Gorilla habituation comes with more expenses than tracking. Gorilla habituation lets go for $1,500 for Foreigners, $1,000 for Foreign Residents and East Africans pay UGX 750,000. Given the experience, though, the expense is well worth it; picture spending four long hours interacting with those almost human monkeys!
Viewing Birds
Among the most popular pursuits is bird watching. Over 320 species of birds call Bwindi Impenetrable National Park home; 23 endemics including the Blue-headed Sunbird and the Short-tailed warbler have been documented. Along the main trail, the Buhoma waterfall trail across the bamboo zone, and the Mubwindi wetland in Ruhijja birding occurs. See your chosen tour operator to get all the details for an all-around birding safari set for you.
Nature Trails and Hikes
For anyone wishing to explore this unbroken forest, there are around six nature walk paths. For those unable to make it for the gorilla trekking or those not of age but would like to explore the forest, this can be another pastime.
Muyanga waterfall trail:
Starting in Buhoma along the River Ivi-Nkuringo
Muzubijiro Loop:
Walk six kilometers around a hill and come upon different birds as well as primates. Take in the vistas of the Virunga while at it.
Walk over a forest shared by two nations on Rushura Hill route. On a clear day, take in vistas of Lakes George and Edward as well as the Rwenzori mountain tops.
Comprising roughly seven hours, the Ivi Riverwalk covers 14km. Though most of all wild pigs at a location often known as “Mukempunu,” translated as “a place of pigs,” you may encounter many different species.
The Habinyanja (Raleigh) trail runs four to six hours. This trail descends a steep hill with a view of the Buhoma River; you will pass the “African corner,” so named because a rock fashioned like the map of Africa. Among others, birders should be on the watch for the Pel’s Fishing Owl, African Black Duck, Black Bee eaters.
Comprising three to four hours, the Buhoma-Nkuringo path travels completely over the two villages offering striking vistas and allowing one visit more than one section.
Cultural Meet-ups
Discover the rich and varied culture of the Bakiga and Batwa native people by means of tours, traditional dances, village excursions and craft shop visits. While seeing the Batwa pygmies would make you appreciate their dances and stories as they discuss on how they spend their daily lives, a visit to a local blacksmith will transport you back to the stone age period. Bwindi has a lot to offer in terms of culture; you can decide to have an African cooking workshop, weave, or learn how to create juice and gin from bananas after all which you can have a share. One another choice is visiting a nearby elementary school.
Mountain Biking and Cycling
From Buhoma to the Ivi River, this follows a well-kept path that allows you to see among other creatures in the park white-and- black colobus monkeys, bushbucks, among others.
Though there is much to offer the Bwindi Impenetrable national park, gorilla trekking is the height of it. Plan to see this natural beauty; you will live to remember it. Contact your most reliable tour operator to assist you in creating a schedule specifically for you. Whatever your preference—an all-through Bwindi tour or one or more national parks in the area—you will be sure to enjoy your stay when you do come.
