There are a variety of safari experiences in Bwindi National Park that can be done by both wildlife and adventurous tourists. Bwindi national park is known for its stunning natural beauty, diverse wildlife, and unique cultural heritage. There is a lot to do during visits to the park and they include the following;
Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park is a popular activity that tourists carry out at the destination.
Bwindi national park is home to half of the population of mountain gorillas in Uganda. Visitors can engage in gorilla trekking and observe the gorillas as they explore the impenetrable Bwindi forest and enjoy an unforgettable experience.
The experience of gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park starts with a briefing at the park headquarters. After a briefing, the visitors to do the activity proceed in groups of 8 and are accompanied by ranger guides to search for the gorillas.
The search for the gorillas in Bwindi national park takes place in Buhoma sector, Ruhija sector, Nkuringo sector and Rushaga sector.
Before engaging in gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park, visitors are required to get gorilla permits which are documents which allow them to take part in gorilla trekking. The gorilla permits for Bwindi cost 700 USD and this fee is charged to foreign nonresidents.
Foreign residents are charged 600 USD for gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park while east Africans are charged 250,000 Ugandan shillings for gorilla permits. However, children below the age of 15 years are not allowed to engage in gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park can be done anytime of the year and the best time to engage in this activity is the dry season around June, July, August and September when the weather is favorable to trek around the forest.
Gorilla habituation
Gorilla habituation is another activity which takes place in Bwindi national park and is also popular during tours around Bwindi.
This activity is carried out in Rushaga sector of Bwindi national park and is a unique experience which allows visitors to spend more time with gorillas in Bwindi forest as compared to the time spent with gorillas during the gorilla trekking experience in the forest.
A gorilla habituation permit costs 1500 USD for foreign nonresidents, 1000 USD for foreign residents and 750,000 for East Africans during tours in Bwindi national park. This permit allows visitors to spend an amount of about 4 hours observing the gorillas in their natural habitat.
Guided nature walks
In addition to engaging in gorilla habituation or gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park, visitors can also engage in guided nature walks to explore the diverse ecosystem of Bwindi which consists of rainforests, grasslands, and wetlands and so much more.
Other wildlife species can also be spotted during the guided nature walks in Bwindi national park which involve following different trails around the forest. During nature walks, visitors can encounter other wildlife species of Bwindi.
The guided nature walks cost about 40 USD for visitors in Bwindi national park. The activity can take about 2 hours and takes place in the company of a ranger guide.
Hiking
Bwindi national park has several hiking trails which visitors can follow as part of the exciting adventure in the forest.
The hiking trails in Bwindi national park can be easy while other trails are challenging for the visitors. However there is a variety to choose from to suit the level of experience of the hiker when visiting Bwindi and taking part in hiking through the impenetrable forest and immersing in the natural beauty of Bwindi.
Bird watching
Another activity to do in Bwindi national park is bird watching. The national park has over 200 bird species including endemic Albertine bird species.
Visitors can spot a variety of bird species during bird watching in Bwindi national park and these birds include the African fish eagle, Great blue turaco, the Rwenzori turaco and many others.
Community tours
Community tours in Bwindi national park involve getting to experience and learn the local culture, customs and traditions of the locals around Bwindi.
This activity involves getting to know more about the way of life of the locals while visiting their villages. Visitors also participate in different activities during the community tours including traditional dances, food preparation, visiting the local farms, learning about medicine,
Getting hands on experience during the encounter with the locals such as the Batwa and the Bakiga who live around Bwindi is truly an unforgettable experience.
The Batwa are known for being the indigenous people of the Bwindi forest and they depended a lot on the forest for survival. Batwa live a hunter-gatherer way of life and are also known for their unique structure and are also known as the Batwa pygmies.
A visit to the Batwa community can be done with guidance of a Batwa guide who offers an exclusive experience of their way of life and also tells stories about their culture. Visiting the Batwa costs about 30 to 40 USD and can also involve forest walks with a Batwa guide.
Another community experience which takes place in Bwindi national park is the interaction with the Bakiga people.
The Bakiga are a Bantu speaking tribe that also lives around the park and some of the unique experiences with the Bakiga include Kiga dance performances as welcome to the visitors by the locals
A visit to the Bakiga community also involves learning how to prepare the local food such as millet. This experience is led by the women who show the visitors how to grind millet the local way, how to prepare bushera and also how to prepare the local gin or waragi is also part of the experience.
The Bakiga also have a variety of local arts and crafts made using local materials that they sell as souvenirs to visitors which helps them earn a living.
Visit Bwindi national park and take part in the unique activities around the home of mountain gorillas of Uganda.
