Set within the south-western Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the country’s chief gorilla trekking destination and undoubtedly the most explored of all gorilla-inhabiting parks. Because of its rich biodiversity and unique terrain, this national park attracts nature lovers, birders, lepidopterists, researchers, adventure/leisure seekers and gorilla trekkers. Every traveller’s needs for a jungle are catered for in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of Africa’s most popular destinations and is synonymous with the endangered mountain gorillas with any Safari to Uganda being literally incomplete without a gorilla trek in this park. With almost half the world’s population of mountain gorillas found here, it has often been ranked the best gorilla trekking destination in the whole world. Of all 40 gorilla families in Bwindi, about 20 are well habituated for trekking on a daily basis and are distributed across the four trekking regions/sectors.
With 20 habituated gorilla families, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has the highest number of habituated mountain gorillas (more than Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo combined). The four sectors-Ruhija to the East, Nkuringo and Rushaga to the south as well as Buhoma to the North offer unforgettable gorilla trekking experiences all year round.
Location of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Nestled within the south-western side of Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is about 540 kilometers/8-9 hours’ drive from the Capital (Kampala) and borders the tiny Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This Park is set along the brim of the Albertine Rift that extends from the North until the southern part of Africa.
This extraordinary location means Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is marked by misty rolling hills, covered by verdant impenetrable forest with huge trees of different species. These are popular for offering haven to at least two endangered Great Apes species that include mountain gorillas and Eastern Chimpanzees. As earlier mentioned, the Park is about 540 kilometers away from Kampala (Uganda’s Capital) and only about 220 kilometers from Rwanda’s Capital, Kigali.
REACHING BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK BY AIR.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is served by three main Airstrips, which are few kilometers from the gorilla trekking sectors and these include;
Kisoro / Nyakabande Airstrip.
Nyakabande / Kisoro Airstrip is found in the outskirts of Kisoro Town and about 2 hours’ drive from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This Airstrip serves Bwindi’s southern sectors of Nkuringo and Rushaga. This Airstrip is also only one hour’s drive away from Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, making it the chief connecting hub for this wonderful National Park.
Kayonza Airstrip.
Kayonza is the closest Airstrip to Buhoma sector, in the north of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, making it the main gateway to gorilla trekking in Buhoma sector. However, Kayonza Airstrip is only used for private chartered flights.
Kihihi Airstrip.
Kihihi Airstrip is found within Kanungu district and is just a stone throw away from the popular Buhoma Park Headquarters. For visitors planning to visit either Buhoma or Ruhija sector, you can use Kihihi Airstrip because it is only one hour from Buhoma and two hours from Ruhija gorilla trekking region.
Daily scheduled flights are organized from Entebbe International Airport, Kajjansi Airstrip (Kampala), Mweya Airstrip (Queen Elizabeth National Park) and Pakuba Airstrip (Murchison falls National Park), making it the most perfect to connect to other safari destinations of Uganda. A flight from Mweya takes only half an hour, Kampala or Entebbe and Pakuba to Kihihi takes 45 minutes.
Accessing Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by Road.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can also be accessed by road transport, from Kampala/Entebbe or Rwanda’s Kigali City. Kigali is the nearest, tasting 3-4 hours from Bwindi while it takes 8-9 hours’ drive from Kampala City.
This might seem like a whole lot of time but be assured of jaw-dropping views of verdant vegetation as well as rolling hills.
