Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

It is one of the biggest Mountain Gorilla national parks it is found in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley, a distance of about 480km from Kampala city Centre.

Sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Bwindi has sectors positioned for gorilla tracking activities.

Nkuringo sector

The Nkuringo sector which lies closely to the Buhoma sector is about 10km from Buhoma. Although this distance is covered by walking through the Impenetrable Forest which takes 3 hours. Connecting by car from the two points takes about 5 to 6 hours. Villages at Nkuringo also operate a community walk. That visits a traditional healer, rural homestead, blacksmith and brewers. Nkuringo, Bushaho, and Christmas are the families in this sector. The Gorilla Habituation Experience is always done to the newly identified family.

Ruhija sector

The Ruhija sector which is famous for its abundant birdlife on top of the gorillas is considered the most remote sector of all the four. There is a three hour hike to visit the Mubwindi swamp and this rewards bird lovers with countless bird species. Gorilla families in this sector include; Ruhija, Bitukura, Oruzogo and Kyaguriro.

Rushaga sector

The Rushaga sector boasts with the highest number of gorilla family to include; Mishaya, Nshongi, Kahungye, Busingye, Bitukura and Bweza. It lies between Kabale and Nkuringo coming from either Ruhija or Kampala. Buhoma is the main centre which has the first ever habituated Gorilla families that include Mubare, Rushegura and Habinyanja. Newly added sector is Nyakagezi in Mgahinga national park.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is best known for its Mountain Gorilla populations and gorilla tracking although. It also offers some of the finest Montane forest birding in Africa and is a key destination for any birder doing a Safari to Uganda. Amongst the numerous possibilities are no fewer than 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemics. Including spectacular, globally threatened species such as Shelley’s Crimson wing and the African Green Broadbill. Bwindi is one of the few in Africa to have flourished throughout the last Ice Age. And it is home to approximately half of the world’s Mountain gorillas.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is best known for its outstanding gorilla tracking. But it also provides refuge to elephant, chimpanzee, monkeys and various small antelope and bird species. If you book a Uganda safari without Gorilla trekking. Then you will have missed an opportunity to see these rare and threatened gorillas. The variant biodiversity is supported by the fact that Bwindi is extremely old and also its slopes extend over a broad altitudinal range of 1447m above sea level, enabling habitats ranging from lowland forest to Afromontane vegetation.