CategoriesConservation By Edward

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Home to about half of the world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the premier spot for gorilla trekking. The so-called “impenetrable forest” which covers the biggest area of the park, sits at the edge of the Albertine Rift, with narrow valleys, a rugged topography, and steep hills. The significant difference in the park’s elevations is why gorilla trekking in Bwindi and hiking are inseparable.

 

Also simply referred to as Bwindi, especially by the locals in the tourism industry, the park is surrounded by other highlight Uganda destinations including Lakes Bunyonyi and Mutanda, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park. So, as you plan for your gorilla safari in Bwindi, you can opt to add a boat ride, mountain hike, or game drive at the mentioned destinations respectively, for an extra dose of an African safari.

 

 

 

Trekking sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

The 4 gorilla trekking sectors in Bwindi are also referred to as trailheads. They are; Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, Rushaga in the south, and Nkuringo in the west of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Each of these sectors offers a unique level of difficulty in tracking the mountain gorillas. The selection of your trailhead in Bwindi depends on factors including the availability of gorilla permits at the time of booking, other activities on the safari itinerary, and the traveler’s fly-in point, mostly Entebbe International Airport or Kigali International Airport.

Rushaga has the highest number of habituated gorilla families (more than 6) and is the only sector where Gorilla Habituation Experience (GHE) is currently done with tourists.  

Wildlife in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi is home to more than 120 mammals but is most notable for mountain gorillas. Other animals in the park include chimpanzees, L’Hoest’s monkeys, colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, and forest elephants. Over 340 bird species have been recorded here. It also has more than 200 butterfly species and a variety of amphibians and reptiles.

Things to do in Bwindi

Gorilla trekking

This is the highlight of safaris to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The activity starts at the office of the trailhead where visitors are tracking the apes, with a briefing before they are arranged in groups of a maximum of eight visitors, each with a guide and armed park rangers. The trek takes you through a challenging terrain of valleys and steep ridges as you search for mountain gorillas which can be spotted in a period of 30 minutes, one hour, 3 hours, or more depending on their location.

Once the gorillas have been spotted, you are allowed to stand at a distance of 7 meters away from them, observe the gorilla family, learn about their behavior, take photos and record videos for this memorable experience, and later exit the forest.

Gorilla Habituation Experience

If you are looking to spend more than the standard one hour with the gorillas, for trekking, then the Gorilla Habituation Experience is the adventure for you. It gives an opportunity to visitors to join the gorilla habituation team when preparing a gorilla family for tourism and spend up to four hours with the apes. The adventure is currently only done in Bwindi’s Rushaga sector and a permit goes for $1,500 for foreign non-residents, $1,000 for foreign residents, and UGX—750,000 for East African citizens.  

Bird watching

Bwindi’s birdlife has made the park one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. It has about 350 bird species with 23 of these being endemic to the Albertine Rift and 14 species being recorded nowhere else in Uganda.

 

Some of the popular birding trails in Bwindi include the Buhoma Waterfall Trail, Mubwindi Swamp trail, Kashasha River Valley, and Ivy River trail. Look out for the African Green Broadbill, Rwenzori nightjar, Blue-headed sunbird, and Short-tailed warbler among others when bird watching.

 

Batwa cultural experience

The story of Bwindi is beyond just the mountain gorillas. When you visit the park, you have an opportunity to meet the Batwa people who co-existed with the gorillas and other wildlife in the forest for years before they were evicted. You will learn about how they lived, made fire with natural sticks, hunted and gathered, and then enjoy entertainment with their traditional music and dance.

Forest Trek/ nature walk

Apart from gorilla trekking, the park organizes forest treks from each trailhead, with the most popular being the trail from Buhoma to Nkuringo. It allows you to walk from one side of Bwindi forest to the other. This trek in particular takes 6 hours while other forest walks may last from 3 to 5 hours.

Waterfall trail

The Munyanga River trail leads trekkers to the scenic waterfalls in Bwindi.

In addition to the above activities, you can opt to go mountain biking, for Buhoma community walks, or visit Lake Mutanda when you are in or around Bwindi. To include one or two more activities on your gorilla safari, with the exception of bird watching and Batwa community visit, you need at least 5 days for your tour in Uganda.

How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

The journey from Entebbe or Kampala to Bwindi through Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale districts takes more than 10 hours. From Lake Mburo National Park, you can reach Bwindi in 5-6 hours, while those driving from Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Mweya and Ishasha sectors will arrive after about 7 hours and 3 hours respectively. Many tourists are now opting to fly in through Kigali-Rwanda and connect to the southern sectors of Bwindi, a drive of about 5 hours.

Domestic flights to Bwindi are operated daily, to Kihihi for the northern side of the park and Kisoro for the southern. Bwindi fly-in safaris reduce your travel time to about 2.5 hours (90 minutes for the flight and 1.5 hours for the road transfer).

The best time to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi’s weather is unpredictable and visitors are always advised to be prepared for rain anytime. While gorillas can be tracked year-round, the best time to go trekking is during the drier months (June – mid-September and December – February).

From mid-March to May and the end of September to November, Bwindi receives heavy rainfall. Although it is still possible to track the apes during the season, it comes with difficulty due to muddy trails.

When planning for a gorilla safari to Bwindi, it is advisable to book your permit in advance, at least three months prior to your travel date. For details and inquiries, send an email to info@journeyafricawild.com.

 

CategoriesConservation News By Ibambasi Ketia

Celebrating Life: The 2023 Gorilla Naming Ceremony in Rwanda

The Gorilla Naming Ceremony, known as Kwita Izina, has been an annual tradition since 2005, where newly born baby gorillas are given names based on their circumstances of birth, future expectations, and their habitat. This year’s heartwarming event took place on September 1st at the Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi, Musanze district, Rwanda. The ceremony brought together a diverse array of dignitaries, artists, and local communities living near the homes of these endangered creatures, all united in celebrating the conservation of Rwanda’s rich biodiversity.

Since its inception in 2005, the Gorilla Naming Ceremony has seen 374 baby gorillas receive names. This year, 23 new baby gorillas born in the past 12 months were honored with names that reflect their significance to the conservation effort.

The namers at this year’s ceremony included sports legends, actors, musicians, global entrepreneurs, tourism leaders, rangers, conservation scientists, media personalities, and investors passionate about the environment and conservation.

 

 

  • Notable figures like Kevin Hart, an America film actor and comedian who was recently in Rwanda joined the ceremony and on behalf of the Hart family, named one of the gorillas as “Gakondo”.
  • Others included a famous actor, musician and producer Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina Dhowre Elba, a model and activist, UN Goodwill ambassador of IFAD as well as CEO also named a baby gorilla “Narame” which means long life.
  • The Minister of State in Common Wealth and Development Office, friend of Rwanda Andrew Mitchell MP also named his baby gorilla “Mukundwa” meaning Favored.
  •  A Zimbabwean–American actress and playwright and best known for her starring roles as “Okoye” in the movie Black Panther Wakanda, Danai Jekesai Gurira also named a gorilla baby “Aguka” translated as expand.
  •  A Former Chicago Bulls Centre Forward and Lais Ribeiro International Model, Joakim Noah also named a baby gorilla “Turumwe” translated as togetherness.
  • Larry Green, a Board Trustee at the African Wildlife Foundation, known for his passion for African wildlife and their habitats named his female baby gorilla as” Ingoboka” translated as support.
  • BioNtech’s Dr. Özlem Türeci and Dr. Sierk Poetting, whose investment leads from the global German pharmaceutical giant in Rwanda also named a female gorilla as “Intaganda” translated as humble and brave.
  • French investor Cyrille Bolloré a Chief Executive Officer, he named his baby gorilla “Mugisha” translated as blessing.
  •  Anders Holch Povlsen, a Danish billionaire, CEO and sole owner of the international retail clothing chain Bestseller named his male gorilla as “Umutako” meaning ornament.
  • Audrey Azoulay, a French politician and Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization named her baby gorilla “Ikirango” translated as symbol.
  • Bernard Lama, a legendary French football coach and former Paris Saint Germain (PSG) goalkeeper also named his baby gorilla “Ramba” which means “sustainable”.
  • Bukola Elemide, award winning Nigerian-French singer-songwriter name her baby gorilla: “INGANZO” which means origin or source.
  • Hazza Al Qahtani The United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda named his baby gorilla “Urunana” which means “Collaboration”.
  • Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) named his baby gorilla “Inshingano” translated Responsibility.
  • Winston Duke a Tobagonian actor named his baby gorilla “Intarumikwa” which means Resilient Giant.
  • Queen Kalipinya – Rwandan Rally Car Driver and Gender Equality Advocate named her baby gorilla “Impundu” which means “Acclamation”.
  • British Novelist, Jonathan Ledgard named his baby gorilla “Gisubizo” which means “Solution”.
  • Sol Campbell Arsenal and England football legend named his baby gorilla “Jijuka” which means Enlightenment.
  • Nick Stone Lead Director, Wilderness named his baby gorilla “Umucunguzi” which means “Redeemer”.
  • Joe Schoendorf Silicon Valley Pioneer named his baby gorilla “Uburinganire” which means Gender Equality.
  • Grace Ineza Umuhoza, Founder and CEO of The Green Protector, and environmental activist and 2023 Global Citizen’s Prize winner amed her gorilla as “Bigwi” from the Ntambara family, with a wish she will grow protected by each one at the event and beyond.
  • Twelve-year-old Elvine Ineza named her baby gorilla “Nibagwire” which means Multiply; while the man behind the gorilla safety, Innocent Dusabeyezu.
  • Ranger in Volcanoes National Park named his baby gorilla “Murare” which means “Sleep Over”.

The ceremony was a testament to the commitment to Rwanda’s tourism conservation efforts and the joy of welcoming new baby gorillas into the family. It was an honor and a source of excitement to return to Kinigi and participate in this heartwarming tradition.

If you’re inspired to explore the wonders of Rwanda and experience its rich biodiversity, consider Journey Africa Wild as your guide partner. You can reach out by calling +250 783214645 or via email at info@journeyafricawild.com to embark on your dream adventures at an affordable price.