Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Uganda is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is comprised of lowland and highland forests. It provides sanctuary for various mammals, birds, frogs, chameleons, butterflies and geckos as well as various species of trees and ferns.
Location
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Uganda is located along the borders of Congo or the Democratic Republic of Congo beside the Virunga National Park. It sits on the boundary of the Great Rift Valley.
It is approximately five hundred and forty kilometers from Kampala, the capital city of the country of Uganda.
Getting There
The best way to reach Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Uganda is by taking a bus ride from Kampala. The buses from Kampala drive all the way to Kabale, which is a town that is close to the national park.
The ride to Kabale from Kampala takes about eight hours. Once you reach Kabale, you can get a private vehicle to drive you to Butogota and then to Buhoma.
Once you reach Buhoma, you can simply walk to the Uganda Wildlife Authority office which is the entry point for the park.
What to See and Do
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Uganda is famous for being the home of some three hundred and forty Bwindi gorillas, almost half of their total population still in existence in the world today.
As such, these gorillas are considered as an endangered species. The most popular activity in the park is gorilla tracking where you can see some of these creatures in their natural habitat.
You can also try out chimpanzee tracking, Golden Monkey tracking, go on boat trips, go around the park’s grounds via a “game drive” and visit the park through a guided nature walk.
Brief History
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Uganda started out as Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Reserve back in 1942 but was later changed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the year 1992.
In the year 1994, the national park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Bwindi, in its English translation actually means “impenetrable.” The park was called as such because it is covered with thick vegetation, has a steeped landscape and valleys that are quite slippery.
All these factors make the area covered by the national park as impenetrable.
Cost
The cost to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Uganda varies. Entry fees for foreign visitors are at $30 for adults and $15 for kids, for visiting the area covered by Category A including: Murchison Falls, Lake M’buro, Bwindi Impenetrable, Mgahinga Gorilla Park and Rwenzori Mountains.
For Category B which includes Semuliki National Park, Mount Elgon National Park and Semliki Wildlife Reserve; entry fee is at $20 for adults and $10 for kids.
Entry fees are valid for twenty-four hours.
For Gorilla Tracking, the fee is $500 per person; inclusive of park entry fees and guide fee.
Chimpanzee Tracking costs $50 per person for Kyambura Gorge and Queen Elizabeth National Park, $90 for Kibale National Park and $30 for Toro-Semliki Primate Walk. The fees exclude entry fee to the park.
For Golden Monkey Tracking, the fee is $50 per person inclusive of park entry fee.
Other Information
Tracking is allowed from 8:30 in the morning up to 7 in the evening only. Registration starts at 8:30 in the morning and there will be a short briefing at 9:00 in the morning prior to being allowed to go on your tracking expedition.
