How To Get To Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park Uganda : Bwindi impenetrable national park is a home to a tremendous biodiversity, the park’s slopes stretches over a broad altitudinal range of 1,447 meters to crate habitats roaming from lowland forest at 1160 meters to unique Afromontane vegetation above 2600 meters. The altitude explains why Uganda gorilla safaris require some level of physical fitness.
Bwindi impenetrable national park hosts Bwindi forest which is extremely old and one of the surviving forests, most of Africa’s forests were destroyed during the arid conditions of the final ice age (12,000 – 18,000 years ago). Bwindi forest was among a few “refigia” that remained.
Vegetation in Bwindi impenetrable national park is over 25,000 years and it comprises of an extensive species list including over 310 species of buuterflies, 200 trees, 88 moths,51 reptiles, and a tremendous 120 varieties of mammal including 10 primates.
Primates in Bwindi impenetrable national park include red tailed, chimpanzee, L’Hoest’s and blue monkey, black & white colobus, baboon and mountain gorillas – the most famous primates in Bwindi.
Bwindi impenetrable national park is a prime location for bird watchers, the park hosts over 350 bird species including 7 species where are IUCN red date listed and 90% of all Albertine Rift endemics species that are hard or impossible to see in some other parts of East Africa. Watchers can identify up to 100 species in a single day.
By Road
Bwindi Forest National Park can be accessed from Kampala – the capital of Uganda, by road it is a drive of approximately 8-10 hours through Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale to the Southern region of the park. The park can also be accessed from Queen Elizabeth national park to the northern just 2 to 3 hours. These roads then converge at Butogota, just 17 kilometers from the Buhoma entrance – gate.
Note
When getting to Bwindi impenetrable Forest national park by road, a 4X4 vehicle is a must use as it will help you navigate through the slippery and muddy roads leading to the park
If you are do not have private vehicle/transportation which is always included in our safari packages as Explore Eco Safaris, there are public buses that leaves Kampala for Butogota via Rukungiri and Kihihi.
By Air
Travelers who cannot manage to long journey of driving can choose to fly from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airstrip, Bwindi impenetrable national park is served by 3 airfields that are Kihihi and Kayonza for the northern area of the park and Nyakabande airstrip found in Kisoro for people going to track mountain gorillas in the Southern area of the park that is Mishaya, Nshongi and Nkuringo.
Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in the South – western part of Uganda in a drive of approximately 8-10 hours from Kampala, the most and easiest means of transport used is road. By road the following routes are used
Queen Elizabeth National Park (Mweya)- Kihihi-Buhoma
From Queen Elizabeth national park to Bwindi impenetrable national park, you will pass through Ishasha Sector of the park which is a home to the tree climbing lions and you will enjoy watching them lounging on fig trees along with monkeys on the road.
From Mweya it is a distance of about 160 kilometers and about 64 kilometers from Ishasha Sector to Bwindi impenetrable national park.
Kampala-Kabale-Kanungu-Buhoma.
Kampala – Kabale – Kanungu – Buhoma route has a tarmac highway to Kale and covers an area of about 414 kilometers and it is a drive of 5-6 hours, the next route has a murram road and has about 120 kilometers. The route goes through Kanunga as well as Kamyantorongo taking about 4-5 hours.
The most convenient vehicle to use on this route is a 4WD.
Kampala- Ntungamo-Rukungiri-Kihihi-Buhoma.
Kampala – Ntugamo – Rukungiri – Kihihi – Buhoma is the easiest and most convenient route, from Kampala direct to the tamarc road Rukungiri is about 390 kilometers in addition to Murram road to Buhoma.
Kampala-Kabale-Ruhija-Buhoma.
Kampala – Kabale – Ruhija – Buhoma route covers an area of about 95 kilometers on the murram road and it takes about 3-4 hours, the only vehicle that can pass through Ruhija is a 4WD.
Kampala-Kabale-Nkuringo.
Kampala – Kabale – Nkuringo route covers a distance of about 105 kilometers from Kabale town and takes about 4 hours to get to the mountainous marram road, most of tourists that use this route spend the night in Kisoro town and cover the remaining distance of about 80 kilometers from Kabale prior to Nkuringo. Kisoro road is a meandering 35 kilometers and it takes about 1-1.5 hours.
The most suitable vehicle for this route is a 4WD.
Public means of Transport
By public means of transport, there is daily bus service set on every day from Kampala to Butogota, thereafter a taxi can be got for the last 17 kilometers to Buhoma. Nkuringo has no public means and the best thing to do is to hire a vehicle from Kisoro.
Getting Around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
In Bwindi, the diverse trailheads can be accessed by vehicle nut there aren’t any roads inside the park that is why it is traveled around on foot. Bwindi impenetrable national park is appropriately named as “impenetrable forest”. The paths go through thick vegetation and may be steep, that is why you have to make use of walking sticks provided at the beginning of the walk or gorilla trekking.
Climate And Best Time To Visit
Bwindi impenetrable national park is cold in the mornings and in the nights with moderate temperatures between 7⁰C and 20⁰C. The coldest time in Bwindi is from June to July, while the wet season starts in March to May as well as from September to October experience a total annual rainfall of 2,390 mm. The rains received in March to May are actually short, September to November receives heavier although these are long hours of gentle drizzles
