BWINDI NATIONAL PARK

The Bwindi National park is part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest situated along the Democratic Republic of Congo border next to the Virunga National Park and on the edge of the western Great Rift Valley. The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site and comprises of 331 squarekilometers of jungle forests which contains both montane and lowland forest which can only be accessed on foot. The Democratic Republic of Congo borders the western side of the park.
Location of Bwindi National park
The Park is located in South Western Uganda, on the edge of the western rift valley, shared by Rukungiri, Kabale and Kisoro Districts neigboured by the bakiga and bafumbira people and other small communities of the pygmies.
Size of Bwindi park
The Park covers an area of 331 square kilometers on an Altitude Range of 1160 meters (Ishasha gorge) to 2607 meters (Rwamanyonyi Peak).
Tourism activities and attractions in Bwindi Forest
Bwindi national park supports a tremendous biodiversity since it's slopes extend over a wide altitudinal range and Bwindi is a very old rainforest with over 310 species of butterflies, 200 trees, vaious types of mammals including the primates (chimpazees, Baboon, monkeys).The mountaingorilla is Bwindi's most famous inhabitat with half the population of the remaining mountain gorillas located in this park.
Gorilla tracking in Bwindi
This is the major tourism activity at Bwindi impenetrable National park. There are basically four major gorilla groups with in the park that are tracked on the daily basis and these include the following.
The Mubare group with 16 gorillas and 1 silverback
The Habinyanja group which has about 23 gorillas with 2silver backs.
The Rushegura group with 9gorillas and 1 silver back
The latest of all the gorilla groups in Bwindi impenetrable National park is the Nkuringo group which has about 20gorillas and 2silver backs.
Gorilla tracking allows only limited number of tourists to track the different groups of the gorillas per day and that is 8 people are allowed to track a group of gorillas. There fore this means that each group of the gorillas can be tracked by only 8 people per day.

The gorilla permits are sold at the UWA headquarters in Kampala. The gorilla tracking briefings start at exactly 8:00 am in the morning and it is provided by the UWA officials and the Gorilla trackers directors. There fore his means that the tourists should sleep within the park or around the park so as to be able o track the gorillas. The activity can take long depending on the current location of the gorillas with in the forest. However it can take 6-7 hours in the forest so tourists are encouraged to move with their packed lunch
Tourists are encouraged to ensure physical fitness, Carry jungle boots and rain jackets because the park is often wet, rain gears, sunscreens, insect repellants and this is because the weather in the forest is unpredictable.
A gorilla permit is at $500 and it should be booked in advance of at least 3monhs before the traveling date.
Accommodation in Bwindi National park
Bwindi park has luxury, Midrange and Budget lodges which are located either inside the park or a few meters outside the park. The safari lodges near the park include

Gorilla resort
Gorilla forest camp
Lake Kitandara camp
Engangi Lodge
Bwindi view Bandas
Buhoma lodge
Buhoma community bandas
Volcanoes Bwindi Camp
Bwindi Traveler’s Motel