How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park? Bwindi Impenetrable forest is one of the most visited national parks in East Africa particularly Uganda when travelers engage on a Safaris Uganda tour. The rich eco-system that runs through Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has made it a home for various species of animals which has heavily increased the tourism activities in Uganda. Bwindi Forest National Park is home for the famous mountain gorillas about half the population in the world which have made the national park often visited by tourists to view these endangered gorillas.
Bwindi National Park is located in the south western part of Uganda near the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the edge of the Albertine Rift next to Virunga National Park. Bwindi Forest National Park is famously known for mountain gorilla trekking because Bwindi forest National Park is one of the two sites in the world that you will find the endangered mountain gorillas. The other site is the Virunga Massif that encompasses the other three national parks with the mountain gorillas that is; Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has other things that offer insights that attract many visitors all over the world such as the monkeys, the buffalos, and different bird species.
Additionally, Bwindi National Park offers a great number of activities such as mountain gorilla trekking about 17 groups of mountain gorillas to trek, forest walks, cultural sites, game drives, and golden monkey trekking among others. The diverse eco-system in Bwindi forest National Park has made visitors have memorable, exciting and adventurous experiences during their stay in Uganda. All this said the question that challenges many people who try to visit Uganda during their Uganda safaris is how to get to Bwindi forest National Park.
How to get to Bwindi forest National Park
Bwindi forest National Park has various routes that connect to it with in Uganda. Many tour operators cater for these services that save the tourists the burden and challenges faced by a person in a foreign country. The first thing done is reaching Entebbe International Airport through various airlines. Reaching Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be by land or by air this is detailed below.
By using land: Many tourists prefer using this means because it comes handy with other tourist attractions and insights along the way to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi forest National Park is about 540km from Kampala a journey that takes around 8 to 9 hours on-road drive. On using the road you pass via Queen Elizabeth National Park which is also one of the most visited national parks in Uganda and you get a chance to view the climbing lions south of Queen Elizabeth National Park through Ishasha.
In addition to the routes, travelers can use the Kampala-Kabale-Kanungu-Buhoma route which is known to be the longest and most adventurous route to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park this is because the travelers get to view the different insights such as the hills and plantations. The quickest route to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is via Rukungiri, Kihihi then to Buhoma which is roughly about 390km. Travelers should note that no public means of transport connect you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park when you reach Kabale district but rather one has to hire a private means to transport them to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Transport by air: Some travelers that travel to Uganda and want to visit Bwindi forest National Park without using road means always have the opportunity of using air transport as an alternative to road means. On reaching Entebbe International airport, travelers can use chatter flights that are always available from Kajjansi airstrip to any airstrip in Kabale or Kisoro. Travelers that use air transport mainly get to have aerial views of the areas along the way to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through Rwanda
Travelers that use Kigali International Airport for Rwanda safari and want to continue their safari to Bwindi forest National Park in Uganda, mainly use the Cyanika border of Uganda and Rwanda to connect to Bwindi National Park. This is one of the shortest distances used to reach Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda for about 3-4 hours and is most used preferably by visitors that try to avoid long road drive hours to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Accommodation places in Bwindi
Like any national park, Bwindi National Park is blessed with a great number of accommodation places ranging from luxury or upmarket, midrange to basic or budget hotels and lodges in the region. Travelers always have a choice to make based on their preferences. Some of these lodges, camps, and hotels include the following;
Gorilla Forest Camp: Gorilla Forest Camp is located in Buhoma about 500 meters from the park entrance. The camp offers breakfast and lunch which are served from an open area of the camp. Travelers engaging in gorilla trekking always opt for this camp because of its distance from the starting point. In this place, travelers get to watch different bird species and chartering monkeys from the forests that regularly pass through via the ground.
Clouds Mount Gorilla Lodge: Clouds Mount Gorilla Lodge is a high-end accommodation facility that is located in the remote Nkuringo area in the south east of Bwindi forest National Park. at the lodge, travelers can have a spectacular view of the mountains in the Virunga Massif and the tropical rain forest of Bwindi National Park. Clouds Mount Gorilla Lodge offers restaurant and bar, lounge, adequate parking space, reading area plus some amenities like a spacious sitting room, overstuffed armchairs, and washrooms with showers among others.
Mahogany Springs Camp: One of the luxury accommodation facilities near Bwindi National Park we have Mahogany Springs Camp that features expanse panoramic terrace overlooking the river and the forest, a restaurant, and bar plus a double sided fireplace. Some of the amenities at the lodge include excellent room service, private terrace, and spacious rooms.
Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge: Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge is an upmarket accommodation facility that consists of naturally built cottages in the Ruhija area. Amenities in Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge include toilet and shower bedrooms, hot water bottles, storage cabins, and parking space among others.
In addition, other places to try out in Bwindi National Park include Volcanoes Safaris Bwindi Lodge, Bwindi Travelers Motel Butogota, Buhoma Community Bandas and Campsite, Nkuringo Gorilla Campsite, and Buhoma Homestead among others.
Generally getting access to Bwindi Forest National Park is very possible no matter the route you use and the means of transport you prefer, you will still get a memorable, exciting and adventurous Safaris Uganda tour in the pearl of Africa.