Accessing Bwindi from Entebbe International Airport 

Accessing Bwindi from Entebbe International Airport: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a mountain gorilla habitat in the southwestern part of Uganda. It’s one of the most visited national parks in Uganda, visited by tourists who are interested in meeting the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. Mountain gorillas are said to be close relatives of human beings, making tourists want to see them on their safari to Uganda.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is blessed to have the highest population of mountain gorillas left in the world. The same park has the highest number of habituated mountain gorillas, and they do live in four sectors of the park, namely Rushaga, Ruhija, Nkuringo, and Buhoma. Tourists who get an opportunity to visit this national park get to see the mountain gorillas and other attractions that live there, for example, the birds, mammals, and other primates.

Accessing Bwindi Forest from Entebbe International Airport

By Air Transport

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park can be accessed by air transport from Entebbe International Airport. There are different airline companies within the country that have flights to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. These set off from Kajjansi airstrip and Entebbe International Airport, and they include Aerolink Uganda, Bar Aviation Uganda, PearlSky Uganda, and Kampala Executive Aviation to mention but a few.

To fly with these airline companies to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, tourists need to go through tour operators or book by themselves. Booking with tour operators saves you time and reduces errors. Bwindi has two airstrips, and so one needs to book according to the trekking sector they are visiting. Kisoro is used by Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors while Kihihi is used by Buhoma and Ruhija sectors.

Entebbe International Airport to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park takes 2 hours and 15 minutes. From the airstrips to the lodges takes a few hours or minutes, and tourists get an opportunity to meet local people, attractions, and much more. Air transport remains the quickest way to access Bwindi from Entebbe.

By Road transport

All national parks in Uganda are commonly accessed by the use of road transport, and among them is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Bwindi is located about 500km away from Entebbe taking drivers 9 to 10 hours to reach the lodge. The time depends on the number of stopovers, speed, and the nature of the roads. Tourists who use road transport get to have great views of different attractions along the way.

Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park takes one through Kampala, Mpigi, Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Runkungiri, Kabale, or Kisoro to any of the sectors of the park. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has four sectors, Ruhija and Buhoma are in the northern park making tourists branch off from Kabale or Rukungiri while Nkuringo and Rushaga tourists branch off from Kisoro.

Things to find in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Mountain gorillas

Mountain gorillas are the reason why Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is among the most visited national parks in the country. These are a species of primates said to be close relatives to human beings with more than 98% human DNA. Tourists from different parts of the world are interested in meeting these mountain gorillas in their natural habitats to learn more about their habits.

Persons above the age of 15 years are allowed to trek mountain gorillas as long as they have gorilla permits. These gorilla permits can be for trekking which comes with 1 hour around the fully habituated mountain gorillas or habituation permits which come with 4 hours around semi-habituated mountain gorillas.

Seeing mountain gorillas starts with a briefing where trekkers of the day are taught the rules and regulations of the activity for their safety and that of the mountain gorillas. Armed ranger guides lead trekkers in the jungle where they search for the mountain gorillas. Once spotted, they get time around them which enables them to learn about their habits, watch them carry out daily activities, take photos, and record videos.

Birds

The impenetrable forest of Bwindi is home to over 360 bird species, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics. Bird watching in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park offers an opportunity to spot some of the most sought-after bird species in Uganda such as Dusky crimsonwing, Regal sunbird, Grauer’s broadbill, Willard’s sooty boubou, Lagben’s bush shrike, Shelly’s crimsonwing, Grauer’s swamp warbler, and Black billed turaco to mention but a few.

To go bird watching in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, you need the help of an armed ranger guide. These protect in the jungle and help determine which trails to use so as to spot as many bird species as possible. There are also well-informed bird guides in Uganda; they can help you spot several bird species in Rushaga, Ruhija, Buhoma, and Nkuringo.

The Batwa pygmies

The forest of Bwindi used to be home to the Batwa pygmies for a long time until the government gazetted it as a national park. They were chased out of the forest to give wild animals peace and freedom. When the Batwa left the forest, they settled around the forest where they constructed homes for settlement.

While on a safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, with the help of local guides, tourists can always visit the Batwa in the homesteads. This is where they can meet the elders who tell stories of how they survived in the jungle. They will tell you what they ate as food, and how they killed animals for meat. The Batwa have a group of dancers who will entertain you by performing their traditional songs.

Mammals and primates

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest hosts several mammal and primate species, which are spotted while carrying out activities such as gorilla trekking, gorilla habituation, birding, and nature walks. These include the forest elephants, giant forest hogs, side-striped jackals, warthogs, red-tailed monkeys, l’hoest’s monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and olive baboons, to mention but a few.

The most appropriate time to visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

The driest months of the year, June to September and December to February are the best times to visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. These months are characterized by good weather, which favors flights, and the roads are dry and easier to pass through. When it comes to activities, the trails are dry and passable which enables tourists to access most of the park areas.

Tourists may still visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park during the rainy season for any of the park activities; however, we don’t highly recommend it. March to May and October to November are the rainy season characterized by too much rainfall and little sunshine. The trails in the forest tend to be muddy and slippery, making the activities less interesting. Vegetation is also tall, giving unclear views of some of the attractions in the jungle.