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Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Uganda's most important national park - Protects an predictable 320 population of mountain gorillas – approximately half of the population in the world
Introducing Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (or, officially, Impenetrable National Park) is an ancient, deep forest rising up along the south western border of Uganda. Climbing up along the slopes of a mountain range, the park consists of a series of narrow, steep valleys, deep green and cloaked in mist. The park is an old and complex ecosystem with a wealth of biodiversity and within its depths lies a rare and striking world. Due to the dense undergrowth and rugged terrain, large portions of it can only be reached on foot, preserving its primordial nature. Forest elephants, giant forest hogs, hundreds of butterfly species and several types of primate roam beneath the thick canopy of trees.
Experience the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Wildlife 
Birdlife
Wildlife at the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Bwindi is home to half the world’s remaining population of critically endangered mountain gorilla. Out of these, several families have become habituated to humans, allowing small groups of people to track them and spend an hour in their company. The gorillas remain wild and the interaction takes place under the careful eyes of highly trained trackers. As gorillas are susceptible to human disease, the health restrictions for visitors are stringent. Due to the rugged terrain, only those older than 15 years are allowed to track. A day of gorilla trekking begins early, departing from your lodge with the dawn. The guides will meet and brief groups of visitors at the gathering point before setting off. The walk can be challenging, especially during Uganda’s two rainy seasons, which are from March to May and then again in November and December. Depending on where the gorillas were last seen, the trek can take anywhere between 40 minutes to six hours spent making your way through the tranquil green undergrowth that covers the mountain slopes, with several quiet encounters with the other denizens of the park en route. When the gorillas emerge from the foliage, time stands still as you enjoy their company for an hour. There is something deeply moving about being in the presence of these regal creatures.
Birdlife at the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Bwindi forest has 346 species of birds and contains 90% of all Albertine rift endemics. Experienced birdwatchers can spot 100 species of birds per day. Visit Ruhija and Buhoma for good bird views. There are over 200 species of butter flies in Bwindi forest national park. Tourists can not only visit Bwindi for Mountain Gorillas but the place is also a bird watchers haven.
The many habitats in Uganda’s most ancient forest implies that is a perfect habitat for a diversity of bird species, with over 350 recorded different species, 23 endemics like the Blue headed sun birds and the short warbler added to the 7 IUCC red data listed bird species. The most simple birds to spot are the red headed bluebill , African blue plus the African Emerald cuckoo and the white tailed blue fly catchers and the common bulbul. Birding mainly occurs along the major trail- the Buhoma water fall trail and along the bamboo zone and the Mubwindi swamp trail that is found in Ruhija.
Best time to visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Due to Uganda’s equatorial position and an increasingly variable climate, the weather in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be unpredictable, and you should always be prepared for rain when visiting Bwindi. However, the heaviest rainfall normally occurs from mid-March to the end of May and then again at the end of September through to November. While the rains in March to May are often short, those in September to November are more often characterised by hours of soft drizzle. Gorillas can be tracked at any time of year, but it does become harder when the trails are mud-slides and water is running down your neck, soaking you through. So the most popular times to track the gorillas is the drier months of June to mid-September and December, January and February.
But don’t discount the ‘rainy season’. Permits are easier to come by at relatively short notice and there is something exhilarating about sitting, mud-covered and uncaring, among a group of gorillas, feeling like you are the only people in the forest.
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