A safari to Bwindi Forest is a visit to one of the most amazing and special places on planet earth. Since 1994 the park receives a considerable number of travelers from throughout the world to experience epic gorilla tracking.
Experience the magic of the gorilla land – filled with majestic flora, amazing wildlife, spectacular waterfalls, pristine rivers and much more that provide ample opportunity for great exploration and photography.
Attractions in and nearby Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Interesting wildlife in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park include: Mountain Gorillas, Birds of Bwindi, Batwa People.
Activities in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Community Tourism: Tourists who visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can participate in invigorating cultural en counters such as the Rubuguri Village Walk, the Nkuringo Cultural Center (NCC), the Nkuringo Community Conservation and Development Foundation (NCCDF), the Buhoma Community Tour (Mukono Development Association) and the Buniga Forest Nature Walk where tourists are rewarded with several cultural experiences.
Gorilla Habituation Experience in Rushaga:
It is only in Uganda that you can be with a Mountain Gorilla Family for 4 hours on a Gorilla Habituation Experience along with researchers in Bwindi’s Impenetrable Forest – this amazing experience – to be with a Mountain Gorilla Family as it is being habituated is a one of a kind experiences in Africa.
There are presently two-family groups being habituated, meaning that they becoming used to human contact and will not run away from visitors trekking them.
You can fly into Kigali Rwanda and 3 hours later be in the Rushaga Region of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. You have the choice of budget, moderate and upmarket lodging and can stay either in Rushaga or scenic Nkuringo area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Mountain Bike Rides in Buhoma Area:
Ride 4 a Woman which is a community support group offers mountain bike rentals and guided bike in and around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the Buhoma area of the park.
You can even do the Village Walk on a bike with guide. There are Birding Bike Rides, or simply a ride into the Forest such as the Ivy River Trail. The average Bike Ride is 3 hours or longer in length with much to see along the trail or road.
The guides are all well-trained, some specialize in birding, others in culture but all know Bwindi Impenetrable Forest which they all love and want to conserve.
The Batwa Forest Experience:
The Batwa were the original people of the forest, they were here for thousands of years before the Bantu People, and the Cultivators of the Land arrived. The Batwa People – are pygmies – were hunter-gatherers and lived in the forests of Southwest Uganda and beyond.
They left a small ecological footprint on the forest and lived in harmony with nature. You can visit the forest (actually outside of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest) with the Batwa People and learn of their traditional ways of hunting and gathering. The Batwa Experience takes place in the Buhoma area.
The Buhoma Village Walk:
Here you have 3 hour cultural walk through the village – you learn the ways and culture of the people that live in the Buhoma area on the edge of Bwindi Forest. The Village Walk is with a guide who is friendly and knowledgeable about local culture and customs.
You will see how people make local crafts such as baskets with the most intricate designs – beer made from Bananas, and a distillery that makes the local Waragi Gin from Bananas, meet a traditional healer and learn of what is gathered in the ancient forest and how it is taken and applied to ailments .
See how the growing of local produce is done and harvested, food preparation over charcoal or open fire, visit a school, and meet the Batwa Pygmy community as they perform a dance for you just to name a few.
It is certainly a cultural learning experience and the cost of the walk supports the local community – so a win for everyone.
Hiking through the Forest:
The Hike through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest can be one day or longer hike from the north of Bwindi to the South – called Nkuringo- there one can stay overnight and continue the next day down to scenic Lake Mutanda where you paddle across in a wooden dugout and continue to the town of Kisoro.
This is the most popular hike along two trails of Bwindi – there are however other trails and nature walks, most from easy to moderate in and near the Forest that can be explored on foot and requiring from an hour to all day long. Hiking through the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is always with a guide.
Bird watching
The diverse habitats in Uganda’s most ancient forest imply that is the perfect habitat for a diversity of bird species, with about 350 recorded different species, with 23 endemics.
Cycling Tours
The mountain bike ride ventures in Bwindi are managed by a woman’s group which offers trained guides, a repair -shop for these bikes and every participant that helps in this program receives direct reimbursement from visitors to Buhoma enjoying a ride on the bike. Indeed, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is more than a gorilla tracking destination to visit!
Lodges in Bwindi Forest National Park
Ruhija Gorilla Lodge, located in the middle of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, offers unique luxury accommodation with breath-taking views of the forest.
The lodge’s en suite rooms, carefully designed to blend in with the natural environment have comfortable beds, beautiful furnishings, and hot and cold running water.
The lodge’s unique setting offers guests peace and tranquillity and a home away from home where they can enjoy the melodies of insects and birds, surprise visits from monkeys and the night time sounds of the jungle.
Gorilla Forest Camp
This camp, located on a hillside nestled in the rain forest, is within walking distance of the starting point for the park’s gorilla tracking.
A luxury tented camp with eight en suite double rooms, each with two queen sized beds, a private wooden deck and a bathtub with view of the forest, Gorilla Forest Camp provide a beautiful and relaxing setting.
Buhoma Lodge
Situated on the original “homestead” site at Bwindi, adjacent to the national park, this exclusive lodge has been extensively renovated to offer uninterrupted views of the pristine rain forest canopy.
The lodge has eight beautifully appointed and spacious cottages situated along the mountainside, each with its own private veranda.
Large comfortable beds ensure a good night’s rest following a tiring day of gorilla tracking. En suite bathrooms are spacious and equipped with flushing toilets and piping hot showers, with the honeymoon cottage boasting a ‘cuddle-tub’.
Meals are wholesome and freshly prepared with a variety of international dishes including local specialties such as matoke and g-nut sauce.
Unlimited hot beverages are available all day on a self-serve basis and are delivered to your cottage with early morning wake up calls upon request, allowing guests to watch the sun rise over the forest from their own private verandas.
Lighting and heating throughout the lodge is solar powered and the lodge’s inviting upper level lounge, bar and dining area, where guests can relax, dine and discuss the day’s events, offers cosy fireplaces providing warmth and comfort in the cool evenings.
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
This luxury lodge, located in the Nkuringo section of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, has eight spacious en suite natural stone rooms including two room family unit.
The lodge has a large reception area, gift shop and bar and six fireplaces located throughout the building to keep guests warm on chilly nights. The lodge’s garden area is a wonderful and comfortable place for guests to relax after a strenuous day of gorilla tracking.
Engagi Lodge
This lodge, located only a short distance from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, has wonderful views. All cottages are en suite and face the rain forest.
The lodge’s spacious lounge and dining area offer excellent views, providing the perfect place to enjoy sun downers and dine in the midst of the sights and sounds of the forest. Read more
Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge
This camp, overlooking Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, has spacious and airy en suite cottages individually styled with local art and products, giving it a true African feel.
Designed with eco-friendly solar power energy and built into the natural environment, the lodge’s central dining, lounge and bar sit beneath papyrus cover and around a cosy fireplace, providing guests with a perfect place to relax in the evenings.
Nkuringo Gorilla Camp
Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, located on Nteko Ridge alongside Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, has both en suite cottages with views of the Virunga and Rift Valley and twin rooms in the camp’s newly built Virunga terrace.
The restaurant serves a wide variety of cuisines made with locally produced ingredients. On a clear day, guests have a chance of seeing the Rwenzori Glacier over 160 km in the distance.
Lake Kitandara Tented Camp
This East African style tented camp, located near Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, has beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.
The camp’s central lounge area provides guests with a relaxing place to enjoy sun downers dine and share stories around the campfire at night.
Buhoma Community Bandas
Run by the local community, Buhoma offers traditional “Banda’s” built using local and natural materials. Lodging consists of several buildings with rooms accommodating between two to six people. Bathroom facilities are shared, bedding is provided, and hot water is available for showers.
Buhoma restaurant serves hot and cold beverages and freshly cooked local cuisine giving guests a true taste of Uganda. Read more
Bwindi View Bandas
Locally run Bwindi View offers traditional “Banda’s” built using local and natural materials. Lodging consists of several buildings with rooms accommodating between two to four people.
Bathroom facilities are shared, bedding is provided, and hot water is available for showers. Bwindi View’s restaurant serves hot and cold beverages and freshly cooked local cuisine giving guests a true taste of Uganda.
Mahogany Springs
Mahogany Springs offers privacy and serenity blended with optimal comfort in a spectacular setting and is the perfect base from which to begin you Gorilla Tracking or Bird watching adventures.
All the rooms are suites with Twin, Double or Triple options offered. These suites are spacious with large double doors and beautiful windows opening onto its own private exquisitely designed terrace with panoramic views of the surrounding area.
There are power points in the rooms as well as a dressing table/desk. For added comfort and peace of mind all the suites have an advanced mosquito net system that wraps around the entire area of the beds.
Silver Back Lodge
On a hill close to Bwindi Forest is Silver Back Lodge with a beautiful view of almost the entire forest. The rooms face the thick forest.
Each room was built using local material that provides the true nature of African architecture blended with modern facilities. The lodge has a well-stocked bar and a restaurant that serves a variety of meals. The lodge has 12 en-suite rooms each with a clear view of the forest.