How to get to Bwindi impenetrable national park
How to get to Bwindi impenetrable national park , the park is the Africa premier private destination located in south western region of Uganda in kanungu district, Bwindi impenetrable national park established in 1991 as a national park is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site because of its unique ecological system. The park covering an area of 321 square kilometers lies at an altitude of 1,160m – 2,607m where the mountain gorillas reside in the thick forests.
The park is a home to largest population of mountain gorillas in the world harboring approximately 900 mountain gorilla individuals, the park is divided into two sections that is northern section and southern section. These are sections are also divided in to sectors that is buhoma, Rushaga, Nkuringo and Ruhija which harbor habituated gorilla families which are open for tracking by tourists. These families include Nshongi family, Nkuringo group, Mishaya group in the southern sector and Bitukura, Oruzogo, mubare, Habinyanja, Rushegura in the northern sector of the park. There is also the newly habituated Katwe and Christmas gorilla families.
Bwindi impenetrable national park is the best place to experience the critically endangered mountain gorillas, most tourists are bothered and get worked up asking themselves “how to get to Bwindi impenetrable national park?” since it is the next thing to know after confirming your mountain gorilla trekking safari to Bwindi impenetrable national park.
Bwindi impenetrable national park can be reached either by road or by air means of transport and from different countries that is Uganda and Rwanda.
GETTING TO BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK FROM UGANDA
Your journey to Uganda starts by flying into Uganda using Entebbe international airport the main official gateway in to Uganda, upon arriving into Uganda you can reach Bwindi by air or by road.
By road
Bwindi impenetrable national park a home to mountain gorillas can be accessed using different routes from various locations. By road you can either use a public means of transport or private means, there are many bus companies which carry out daily trips to Bwindi such as post bus, Gateway bus services, horizon buses, Bismarkan Bus Company. Before boarding on a bus it is better to know which section of the park you are going to trek as different routes head to different sections of the park, if you are to trek in the gorilla families situated in the southern section you use routes via mbarara, kabale to Kisoro town and in northern section you use routes crossing through mbarara, Ntungamo, rukungiri, kihihi to the border of Butogota town. With public means of transport they do not reach to the park’s headquarters, you board off in either Kisoro town or Butogota town and get a motorcycle or a hired car to the park’s headquarters. With private means of transport you will take the same routes but using a 4 wheel car is highly recommended as you are to navigate through slippery and muddy trails in attempt to reach the park’s headquarters.
Bwindi is approximately 520 Kilometres from Kampala the capital city of Uganda and the following routes are used to reach Bwindi “the home of primates”.
- Kampala-mbarara-kabale route which is a 471.9 kilometers and approximately 8 hours and 30 minutes’ drive, you proceed to Kabale-Kanungu- Kanyantorogo – Buhoma Park Headquarters which is approximately 120 kilometers, a 3.5 hour-drive. Or proceed to Ruhija and finally to Buhoma which is 95 kilometres, a three-hour drive.
- Via masaka route which is 518.7 kilometers and approximately 9 hours and 31 minutes’ drive
- From Queen Elizabeth national park it is approximately 2-3 hours’ drive to the northern section of Bwindi crossing through the ishasha southern of the park where you can see climbing lions.
- From Lake Mburo national park located in kiruhura district it is approximately 5—6 hours’ drive on kabale-mbarara route of 272.2 kilometers.
Other routes are Kampala-ntugamo-rukungiri-kihihi-buhoma route, Kampala, kabale-Ruhija route and Kampala-kabale-Nkuringo route.
Most of these routes converge at Butogota town which is 17 kilometers from the main entrance gate of buhoma
Note: during heavy rainfall the route through ishasha sector is impassable as bridges tend to break down due to flooding water and heavy trucks transporting good to democratic republic of Congo, as an alternative you can use a short cut leading to Ishaka road then proceed to Rukungiri to Nengo to kihihi and buhoma.
By air
By air Bwindi impenetrable national park can be accessed using a chartered flight either from Entebbe international airport or from kajjasi airstrip, there are many companies which offer flights to Bwindi at a reasonable price including Aerolink, eagle air and fly Uganda.
The park is served by three airstrips that is kihihi airstrip, kayonza airstrip serving tourists o northern sector of the park and Nyakabande in Kisoro serving tourists trekking in the southern sector of the park.
From the airstrip you use a hired vehicle to reach the park’s headquarters.
ACCESSING BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK FROM RWANDA
When accessing Bwindi impenetrable national park from Rwanda you are to fly into Rwanda using Kigali international airport located in Kigali city the capital city of Rwanda. From Kigali to southern western Uganda it is a short distance of approximately 176.6 kilometers, a 4 hour’s drive, from Kigali you can either use a public means of transport or private means. Bus companies such as Virunga express bus offer trips to Uganda, to enter Uganda you cross either cyanika border or Katuna border then proceed to the park.
BEST TIME TO VISIT BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK.
Bwindi impenetrable national park is mountainous and covered with tropical rain forest which makes to park to be cold and receiving rainfall regularly, the park is very wet in the months of September to November with a total annual rainfall of 2390 mm. months of June and July are the coldest months but it is usually cold in the mornings and during the night experiencing temperature ranges of 7⁰C to 20⁰C, Bwindi impenetrable national is open to tourists all throughout the year but the best time to visit the park for mountain gorilla trekking experience is during the months of June to August and December to February. Reason being these months receive little amount of rain and the trails are less muddy and slippery.
