What is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park famous for? Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is famous as one of the last places where the rare mountain gorillas can be seen in their natural habitat. This primordial forest is a gem of diversity and is home to various species which are threatened by the poachers, human encroachment among others.
The park is known for its vast park of high-altitude forested mountains and also known for its thick vegetation, thick mists, streams and dew, endangered mountain gorillas and notable endemic birds.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is renowned as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country because of its incredible gorilla treks. Gorilla trekking is done on a guided hike through the forest to find and spend an hour having face to face lifetime experience of mountain gorilla trekking. Truly gorilla trek is a special experience that few get to enjoy, something which will never leave you unchanged.
The park is famous because of one of great location where you can see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. More so, Bwindi was established in 1991 in large part to protect the species. Well, Mountain gorillas can only be found in three countries; Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest hosts more than half of the world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas -around 650 individuals out of the remaining total of about 1065 mountain gorillas in the wild. More fact, its also the only place in the world where mountain gorillas and chimpanzees live in the same ecosystem. Bwindi its where you can go gorilla trek in the forest in search and watch them. Note, the trek takes you through beautiful and ancient montane forest that is often drenched in dew. Besides that, Bwindi boosts with over 23 habituated gorilla families -group which are divided into four gorilla sectors that is; Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo – where gorilla trekking take place.
Bwindi National Park has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its biological richness and significance. The park stuns over 160 tree species, more than 100 species of ferns, over 347 species of forest birds and more than 200 beautiful butterflies’ species.
Other reason that makes Bwindi Impenetrable National Park famous are; Mountain Gorillas, Bird watching, Flora and Fauna, Hiking, Batwa experience and Landscape, as explained below;
Mountain Gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Amazingly, Uganda has half the remaining world’s percentage of Mountain gorillas in the wild. Currently less than 1200 mountain gorillas left in the world and half of its total is found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Its rewarding if you go check it out with your own eyes. What makes the experience even more fun – when you get to visit them in their natural habitat as a witness.
Gorilla Habituation
Gorilla habituation is an incredible experience which can only be done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest among other three mountain gorillas parks; Volcanoes National Park Rwanda, Virunga National Park Congo and Mgahinga National Park Uganda. Fact, mountain gorillas seen during gorilla habituation are first trained comfortably to get used to the presence of people with the aim of studying about them and conducting research about them along side effort to conserve the mountain gorillas.
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is the best done in the park, done on foot through the thick forests under the guidance of well-trained tour guides in look of actual gorilla homes. The activity can take about 30 to 7hours depending on their location in the forest. Once you find them, you will be allowed an hour to spend with them as you study their ways and creating memories as well as capturing videos and photography thus making it worthwhile.
Birding in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Fact is that, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a tropical rain forest home to more than 320 different recorded bird species. Few to mention; African green pigeon, Giant kingfisher, Crowned hornbill, Handsome francolin, Yellow-streaked greenbul, Western green tinkerbird, Mountain masked appalls, Neumann’s warbler, Olive-breasted sunbird, Regal sunbird, Ruwenzori apalis, Shelley’s crimson wing, Purple-breasted sunbird, Many-coloured bush-shrike among others.
The Batwa Cultural Experience at Bwindi Impenetrable
This is an ancient cultural experience that was practiced by the Batwa people – one of the activities liked by the tourists who visit the park on gorilla safaris though it is done just outside the park- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
The Batwa cultural experience starts with an educative nature hike through different trails in the forest as your guided by a skilled guide. Visiting them ,you will enjoy their unique way of living in their home steads.
Landscape at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The park lies at the edge of the East African rift valley and the whole region is cropped with several rain forests and more than eight different tree species whose dense nature makes them impenetrable. The area is surrounded of beautiful hills, valleys and lakes thus creating a breath-taking experience.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be accessed
By Road; Located in the southwestern part of Uganda, the journey starts from Kampala and it takes between 7 to 9 hours. We recommend you to use 4x4wheeldrive for easy accessibility.
By Air; This is another way to get Bwindi – you can decide to book a domestic scheduled flight at Entebbe ‘’Aero link’’ to fly you to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip a nearby airstrip to the park, 1:15 hours landing’’.
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