Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Bwindi impenetrable national park is a gorilla destination that is located in southwestern Uganda in Kanungu, Kabale and Kisoro districts at the border of Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda Respectively. The national park was gazetted in 1991 mainly to conserve and protect the endangered mountain gorillas and declared a UNESCO World heritage site in 1994 due to its rich biodiversity and ecological importance. Bwindi impenetrable national park covers an area of 331 square kilometers and stands at an altitude of 1160m to 2607m above the sea level.

Bwind impenetrable national park is famously known due to the mountain gorillas which are found in four sectors in the park including Buhoma sector, Nkuringo sector, Rushaga sector and Ruhija sector. Visitors who want to visit the gentle giants in Bwindi impenetrable national park will participate in gorilla trekking which allows you to spend one hour with the habituated gorillas or gorilla habituation experience which allows you to spend four hours with the gorillas under habituation.

Getting to Bwindi impenetrable national park

Road transport

Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda and when using road transport there are various routes that you can use to reach the park for example

Kampala-Kabale-Buhoma route, when using this route you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kanungu and then to Buhoma sector in the northern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park, the whole journey takes about 8 to 9 hours drive and its one of the longest routes though enjoyable in that you will have great views of Kigezi hills, local people, road side markets, beautiful sceneries among others.

Kampala-Kabale-Ruhija route, when using this route you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale and then connect to Ruhija sector which is located in the eastern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park when connecting to Ruhija, you will drive on a marrum road that passes through local communities, farmlands among others 4WD car is recommended because the roads are bumpy and get muddy and slippery during the rainy season.

Kampala-Ntungamo route, when using this route you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Ntungamo and then branch off the highway on a marrum road to Rukungiri then Kihihi and then to Buhoma sector in the northern part.

Kampala-Kabale-Nkuringo route, travelers using this route will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale and then connect to Nkuringo sector in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park.

Lake Mburo to Bwindi impenetrable national park, travelers coming from Lake Mburo national park which is one of the smallest national parks in Uganda but rich in biodiversity will drive via Ntungamo, Kabale and then connect to any of the sector in Bwindi impenetrable national park which takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive.

Queen Elizabeth national park to Buhoma sector, Bwindi impenetrable national park can also be accessed from Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park in Uganda. When coming from Queen Elizabeth national park, you will drive from Mweya peninsular via Ishasha sector where you will view the tree climbing lions lying up in the fig/acacia tree branches looking down on the antelopes grazing in the open savannah plains. Route through Ishasha sector is bumpy and impassable especially during the rainy season therefore it’s recommended to use a 4WD vehicle and the journey takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive to Buhoma sector.

You can also use public means of transport though not recommended because they are tiresome and you might be overcharged by conductors. When using public means you will board a bus from Kampala bus station to Kabale and then hire a private taxi to the park headquarters. There are also buses from Kampala via Rukungir and Kihihi to Butogota where you will hire a private taxi to the park headquarters to Buhoma sector. In case you are going to Nkuringo sector, you will board a bus from Kampala to Kisoro and then hire a private taxi to Nkuringo sector.

Air transport

Bwindi impenetrable national park can be accessed by air transport means in that there are domestic companies such as Aerolink which operate scheduled and chartered flights from Entebbe international airport or Kajansi airfield to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip. The flights depart daily from Entebbe airport at 7:00am, 10:15am and 12:00pm and arrive at Kihihi airstrip at 8:45am, 11:25am and 14:40pm respectively.

When returning from Kihihi the flights depart at 9:45am, 11:40am and 14:45 pm and arrive at Entebbe airport at 11:25am, 13:30pm and 16:15pm respectively. There are also connecting flights from other destinations like Queen Elizabeth national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Semliki national park, Murchison falls national park among others.

Bwindi impenetrable national park can also be accessed from Kigali Rwanda where by you will fly to Kigali international airport and then connect to one of the sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park via Cyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale and the journey takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive.

Accommodation in Bwindi impenetrable national park

The national park has a wide range of luxury, midrange and budget accommodation where you can stay on your safari. Choosing accommodation in Bwindi impenetrable national park depends on the sector where you are going to trek from for easy accessibility. lodges in the park include Chameleon Hill Lodge, Nshongi Camp, Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Jungle View Lodge, Gorilla Friends Lodge, Bwindi Guest House, Gorilla Resort, Bwindi View Bandas, Engagi Lodge, CTPH Gorilla Conservation Camp, Silverback Lodge, Volcanoes Safari Bwindi Lodge, Lake Kitandara Camp, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Buhoma Lodge, Gift of Nature Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Resort, Ruhija Gorilla Mist Camp, Cuckooland Tented Lodge, Ruhija Community Rest Camp, Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort and Campsite, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Wagtail Eco Safari Camp among others.

Bwindi impenetrable national park has various activities that you can engage in on your safari in Uganda such as gorilla trekking and habituation where you get an opportunity of spending time with the mountain gorillas, bird watching, community tour where you will visit the Batwa communities, nature walk among others, therefore visitors interested in visiting Bwindi impenetrable national park should contact Achieve Global Safaris for more information.