Overview
Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park which is a home habituated gorillas ready for tracking. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is famous for harboring endangered mountain gorillas and other species which are found in the park. Rushaga gorilla sector is said to have the highest number of gorillas and this is the reason as to why, it is advisable to track gorillas in Rushaga gorilla sector.
Rushaga gorilla sector has accommodation that range from Luxury, midrange and budget.
Karungi camp is a budget accommodation located in Rushaga gorilla sector and it provides cozy accommodation to travelers who want to do gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park. Karungi Camp is an affordable accommodation in Bwindi and the facility is located near the community which gives you a chance to come closer to the locals. The camp has excellent chefs who have enough experiences to prepare both local and intercontinental delicacies as you stay on the facility. The local community that is near this accommodation is the Batwa who are the main entertainers after tracking gorillas or before gorilla trekking exercise. Karungi camp has single standing cottages that can accommodate single travelers, double travelers and the triple travelers as well.
Bwindi backpacker’s lodge is one of the best budget accommodations in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. The park is located at the edge of the park in Nkuringo gorilla sector in the southern park, this lodge has fully furnished rooms that have a clear view of the park. The lodge has 3 types of rooms for instance; single rooms, twin rooms and double rooms all rooms have shared bathrooms. The lodge has got dormitories for those travelers who come with their own tents, the dormitories come with rooms services, free Wi-Fi, parking, bar and restaurant lounge and free breakfast as well.
Albertine gorilla campsite is a traveler’s choice located 10 meters away from UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) offices in Nkuringo gorilla sector. This facility is a hot deal for tourists who want to track gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park where you will be able to see the endangered mountain gorillas, birds, plant life, and great views of nature among others that are found in this great heritage.
Getting to Albertine gorilla campsite
Driving from Kampala/Entebbe via Masaka-Mbarara highway will take you about 8-9hours, there is going to be stopovers at the Equator where you will have to take pictures while you are standing in the both hemispheres of the earth. Another stopover will be in Mbarara where you will have lunch break and then embark on the journey, leading you to lodge in the late evening.
Ruhija community rest camp is a budget travelers’ accommodation that provides affordable fares to the tourists who come to Bwindi to track gorillas in the park. This accommodation is located opposite institute of Tropical Forest Conservations near UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) headquarters in Ruhija gorilla sector.
Nshongi camp is another beautiful budget accommodation located a few kilometers away from the park’s center where gorilla trekking starts from. It is only at this camp where you can track the 5 gorilla families; Nshongi, Mishaya, Kahungye, Bweza and Busingye. The camp is close to UNESCO World Heritage site in southwestern Uganda.
Activities in Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park
Bwindi is famous for accommodating gorilla, therefore gorilla trekking is the main activity in this park. Gorilla trekking normally takes about 30minutes to 5hours depending on the location of the gorillas. Before you go for gorilla trekking, you have to be briefed about gorilla trekking etiquettes, and it is here where you are allocated gorilla family which you will track. You will go with a ranger guide who will help you to locate the gorillas, after you have met them, you will take pictures, videos and then return back to Karungi camp.
Bwindi is a home to over to over 350 bird species including those that are endemic to Albertine rift. Bird watching in Bwindi is another fantastic birding area that Uganda brags about. If you decide to watch birds in Bwindi you expect to see some of these species; kivu ground thrush, handsome francolins, regal sunbirds, montane oriole, black bee eaters, grauer’s broadbill, montane nightjar to mention but a few.
Batwa is one of the most interesting tribe found in southwestern Uganda in Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park. Batwa community walk will expose you to the culture and tradition of these forest people who have been in the forests since time immemorial and they are regarded as the forest masters. They have a lot to entertain you through their songs, dances, they are also a creative tribe that makes crafts which you can buy as souvenirs. This tribe has a tribe has a story factory that never ends, they will jazz you how they have been in the forests and how they used to make fire, how they used to make local herds to treat their diseases, how they used to roast meat among other ancient stories.