How Safe is Bwindi National Park?

How Safe is Bwindi National Park?

Is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park safe for tourists? Yes, tourists who visit or plan to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are guaranteed safety. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the great destinations in Uganda that travelers can visit for a safari. Travelers have different questions concerning safety while in the park. These frequently asked questions about the safety of travelers all relate to the 1998 massacre where the Rwandese rebels attacked a safari camp and killed travelers within the park. Currently, the park authority under the Uganda Wildlife Authority works hand in hand with the Uganda people’s defense forces, which are working hand in hand to ensure the safety of travelers during their visits to the park.

About the park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is in southwestern Uganda in the Kanungu and Kisoro districts. The park is home to mountain gorillas and it was gazette in 1991. The first gorilla family in this park was habituated in 1993 called the Mubare family with 9 members. Currently, there are over 19 gorilla-habituated families in the park for tracking. The park is also divided into four sectors that is Rushaga, Nkuringo, Ruhija, and Buhoma. All these sectors have habituated gorilla families available for tracking. The park is a UNESCO heritage site famous for its mountain gorillas since half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas is found in this park.

What are the activities carried out in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

While in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, there are several activities that travelers on their Uganda safaris engage in for a safari and they include;

Gorilla trekking

This is a primary activity in the park that travelers on their safaris can engage in for a safari. Gorilla trekking is the search of the gorillas in the park’s forested areas. Tracked gorillas are usually first habituated for them to get used to the human presence. The habituation process takes about 2 years with the forested areas of the park. Travelers planning to track gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are supposed to have booked a gorilla permit since they are limited in number. In this park, there are over 144 gorilla trekking permits available each day. Trekking takes about 2 to 7 hours of the day in the search of gorillas within the park and then travelers have one hour to view the gorillas. One of the safe activities done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. 

Gorilla habituation

Gorilla habituation is only done in the Bwindi impenetrable National Park where travelers have more time with the gorillas in the park. Habituation is the process of training gorillas for them to get used to the presence of humans. This activity started in 2016 in the Rushaga sector with a limited number of people allowed to do the activity. A maximum of 4 people is allowed to do the gorilla habituation a day.

Forest walk

The forest walk takes about 4 to 6 hours of the day and it starts from the southern part of the park Nkuringo to Buhoma which is in the northern part of the park. The walk takes you around the different trails of the park including; the Ivy River trail, Kashasha River trail, Buniga forest trail, Suma waterfall trail, Batwa trail, and many others. This walk also takes you to the buffer zones of the park.

Cycling

This activity is usually done in Buhoma which is the northern part of the park. Cycling takes you to the high rocky areas of the park and through the different communities of the park.

Cultural encounters

While on a Uganda safari, the cultural encounters in the Batwa community are one of the activities that travelers can engage in. The Batwa were once the former inhabitants of the park who used to live with the mountain gorillas. While in the Batwa community, there are several activities that travelers can engage in like coffee roasting, banana brewing, cultural dances, and many others.

Birding

The park is home to over 350 bird species where 24 species are endemic Albertine species and 14 of them are only found in this park.  Birding is one of the top activities in the park since there are several birding trails gazette around the park. The bird species in the park include; African green broad bill, blue-headed sunbird, Rwenzori night jar, and many others.

How much is a gorilla trekking permit in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

While in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, travelers are supposed to have acquired a gorilla trekking permit to see the mountain gorillas. A gorilla trekking permit costs about 800 dollars for foreign non-residents, 700 dollars for foreign residents, 500 dollars for the rest of Africa, and 300,000 Ugandan shillings for East African citizens. The other permit to see the gorillas is the gorilla habituation permit. This permit costs about 1500 dollars for foreign nonresidents,1000 dollars for foreign residents, and 750,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens.

How to book a gorilla trekking permit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

While planning a gorilla safari in Uganda, travelers are supposed to have booked a gorilla trekking permit. This permit booking helps travelers to ensure availability during the trekking. In the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, there are over 144 trekking permits available for travelers to track gorillas.  The procedures for booking the gorilla trekking permits include; Travelers who are planning to book a gorilla trekking permit are supposed to use licensed tour operators to acquire the permits. A copy of a valid passport, national ID, and many others. Copy of the payment receipts for the gorilla trekking. A clear date for the traveler to track the gorillas.

How to access the Bwindi impenetrable National Park?

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is accessed by both road and air transport. While using road transport, travelers take about 8 to 9 hours from Kampala to reach the park. If travelers are planning to access the park from Kigali in Rwanda. They take about 6 hours to reach the park through the border points like Cyanika and Katuna. When using air transport, travelers have to use the chartered domestic flights from the Entebbe International Airport and Kajjansi Airstrip. These flights take you to their Kihihi airstrip or Kisoro airstrip which are near the park. Generally, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a safe safari destination for tourists.