Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda, East Africa. It is one of the country’s most visited national parks, offering gorilla trekking experiences.
It is also the only park where tourists can take part in gorilla habituation.
Bwindi can be reached by air through Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield. The park has four sectors, so flying will require you to choose an airstrip near the area where you will trek gorillas and where you booked your accommodation.
There are two airstrips near Bwindi: Kisoro Airstrip and Kihihi Airstrip. Kisoro Airstrip is six kilometers from the Rwandan border and 343 kilometers southwest of Entebbe International Airport.
Tourists traveling to the Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors in the southern part of Bwindi should fly to Kisoro Airstrip.
Tourists visiting the Buhoma and Ruhija sectors should fly to Kihihi Airstrip and then drive to their hotels.
Bwindi can also be accessed by flying into Kigali International Airport in Rwanda and driving 4-5 hours to the park.
Traveling to Bwindi by air is mostly chosen by luxury travelers or those with limited time to spend in Uganda. Bwindi can also be reached by road from Kampala, which takes 10-11 hours.
Although the road journey is long and tiring, it is ideal for adventurous travelers as it offers scenic views of Uganda, known as the “Pearl of Africa,” from Entebbe to Bwindi.
Travelers can also pass through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park to see the famous tree-climbing lions.
Traveling by air is also recommended for disabled tourists or elderly visitors who may not want to spend an entire day driving to the park. Whether to travel by air or road depends on the tourist’s budget.
Tourists can fly to Bwindi and later drive to Kigali, Rwanda, for a few hours and fly out from Kigali International Airport.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is home to the highest number of primates in the world, with over 13 species living in the forest, including the endangered mountain gorillas.
Bwindi is home to half of the world’s mountain gorilla population, as well as other primates like black-and-white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, chimpanzees, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, giant forest genets, and many others.
The park was first gazetted as a Crown Forest Reserve in 1932 and became an animal sanctuary in 1964. In 1991, it was officially established as a national park.
Bwindi is rich in biodiversity, with 348 bird species, 163 tree species, 120 mammal species, 104 fern species, 1,000 flowering plants, and about 220 butterfly species.
