Nyundo community walk trails can be done at the magnificent Bwindi impenetrable forest national park home to half population of mountain gorilla, 351 species of birds 23 of which are Albertine endemics, 120 species of mammals, about 400 species of plants and the forest used to be home to indigenous Batwa community who used to live in the forest before it was made a national park.
The Nyundo community eco trail leads you to an a forest planted by Nyundo community after experiencing environmental change causing change in rainfall patterns, disappearance of mist, soil erosion and so much more, the community decided to plant and protect the land which led to the rain and mist returning.
Nyundo community trail offers great views of rolling hills, waterfalls and rivers. The trail leads to the kings waterfall known as “King Byakyara’s waterfall trail where only kings used to bath from long time ago, the area around the waterfall has for spectacular views and on top of that you can visit a cattle farm, bee keeping farm, banana plantation and also see how local beer is made out of bananas.
The other interesting thing about this trail is that you can take lessons in basket weaving, learn millet bread preparation, making some handmade crafts and also learn how local yoghurt is made. You can also get entertained by local traditional dancers with music dance and drama.
The tree planting has led the rainfall to stabilize and hence they started planting crops again, the trails were developed by the locals to create sustainable alternative to Agriculture, poaching and logging providing both income and an incentive to conserve the forest.
Apart ROM Nyundo community trails, there are also other trails you can use while in Bwindi and some of this can be seen below:
Buniga forest trail
The Buniga forest trail is run by the indigenous Batwa community and USAID organization, the Batwa people used to live inside Bwindi impenetrable forest national park until in 1991 when it was declared a national park and a UNESCO world heritage site. This trails gives visitors an insight to the culture of the forest people with a Batwa guide demonstrating how they used to live and survive in the forest. You will also get entertained by the local traditional Batwa dancers.
Suma water fall walk
The panoramic Sums waterfalls are located in a village called Sums, this is a community walk through villages surrounding Bwindi national park. You can also pass through one of the biggest villages in the area and see a man who has 16 wives in the village, this trail is 6 kilometers and takes about 5-6 hours to traverse.
Ivy river trail
The Ivy river trail offers some of the most spectacular views in Bwindi ascending and descending on the beautiful rolling hills. This trail takes about 4 hours and is also used by the locals especially on market days. There are a lot of birds, primates, butterflies and other wildlife that can be seen.
