Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is home to half population of the endangered mountain gorillas, the park is made up of four sectors that is Buhoma sector, Nkuringo sector, Rushagga sector and Ruhijja sector where over 15 mountain gorilla families have been habituated.
Mountain gorillas are an endangered species of primates sharing over 90 percent of DNA with humans; they are threatened species due to habitat loss and poaching. Gorillas were almost extinct during 19th century but numbers have slowly increased over the years due to conservation efforts.
Engagi lodge
Engagi lodge is one of the most luxurious lodges at Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park featuring breath taking views of Bwindi forest canopy and approximately located near the park headquarters where your gorilla trekking journey starts from. The lodge derives its name from a local word in Rukiga language to mean “Gorilla”.
Accommodation at Engangi lodge is comprised of 8 en suit safari cottages hidden in foliage giving clients ultimate privacy. All cottages have en suit bathrooms with hot running water and private verandas to unwind the wilderness.
The main lodge building is divided into a dining serving local and international mouth watering cuisine meals, a bar cum seating room and a large outdoor veranda platform with spectacular views. Clients can take walks from the lodge down to the river observing the areas flora and fauna.
The lodge is beautifully crafted with local materials like eucalyptus trees, rocks and, any other materials sourced from within Bwindi forest. The restaurant serves yummy meals ranging from local and international cuisine meals while the well stocked bar offers a wide range of soft and hard drinks.
Activities
Gorilla trekking
While staying at Engangi lodge in Bwindi, you can trek mountain gorillas from Buhoma sector of the park and the habituated groups include; Habinyanja gorilla family, Rushegura gorilla family and Mubare gorilla family. Te time of trekking depends on the phase of hikers and location of the gorilla family but once the group s found then you will be given an hour of observation and to take photos.
Bird watching
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is home to over 351 species of birds recorded some of this species are endemic to the area. Bird lovers should not forget to carry Binoculars and spot various species such as; Kivu ground thrush, montane oriole, regal sunbird, common bulbul, impressing African emerald, short tailed warbler and white tailed fly catchers among the rest.
Apart from gorilla trekking, tourists can engage in other activities like gorilla habituation, bird watching, nature guided walks and cultural encounters.
