Is Bwindi National Park Safe for Visitors?

Is Bwindi National Park Safe for Visitors? Many people inquire about the safety of tourists in Bwindi. This is partly owing to the 1998 Bwindi Massacre, in which Rwandan insurgents ambushed and killed numerous safari guests. Since this incident, the Ugandan government has increased security and removed all unauthorized human presence from the park. Today, Bwindi is the most secure gorilla tracking site, and visitors to the park feel comfortable and secure throughout their visits.

Due to the recent attacks by four poachers and the killing of Rafiki, the Silverback leader of the Nkuringo group in the southern sector of Bwindi impenetrable national park, many people are hesitant to visit the park, and this question has been raised by many potential visitors who want to go gorilla trekking in Bwindi. In Uganda, gorilla trekking is only possible in two national parks: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in the western part of Uganda.

There have also been border instability between Uganda and Rwanda, but this has not hampered cross-border traffic because both national parks are located on the border, with Bwindi Impenetrable National Park having a border with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sharing a border with Rwanda.

Is Bwindi National Park Safe for Visitors?

Because gorilla tracking is a highly well planned and regulated activity at Bwindi Forest and Volcanoes National Parks from start to finish, Uganda and Rwanda are both quite safe for gorilla trekking. During gorilla tracking, you will be escorted by two well-armed park rangers as well as tourist police to protect you from outsiders and dangerous animals in the jungles. Learn more about the safety of gorilla trekking.

Best Time for gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

To experience low-cost gorilla trekking trips, plan your vacation around April, May, or November, when Uganda gorilla permit rates are less than $700 per person.

You can also use the same money to participate in other park tourist activities such as a community tour to the Batwa people, also known as the people of the forest, a nature walk through the park, or even to support Bwindi community charity projects for children, women, community education, health at Bwindi hospital, and many others.

Where to stay during your gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest National Park takes place in the northern sectors of Buhoma and Ruhija, as well as the southern sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo. Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Four Gorillas Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge, Nshongi Camp, Ichumbi Gorilla Safari Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, and Karungi Camp are all places to stay in Rushaga. In Nkuringo, you may stay at Nkuringo Bwindi gorilla lodge, Clouds Mountain gorilla lodge, or Lake Mutanda Resort, all of which are close to the Gorilla Habituation starting point.

In the north, in the Buhoma sector, you may stay at Buhoma Lodge, Bwindi Lodge, Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Ride 4 a Woman, and other establishments. Gorilla Mist Camp, Agandi Eco Lodge, Bakiga Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, and Broadbill Tented Camp are among the places to stay in Ruhija.

Because Bwindi Forest has many gorilla trekking families and sectors, tracking gorillas twice is possible depending on one’s interest, as all gorilla families and sectors are available to trackers every day. Tracking various gorilla families in separate park sectors or different gorilla families in the same park sector is an option.

Each gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable national park is distinct, with various appealing characteristics such as several members, new-born gorillas, and sluggish woodland mobility. However, travelers make varied choices of different gorilla families according to their preferred interest. Some visitors enjoy walking large distances, while others prefer the reverse; for example, some enjoy seeing numerous young gorillas and their mothers and experiencing the actual family behaviors of primates in the bush, while others do not.

Advanced booking for both permits increases one’s chances of booking their preferred gorilla family. Allow two days for the two excursions, which begin in the morning with a briefing from park rangers and conclude at any time between 2 and 6 hours or more. You may, however, visit several other mountain gorilla hotspots in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

How fit should be to do gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable National Park.

All tourists planning to attend for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure must be physically fit. The walk include hiking through dense forests, high terrain, and sometimes muddy slopes. Treks to observe a troop of mountain gorillas are often at higher elevations. Mountain gorillas dwell at elevations ranging from 3000 to 4300 meters above sea level.

Are visitors guaranteed to see Mountain gorillas during gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park.

Mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable national park takes place in the wild, rather than in a zoo. This implies you don’t have a 100 percent probability of seeing them, but you do have a 95 percent chance. To improve the procedure, trackers are deployed into the jungle to locate mountain gorillas before the next group of guests embarks on their walk. They are helped with radio and GPS coordinates. Even on a one day gorilla trek, the odds of seeing mountain gorillas in any of the four gorilla areas are greater than 98%.

How to get to Bwindi National Park in Uganda.

In Bwindi impenetrable national park, there are four distinct trailheads for gorilla trekking. Buhoma and Ruhija are in the north, and Rushaga and Nkuringo are in the south. By car, they are many hours distant.

If visiting as part of a Uganda vacation, Buhoma, the primary gorilla trekking trailhead, may be reached in 2 to 3 hours (from the Ishasha sector) or 5 to 6 hours (from the Buhoma sector) (from the more northerly sectors).

The drive from Lake Mburo National Park to the numerous trailheads takes 5 to 7 hours. The journey by car from Entebbe or Kampala will take around 8 to 10 hours. Some trailheads need 4WD vehicle driving during the wet season, Is Bwindi National Park Safe for Visitors?.

Bwindi impenetrable national park is also accessible by scheduled or chartered aircraft. Kihihi is the nearest airport to the Buhoma and Ruhija trailheads, while Kisoro is closer to the Rushaga and Nkuringo trailheads.

The majority of travelers arrive via Entebbe International Airport. It is around 46 kilometers/29 miles from Kampala, Uganda’s capital city. Domestic flights from Entebbe or Kampala (Kajjansi Airfield) to Kihihi or Kisoro near Bwindi national park are available.