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A magnificent verdant swathe across the steep
ridges of the Albertine Rift Valley, this
ancient rainforest - one of the few in Africa to
have flourished throughout the last Ice Age - is
home to roughly half of the world's mountain
gorillas.
Looking deep into the expressive brown eyes of
these gentle giants is surely the most exciting
and poignant wildlife encounter that Africa has
to offer - but we should not let it distract
from Bwindi's broader biodiversity, a result of
its immense antiquity and an altitude span from
1,160 to 2,607m.
The national park has 90 mammal species,
including 11 primates, of which the
black-and-white colobus, with its lovely flowing
white tail, is prominent.
The forest birding ranks with the best in
Uganda, with 23 highly localised Albertine Rift
endemics present.
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SIZE:
331 sq km
LOCATION:
Southwest. The closes large town is Kabale.
GETTING THERE:
Bwindi can be reached from QENP in the north
(2-3 hours), from Kabale to the south (1-2
hours), or from Kampala via Mbarara (6-8 hours).
The roads meet at Butogota, 17km from the Buhoma
entrance gate. 4x4 recommended during the rains.
WHAT TO DO:
Gorilla tracking is the main attraction; permits
must pre-booked at the UWA office in Kampala.
Other guided forest walks are available: one
popular trail leads to a pretty waterfall,
others focus on birding and monkey-viewing.
WHEN TO VISIT:
Any time, though conditions are more challenging
during the rainy season.
WHERE TO STAY:
Two up-market tented camps, a lodge,
community-run budget rooms and camping are
available near the Buhoma entrance gate.
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TANZANIA