Estimated Number of People that Trek Gorillas in Bwindi Every Year – Bwindi is a large tropical rainforest located in southwestern Uganda, spanning the districts of Kisoro, Kabale, and Kanungu. The forest lies on the edges of the Albertine and East African Rifts and covers an area of 331 square kilometers. It contains about 160 species of trees and 100 species of ferns. The name “Bwindi” stems from the Runyakitara word “Mubwindi,” meaning “place of darkness,” due to the extensive bamboo stands spread throughout the forest.
The forest is home to the endangered mountain gorillas, which are the major tourist attraction, along with 120 mammals, 348 bird species, 220 butterfly species, and 27 frog species. Examples of mammals include elephants and yellow-backed duikers. Other primates found in Bwindi include chimpanzees, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, and black-and-white colobus monkeys. Birds in the park include great blue turacos, black-billed turacos, black bee-eaters, African green broadbills, handsome francolins, African black ducks, and Cassin’s grey flycatchers.
In 1991, Bwindi was ratified as a national park to protect the mountain gorilla populations from poaching and habitat destruction. Currently, Bwindi National Park has 20 gorilla families available for trekking by tourists in the different sectors of the park, namely Rushaga, Nkuringo, Ruhija, and Buhoma.
Estimated Number of People that Trek Gorillas Every Year
When Bwindi was opened for trekking in 1991, the area started receiving around 3,000 tourists yearly. Currently, Bwindi has 20 gorilla groups, and 8 people are allowed to visit one particular gorilla group daily. Roughly 152 tourists visit daily, and in a year, about 36,000 tourists visit Bwindi.
Cost of Gorilla Permits
A gorilla permit costs about UGX 300,000 for East African citizens, USD 800 for foreign non-residents, and USD 600 for foreign residents. The permits are obtained from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, a government body in charge of tourism.
Rules for Trekking
- Children below 15 years are not allowed to trek.
- Noise making is highly prohibited while trekking because it may disturb the gorillas.
- Any person with any illness is not allowed to trek to prevent transmission to the gorillas.
- Use of flash cameras during trekking is highly prohibited to avoid threatening the gorillas.
Transport to Reach the Park
- By Air: Tourists can travel by plane using domestic airlines to Kisoro airstrip, and from Kisoro airstrip, it is a 1-hour drive to the park.
- By Road: Tourists can travel from Entebbe or Kampala for 8 hours to the park and then be guided by the park guides to start their trekking activities.
Other Activities
- Batwa cultural experience
- Nature walks
- Hiking
- Birding
- Gorilla habituation
- Lake Mutanda visit
- Habinyanja trail
- Munyanga waterfall trail
Accommodation
- Cuckooland Tented Bwindi
- Gorilla Heights Lodge
- Bwindi My Home
- Bwindi Forest Lodge
- Rushaga Gorilla Lodge
- Kiho Gorilla Safari Lodge
Simultaneously, Bwindi receives many tourists and is one of the national parks that attract a large number of visitors in the country.
