Is Bwindi the Most Visited and Popular National Park in Uganda? Bwindi is located in the southwestern part of Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley.
The national park covers about 321 sq km and is found on the Kigezi Highlands at an altitude of 1190m to 2607m above sea level. The park is bordered by the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west and Kabale town to the southeast.
It covers the districts of Kisoro, Kabale, and Kanungu. Bwindi is a tropical rain-forest with temperatures ranging from 7 to 15°C (minimum) to 20 to 27°C (maximum). Rainfall ranges from 1400mm to 1900mm.]
Tourists can travel to Bwindi Forest National Park by road, approximately 8 to 9 hours from Entebbe International Airport, or 1 hour by air. Bwindi is the most visited and popular national park in Uganda because of gorilla trekking.
The national park is home to more than half of the world’s mountain gorilla population in the wild, about 459 individuals. These creatures are highly endangered due to poaching, diseases, and habitat loss.
According to statistics, more than 20,000 people visit Bwindi each year, making it one of the most popular in Uganda.
Mountain gorillas are trekked in families, and Bwindi has about 20 gorilla families. Each day, only 8 people are allowed to trek a particular family for 1 hour.
Many tourists support conservation efforts by trekking, and the money collected is used to protect these endangered primates.
Bwindi is also the most visited because it has various wildlife that captures tourist interests, such as other primates like black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, chimpanzees, and De Brazza monkeys.
It also has over 220 butterfly species, 120 mammal species, including elephants, and various amphibians, among others.
Popular gorilla families in Bwindi include:
- Katwe Gorilla Family
- Bitukura Gorilla Family
- Bushaho Gorilla Family
- Rushengura Gorilla Family
- Habinyanja Gorilla Family
- Mubare Gorilla Family
A gorilla permit is an authorization issued for gorilla trekking. Gorilla permits are secured at the Uganda Wildlife Authority, costing USD 800 per person per trek.
Bwindi is the major destination for tourists from across the world visiting Uganda, who also venture to other national parks to explore wildlife.
