Imagine driving on your own in a foreign land, leading to a place you have never been before and moreover very remote. A self-guided tour to Bwindi impenetrable national park is such an adventure, an experience that comes with excitement and revelation but fright occasionally kicks in.
We could say this expedition brings mixed feelings to the traveler. However, at the end of it, you will have had one of the greatest experiences in a lifetime; meeting your closest relatives in the wild, the endangered mountain gorillas. This gets better when you travel by a comfortable 4×4 car hire Uganda.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is positioned in the southwestern part of Uganda lying at the edge of the Great Rift Valley in Kanungu district. The park is famous for its ancient tropical rainforest standing amidst hillsides hence the name.
Bwindi Forest National Park is part of the famous Bwindi forest which harbors almost half of the world’s gorilla population. The forest was gazetted as a national park in 1991 and later declared a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site in 1994. Much is said and a lot is seen when you travel to Uganda’s diverse rainforest.
You will get to see more on a Uganda self-drive tour, traveling at your own pace and following your travel plan. What more can Uganda request when it is over-blessed with nature with attractions yet to be discovered? One willing to travel to Bwindi on a self-guided tour is yet to see beyond the natural beauty.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is said to be over 25000 years old with numerous plant species. Have you ever thought about how this forest obtained its name?!! The name comes from the immeasurable stands of bamboo distributed amongst the large forest hardwoods.
This diverse tropical forest is home to over 500 gorillas. The gorillas are ranked one of Uganda’s best-generating revenue products through gorilla tracking. Bwindi forest is a guardian and it offers a sweet home far from home in the form of shelter to over 350 bird species with 23 Albertine rift endemics, 120 mammals, and a good number of primate species such as chimpanzees, and baboons among others.
The mountain gorillas attract different tourists from different parts of the world who come to acquire information, research as well see them physically. What a feeling when you encounter what is said to be man’s closest cousin, the gorillas in their natural setting.
The gorillas are the main attraction in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and attract more tourists to come and see how they adapt to forest life, do they act like humans as they say after possessing 98.9 % human DNA, how do they feed, shelter, and protect their territories among others. Gorilla tracking is the most sought-after activity by tourists and involves tracking down these creatures in a group of 8 members for some good hours ranging from 4 to 6 hours in the deep forest. when you relocate them, you spend one hour learning about their behaviors. These creatures are said to be gentle but at times when disturbed can charge and attack. The aggression of gorillas is a rare trait or incident thus you should not worry about it.
Gorilla habituation is second to gorilla tracking and involves following up the wild gorillas and taming them to get used to human presence.
Other activities that are carried out on a self-guided tour to Bwindi include the Batwa trail where you get to meet the Batwa cultural people and learn more about their lifestyle and nature walks.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest has much to offer. to mean gorilla tracking where gorillas are watched and observed in close proximity. Gorillas in Bwindi are divided into families and each family comprises 10-50 members being led by an alpha male. Other wildlife species such as elephants, antelopes, monkeys, butterflies, insects, and tree species are also sighted in the Kigezi region-based rainforest. The forest is embraced by 5 sources of rivers pouring into the magical Lake Edward.
The accommodation bit in Bwindi impenetrable national park is sorted for those in need of luxury, mid-range, and budget services. Those planning for Uganda self-guided tour should not worry about where to spend the night but rather choose from the many accommodations. When choosing the accommodation, take note of your tracking permit sector. I would advise you to book a hotel close to your tracking sector to avoid missing out or going through the burden of early morning traveling to reach the park headquarters. Uniquely explore the home to the popular gentle creatures (mountain gorillas) on your own.