EDGAR R. BATTE
edgarraymond@gmail.com
Location: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Attractions: The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is rich in biodiversity, making it the perfect home for the prized Mountain Gorilla. Uganda is home to half of the world’s Mountain gorilla population. It is one of the National Parks that is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site and is within sight of Virunga National Park, in Rwanda, another tourism destination with Mountain Gorillas.
If you care for birding, Bwindi is inviting. Its forest walls are salutary for the clean and cool air. They lead to scenic beautiful waterfalls, draughty Ruhija sector and positions to see the beautiful rift valley.
Getting there: You can get there by road or by air. By road, it can be accessed from Kabale and through Queen Elizabeth National Park for a journey of about three hours. You can make a direct trip from Kampala via Mbarara for a journey of about eight hours A 4WD vehicle is recommended given the terrain, especially when it rains and roads are slippery. By air, you can fly from Entebbe or from Kampala at Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro. Planes can also be chartered to the grass Kayonza or Savannah airstrips
Prices: You will part with US$700, payable to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), in order to track the gorillas. With the cost, comes an informed guide. You might want to hire some escorts at a negotiation price.
What’s more: Trekking is no mean feat. You will manoeuvre through some rugged terrain of the jungle, some slopes too sharp, should the gorillas choose to station at hilly angles. With that mind, you might want to plan for adequate footwear and protection gear for your camera as well as a raincoat. Bwindi is a rainforest where it rains anytime, almost every time.
