Best time to visit Bwindi impenetrable national park; Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda in Kanungu district. Bwindi impenetrable national park is famously known for harboring the endangered mountain gorillas which are found in four sectors namely Buhoma sector in the north, Rushaga sector in the south, Ruhija sector in the east and Nkuringo sector in the south.
The national park also harbors other wildlife species including variety of bird species, animals like forest elephants, warthogs, other primates like chimpanzees, l’hoest monkeys among others. Apart from Bwindi impenetrable national park, mountain gorillas are also found in Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Best time to visit Bwindi impenetrable national park
Bwindi impenetrable national park can be visited anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season which is also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season, there is less rainfall in Bwindi impenetrable national park therefore access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable which make trekking easy.
During the dry season, vegetation will be thin or short which helps visitors to view the mountain gorillas and other wildlife species in the park clearly.
Bwindi impenetrable national park can also be visited in the wet or low season during the moths of March to May and October to November which is the best period for bird watching where bird lovers will be able to view colorful and migratory bird species.
During the wet season, Bwindi impenetrable national park receives few travelers therefore you will be able to explore the park with few crowds and gorilla trekking permits will be easy to book as there is no competition like in the dry season.
Most luxury lodges in Bwindi impenetrable national park reduce their rates so as to attract travelers during the low season in the months of March to May and October to November which favors budget travelers.
Travelling to Bwindi impenetrable national park during the wet season has some disadvantages like heavy rainfall in the park which makes access roads and gorilla trekking trails wet, muddy and slippery hence making gorilla trekking difficult.
When travelling to Bwindi impenetrable national park during the wet or rainy season, visitor are required to pack the right trekking gears for example hiking shoes, long sleeved shirt and trouser, waterproof rain jacket, backpack, camera and extra batteries, garden gloves, warm sweater, walking stick, insect repellent among others.
Gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Bwindi impenetrable national park is a home of more than 22 habituated mountain gorilla families and trekking starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will be subdivided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and an experienced park guide who is well conversant with different gorilla trails. Trekking of mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the mountain gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, different bird species, plant and tree species among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record videos to show people back home.
Cost of gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking permits are legal documents that are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to all visitors above the age of 15 years allowing them to visit any habituated gorilla family and spend one hour with the mountain gorillas in their habitat. Gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park costs 700 USD per person for foreign non residents, 600 USD per person for foreign residents and 250,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
Gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park can either be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority where you will contact the park headquarters via email or telephone calls. You can also book gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the dates, month and year when you wish to visit the mountain gorillas. After contacting us, we will check for permit availability and if there are permits available, you will be asked to make a deposit. Once we receive the money, we will purchase the permits on your behalf and send you a scanned copy of the receipt as confirmation.
Bwindi impenetrable national park can be visited anytime throughout the year regardless of the season as it doesn’t rain the entire day and travelers can still engage in different safari activities like gorilla trekking, gorilla habituation experience, bird watching, guided nature walks among others. For more information about the best time to visit Bwindi impenetrable national park, you can contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for various Uganda safari packages.
