How to Get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the many aspects travellers intending to take part in a gorilla trekking in Bwindi adventure look at vividly. Located in the south western region of Uganda in the districts of Kanungu, and Kisoro, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be accessed by both road and air.
By Road
Travellers wondering on how to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park should know that the park can be reached by road. From Entebbe International Airport or Kampala city, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is approximately 463.7kms and can take 8-9hours of driving to get to the park via Masaka road. Getting to Bwindi by road is by far the easiest means and definitely cheap. Also, getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by road is very rewarding as travellers get to see a typical Ugandan countryside.
There are various routes that travellers wondering how to get to Bwindi can take and they include;
Kampala-Kabale-Kanungu-Buhoma
This is one of the most commonly used routes by travellers going to the Buhoma gorilla region of Bwindi. The route has a tarmac highway to Kabale covering about 414km (5-6 hours’ drive) and a murram road that covers 120kms. This route has travellers going through Kanungu and Kanyantorogo as well, rewarding travellers with communities to look at with locals going about their day-to-day life. Travellers are advised to use a 4WD car for a more comfortable road drive.
Kampala-Ntungamo-Rukungiri-Kihihi-Buhoma
This route is considered by many as the easiest and most convenient route from Kampala. This route has travellers driving directly from Kampala to Rukungiri covering a total distance of 390kms and then embark on a murram road to Buhoma.
Kampala-Kabale-Ruhija-Buhoma
The Kampala-Kabale-Ruhija-Buhoma route is another route that travellers can use to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. this route has some murram road that can take travellers 3-4 hours to finish.
Kampala-Kabale-Nkuringo
Travellers wondering on how to get to Bwindi and Nkuringo sector, in particular, can use this route. This Kampala-Kabale-Nkuringo route is most convenient for travellers going to Nkuringo gorilla region of Bwindi, or the southern part of the park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park-Kihihi-Buhoma
Travellers on a wildlife game viewing safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park can easily access Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via the Ishasha sector that is famous for the tree-climbing lions. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is roughly 4 hours away from the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This route is very rewarding to travellers as they will get to sight tree-climbing lions and a number of other wild animals like kobs, antelopes, buffaloes, among others. While getting to Bwindi via the Ishasha sector is only 64km away, travellers from Mweya have a 160km distance to get to Bwindi.
By road, travellers can use the above routes by both private and public means to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Travellers intending to use public means to get to Bwindi should know that there are bus services available every day from Kampala to Butogota at which point the buses stop and it is from here that travellers can opt to hire a taxi to transport them to the Buhoma sector of Bwindi. Travellers going to the Nkuringo sector or Rushaga have to hire vehicles from Kisoro for that is the far the buses go.
By Air
Travellers wondering on how to get to Bwindi faster and without much road drive have the choice of having a fly-in gorilla safari. Charter flights can be booked in advance with almost weekly flights from Entebbe or Kajjansi to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips. The Kayonza airstrip can also be used. The Kihihi and Kayonza airfields cater for travellers visiting the northern parts of Bwindi while the Kisoro airfield best serves those going to the southern gorilla region of Bwindi. Once at the airfields, travellers get to be transferred to their respective accommodation or gorilla sectors.
Alternatively, travellers can fly into Kigali International Airport of Rwanda and then be transferred to Bwindi via the Cyanika or Katuna border points. This can take only 4 hours or less. This has been an option that many travellers have taken into account when planning their gorilla safari in Uganda and how to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park without spending a lot of time on the road.
Bwindi Impenetrable forest is a prime tourist destination that has great biodiversity with 350 bird species that include a number of endemics, mammals like forest elephants and a number of primates with the endangered mountain gorillas being the most sought after by so many travellers who come to have a gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi.
Bwindi Impenetrable Park can be visited throughout the year given the weather patterns do change from time to time due to the fact that the park is a rainforest that receives rainfall any time of the day, but with dry or sunny spells as well. Packing right is therefore very important.
For whatever reason it is that you are wondering on how to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, make sure to reach out to a trusted tour operator to help you plan the best visit to the park, providing you with the best and most appropriate vehicles and affordable gorilla safaris as well as give you more insight or information that you may need about the park.
