Hiking Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Hiking through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable Rain-forest presents much more than Gorilla tracking like there is Birding, waterfall hikes, mountain biking all in the pre-historical primeval forest –

This park (Bwindi Impenetrable National Park)) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for good reasons that exceed Gorilla Tracking. This park is not only shelter to over half of the outstanding Mountain Gorillas, No, it also shelters the massive Rain-forest the length of which you can hike through, watch birds, primates, plants and trees that you have never had a sight at before and in some cases people on the way to or from the Market.

Hiking through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

This is a venture that fairly few are aware of, and even fewer engage in the activity(Hiking). You can begin at either end of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (actually you can begin or end in the town of Kisoro and it becomes a 2 Day experience which involves a canoe trip along Lake Mutanda, Nkuringo section or Buhoma section and take your directed and accompanied hike through the passable Impenetrable Forest.

Now here you are recommended to have a backpack carrying 2 liters of water, packed lunch, good shoes for hiking such as lightweight boots, long trousers like jeans, long-sleeved shirt, rain-jacket, hat, sunglasses, binoculars and camera with extra batteries to mention but a few.

When you hike embark on this activity, you should bear in mind that are variations in heights & distances through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.And for cases of Buhoma section to Nkuringo section hiking the last section includes a steep climb though, most do not consider it as a problem but as a trial of their stamina and relish the far-fetched views. We have gotten visitors/tourists who have physically equipped themselves before embarking on the gorilla tracking activity and engaging in the Walking tours through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

What will you sight on your walking trip through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest?

Bwindi Rain-forest shelters over 350 species of birds of which many of them are widely spread to the region while you hike through the forest you will be able to spot many birds, there also exists over 300 kinds of butterflies and you surely spot some of them up close and you will have a chance to take some fine photos.

The park contains 10 species of primates involving chimpanzees, L Hoests Monkey, Red Tailed and Blue Monkey, Black & White Colobus Monkeys and Baboons, etc. You will certainly experience primates on your trek through the pre-historical Rain-forest. You will spot some primates along the way since this forest (Bwindi Impenetrable Forest) does not only shelter Gorillas, Primates, Birds and butterflies but also provides shelter to 120 mammal species involving Forest Elephants, Duikers, Bush Pigs, the giant Forest Hog, cat species, etc. You could also spot some colorful chameleons along the way.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of the basic gems in the Pearl of Africa and a walking tour through it clarifies as a drapery of sounds, sights, smells as you have never encountered before.

You could go on a 2 Day Gorilla Trekking ,one in the Buhoma section and the other in Nkuringo section or Rushaga section. You can also engage in a whole-day Gorilla Habituation Experience tour where you are able to spend 4 hrs with the gentle giants (Gorillas).

Hiking through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

The Kashasha River Trail

This one starts at the Nkuringo National Parks headquarters before continuing down a sharp slope via community land to reach the park buffer zone. The route goes through the connection of 2 rivers inside the forest where after a further 20-minute rise the trail meets the other route to the Ivy River trail inside the forest (90 mins) from Buhoma section.

The trek to the Buhoma Park HQ on the Kashasha River Trail is 5 hours between Nkuringo and Buhoma or 6 to 7 hours between Buhoma and Nkuringo. The Kashasha River trail involves some steep inclines not least when hiking from Buhoma to Nkuringo.

The trail offers visitors a close-up experience of the natural wonders within a rain forest environment. Birds are prolific in Bwindi and your guide will point these out to you during your walk.

The Ivy River Hiking Trail

This also starts from the Nkuringo section Park office, where we follow a murram road downhill with spots over the forest for some 7 km to the Ivy river on our right. The Hiking trails within the forest is often hiked by tourists that resided at Buhoma section as a nature walk from the park offices, From Nkuringo office to the Ivy River you take about 2 and 1/2 hours hiking. From the Ivy river to Buhoma section hiking through the forest can take you 4 hours. Therefore, Total journey time is about 6 1/2 hours.

This Ivy river route soars and inclines gently through lovely places of the rain forest with many viewpoints from the murram road from/to Nkuringo section over seeing lavish, fog covered valleys. The trail is also an important footpath for indigenous people traveling to and from Nkuringo section especially on market days to Nteko village on the southern boundary of the park. Monkeys, duikers, bush pigs and some of Bwindi’s world famous bird species plus several butterflies can be watched.

Advice for your Hike – Nature Walk through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Hiking through this forest(Bwindi Impenetrable Forest )is an activity that will only commend your tour to a gorilla group family. Some do gorilla trekking before the walking tour and then another 1 day after they have finished their walking tour via the Forest.

A Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Walking tour becomes one of the high spots of your time in Uganda, wonderful views, beautiful sights, incredible flora and stunning primates, birds, mammals, and butterflies. After the 1 Day hiking, the Trail proceeds the following day with a hike down along Lake Mutanda and dugout canoe ride across the lake on to Kisoro. Involve Hiking through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.