Uganda boasts of two national parks that protect the mountain gorillas; Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park. Of these two gorilla national parks; Bwindi is the most popular, attracting thousands of travelers every year. This is partly attributed to it being home to close to half of the remaining mountain gorilla population in the whole world.
Bwindi is seated on a land expanse of 331km2. Located in south western Uganda; this national park stands out as the true haven of mountain gorilla conservation in Uganda. In case you wish to plan a Uganda road trip to Bwindi impenetrable national park, here is what you need to know:
Major Stops on the Bwindi Road Trip
There are mainly four major stops on your road trip to Bwindi impenetrable national park. That is the Equator line in Kayabwe, Lake Mburo national park in Lyantonde district, Mbarara for Igongo cultural center and lastly Lake Bunyonyi.
Kayabwe Equator Line
From Entebbe or Kampala, you can consider this place as your first stop on your Bwindi Road trip. You can stop at this place for breakfast, lunch or simply to buy a few souvenirs for your visit.
Lake Mburo National Park
This should be your first sleep over destination on your way to Bwindi. In this national park you can do some horseback rides or walking safaris to encounter some of the none predatory animals in this park. In addition, Lake Mburo National Park also offers an option of a boat trip on the lake that is within the national park. In case you are not in a rush, you can spend two days at this national park before continuing on your journey to Bwindi.
Igongo Cultural Center
After leaving Lake Mburo National Park, your next major stop will be Mbarara town. Here you can experience some night life. Alternatively, you can simply stop by in this town for lunch or a visit to the Igongo cultural center.
Lake Bunyonyi
This is usually a destination many people visit after gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park. However, you can as well visit the lake before gorilla trekking. There are several activities carried out at this lake including but not limited to hikes, canoeing, ziplining among several others.
Bwindi impenetrable National Park
Bwindi impenetrable national park has four major sectors, that is Nkuringo sector, Buhoma sector, Ruhija sector and Rushaga sector. From Lake Bunyonyi, the closest sector is Ruhija sector. You can do a nature walk in this sector before proceeding with your road trip to the other sectors.
In order to explore Bwindi thoroughly, you would need to do nature walks in all the four sectors of Bwindi impenetrable national park. This is only possible by paying for forest walks per sector.
Once you have visited Nkuringo sector and Rushaga sector, you can proceed to Buhoma sector before exiting the Bwindi conservation area. At the end of exploring Buhoma sector, you can then proceed to drive through Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park.
When you reach Katunguru town in Queen Elizabeth national park, you have the option of driving back to Mbarara or driving to fort portal town as your next stop.
Driving through Mbarara will be shorter and quicker than connecting to Kasese, Fort portal, Mubende and then Kampala. However, if you are interested in chimpanzee tracking on top of gorilla trekking, you can consider chimpanzee tracking in either Kalinzu forest or Kyambura gorge of Queen Elizabeth national park.
Of all the chimpanzee tracking destinations, it is only Kalinzu forest that offer chimpanzee tracking to walks-ins. The other destinations require you to book your chimpanzee tracking slot a beat in advance.
Important Tips
It is important to hire a 4×4 car for your trip to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Most recommended Uganda car rental options for your Bwindi road trip include Toyota Land Cruisers and Toyota Double Cabin. If you are looking to Hiace vans or costa buses for group travels, it is important to use one that is equipped with four wheel drive.
