The best airports near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Airports Near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Bwindi Impenetrable is located in southwestern Uganda at the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This park is divided into 4 sectors namely; Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga, and Ruhija sectors. Tourists on Uganda flying gorilla trekking safari can visit any of these sectors to see mountain gorillas. Each of these sectors (Buhoma, Rushaga, Nkuringo, and Ruhija) is home to over 4 habituated gorilla families. In these sectors, several gorilla families are habituated for travelers to track.
While on the Uganda gorilla safaris, there is no closest international port to the Bwindi impenetrable national park. Travelers take a long drive from Uganda’s international airport in Entebbe where they take about 9 hours to reach the park. Whereas if they plan a flight to the Kigali International Airport which might be the nearest airport for travelers to the park. The drive from the Kigali International Airport takes about 5 to 6 hours to reach the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The main international airport of Uganda is far from the park.
Which airports are near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Travelers can engage in the domestic scheduled flights from either Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to the different airstrips near the park. Airports near Bwindi impenetrable national park include;
Kihihi Airstrip
This airstrip is located on the northern side of the Bwindi impenetrable national park. It is one of the popular airstrips that travelers on their safaris can for their safaris to start from. Kihihi Airstrip is near the park headquarters where travelers take about 1 hour to reach the park headquarters. It is also near Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Kisoro Airstrip
It is located in Kisoro town southwestern Uganda in the last district of Uganda. This airstrip is within the southern part of Bwindi’s impenetrable national park. It is also about 2 hours to reach the park headquarters which is near the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
What to do in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
While in the Bwindi impenetrable national park, there are several activities that travelers on their safaris can engage in and they include;
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is one of the key activities in Bwindi’s impenetrable national park that travelers on their Uganda safaris can engage in. In this activity, travelers search for the gorillas within the forested areas of the park. The gorilla trekking starts with the briefing at the park headquarters where travelers are highlighted the dos and don’ts of the gorilla trekking. It takes about 2 to 7 hours of the day for travelers in search of the mountain gorillas. Once they come across them they spend 1 hour viewing them while maintaining a social distance of about 7 meters. For travelers to track the gorillas are supposed to have acquired a gorilla trekking permit.
Gorilla habituation
This is another activity that travelers on their Uganda safaris engage in to see the mountain gorillas. It is only done in the Bwindi impenetrable national. In this activity, travelers have more time with the mountain gorillas. It is also this activity where the gorillas are trained to get used to the human presence. It is only done in the Rushaga sector.
Birding
The best time to search for the bird species in this park is during the morning hours. In this park, there are over 350 bird species that travelers can encounter on their safaris. Bird species that travelers usually encounter during their safaris include the African greenhorn bill, western green tinker bird, Montane oriole, regal sunbird, banded woodpecker, common bulbul, and many others.
How much is a gorilla trekking permit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
While planning a gorilla trekking safari to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla trekking, travelers are supposed to acquire a gorilla trekking permit. A gorilla trekking permit is a legal document issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority for travelers to see the mountain. This permit is valid from the time of purchase and expires after tracking of the gorillas. This permit costs about 800 USD for foreign nonresidents, 700 USD.
For foreign residents, 500 USD for the rest of Africa, and 300,000 UGX for the East African residents. Additionally, travelers to see the gorillas in this park can engage in the gorilla habituation. Gorilla habituation permit to Bwindi impenetrable national park costs about 1500 USD for foreign nonresidents, 1000 USD for foreign residents and the rest of Africa, and 750000UGX for East African residents.
Travelers to get all these gorilla permits are supposed to use reliable tour operators to book the gorilla trekking and habituation permits. These permits are only sold to reliable tour operators by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
How much is accommodation near airports in Bwindi?
While in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, travelers have a variety of accommodation facilities to stay in for their safaris. The accommodation facilities in the park range from budget to midrange, and luxury. The cost of the accommodation facilities in the park depends on the number of days that you would wish to spend in the park. Budget accommodation facilities cost about 70 USD to 150 USD. Midrange accommodation facilities range from 200 US to 400 USD. Lastly, luxury or high-end facilities cost about 500 USD to 1000 USD.
Some of the accommodation facilities in Bwindi impenetrable National Park include; Bwindi Lodge, Ride 4 a Woman Guest House, Sanctuary Gorilla Lodge, Volcanoes Lodge, Nkuringo Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Bakiga Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Ruhija Community Rest Camp, Haven Lodge Buhoma, Gorilla Heights Lodge, and many others.
What is the best time to do gorilla trekking in Uganda?
Gorilla trekking safaris can be booked at any time of the year. The best time is during the dry season (June to September and December to February). During this time of the year, the park is dry and clearer to spot wildlife, especially on a gorilla trekking safari.
Additionally, walking trails in the park are less slippery during the dry seasons. Does this mean that the wet or low season is a bad time? No. Gorilla trekking in Uganda can be done any time of the year. This time of the year presents some opportunities like budget-friendly safari packages. More so, there is less traffic in the parks during wet seasons. This makes it the best time to visit the park. Generally, the best time of the year to track mountain gorillas in Uganda depends on your budget and other safari needs.
Conclusively, when you book a Uganda gorilla trekking safari with Native Africa Tours, you will have to land at one of the airports near Bwindi or Mgahinga Gorilla Parks. This marks the beginning of an ultimate adventure as you create everlasting memories on a Uganda gorilla tour.
