List of things to do in sectors of Bwindi National Park
List of things to do in sectors of Bwindi National Park: Bwindi National Park sectors offer a variety of activities that tourists can engage in during their safaris in the national park. Sectors of Bwindi National Park include the Buhoma sector, Ruhija sector, Nkuringo sector, and Rushaga sector, which are found in different parts of the park, which is famous for being home to the gorillas in Uganda. The Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors are found in the southern area of Bwindi, Ruhija in the eastern Bwindi, and the Buhoma sector in the northern part of the national park.
Bwindi National Park is located in southwestern Uganda, and some of the activities to do around its sectors during tours include the following:
- Gorilla trekking
The most popular activity that is done around the sectors of Bwindi National Park is gorilla trekking, during which tourists search for the gorillas in their natural habitat and spend 1 hour observing them and recording photos of the gorillas.
Gorilla trekking is an activity that is done by individuals above the age of 15 years, and apart from Bwindi National Park, tourists can also visit Mgahinga National Park for the gorilla trekking experience.
During the gorilla trek in Bwindi National Park, tourists are led by ranger guides and start the search for the gorillas after a briefing at the park headquarters.
- Gorilla habituation
Gorilla habituation is among the activities that tourists seek to engage in during their tours around Bwindi National Park.
During the gorilla habituation activity, which is carried out in the Rushaga sector, tourists get to spend about 4 hours in the presence of the mountain gorillas together with researchers and ranger guides and participate in introducing the gorillas to the human presence in their natural habitat.
The habituation process is gradual and can take a few years of observing the behaviors of the gorillas and watching them closely before tourists can visit them during tours around Bwindi National Park.
A permit is required for the gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi National Park, and it costs 1500 USD per person for foreign nonresidents, 1000 USD for foreign residents, and 750,000 Ugandan shillings for East African citizens.
- Bird watching
There are various bird species that can be seen during bird-watching tours across the sectors of Bwindi National Park.
Around the forests of Bwindi National Park, tourists can spot various bird species such as the Rwenzori Turaco, Black Bee-eater, Black-billed Turaco, Regal Sunbird, Crowned Hornbill, African Harrier Hawk, Rwenzori Nightjar, Purple-breasted Subird, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Rwenzori Batis, Buff-throated Apalis, Dusky Crested Flycatcher, Stripe-breasted Tit, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Brown Woodland Warbler, Grey-throated Barbet, Honeyguide Greenbul, Cardinal Woodpecker, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Evergreen Warbler, Wood Warbler, Handsome Francolin, and Kivu Ground Thrush, among others.
Over 350 bird species can be seen across the four sectors of Bwindi national park, and this includes Albertine rift endemic bird species. These birdwatching experiences can take a whole day to see many birds around the forests of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
- Hiking
Hiking is another activity that is done during tours around the sectors of Bwindi National Park, which is also known for its location in a high-altitude area.
Tourists can opt to hike around Bwindi National Park during these tours around the destination and explore the steep slopes. The hikes are also led by ranger guides and can take about 3 to 4 hours or more time depending on the hiking trail used at the destination.
Trekking poles can be provided for the hike through Bwindi National Park, which can be done during any month of the year, although the best time for hiking is the dry season when the trails are not slippery in the national park, making it easy to hike.
Different routes are also followed during the hiking tours around the sectors of Bwindi National Park.
- Forest walks
Tourists can also explore the different sectors of Bwindi National Park during guided forest walks around the destination.
In the Bwindi forests, apart from the mountain gorillas, which can be seen during tours, there are many bird species, butterfly species, and tree species that tourists can learn about and see when exploring the forests on foot.
The forest walks, or guided nature walks are led by ranger guides who know their way around the different sectors of Bwindi National Park. There are also different routes that can be used during the forest walks around the national park, such as the River Ivi trail and the waterfall trail, among others.
This activity provided tourists with a deeper understanding of the surroundings of the national park and its attractions. Each of the sectors provides a unique nature walk experience, and tourists can also enjoy views of the surroundings, such as the Virunga mountains, in some of the sectors of Bwindi National Park.
Primates such as black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and blue monkeys, among others, can also be seen during the guided forest walks around the sectors of Bwindi National Park.
- Community tours
There are different local communities living around Bwindi National Park, which tourists can interact with during their tours.
Some of the local communities that tourists visit include the Batwa community, which is popular among tourists visiting Bwindi. Other tribes encountered during community tours around Bwindi National Park include the Bakiga people.
The Batwa are short in stature and are known for being the original forest dwellers who lived in the dense forests of Bwindi national park and also depended on the forest for a lot, including food and medicine. During tours with the Batwa, tourists can enjoy the Batwa trail experience with a local guide, join the locals during traditional dance performances, listen to local stories of the Batwa, make fire using sticks, and learn about different local herbs during visits to the local medicine men, among other activities.
The Bakiga people, during community visits, welcome tourists with traditional songs and dance, teach tourists how to prepare local food like millet and also grind the millet, visit the local farms to see how agriculture is done by the locals and also to harvest plants for food preparation, learn how to make local banana gin, visiting the local craft shops, among other activities.
