Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Site Seeing
Africa has a rugged beauty all its own. Seeing large animals on television does not compare with experiencing the wildlife first hand during a photo safari site seeing trip. There is still a part of Creation untouched by time. During the team’s day off, we will visit Uganda’s Inpenetrable National Park and have a close encounter with the big game!
Tourism at the Park
During the Fifties and Sixties, Uganda was the most important tourism destination in East Africa. The civil wars in the Seventies and Eighties not only destroyed the once impressive infrastructure, but also caused a drastic reduction in wildlife. Since 1986, when the current government returned the country to peace and prosperity, the important roads and hotels have been rebuilt. The animals, however, need more time to regenerate, but the rehabilitation of the National Parks has taken huge steps (with the assistance of various donor countries). While the numbers have not yet risen to the levels known in Tanzania and Kenya, it is the incredible variety of species (Uganda is No. 2 in Africa and No. 9 in the world in terms of mammal species) and birdlife (the country is home to half of Africa's bird species) that enthralls the visitor, along with moving encounters with Chimpanzees and Gorillas (Courtesy of www.kilimanjaro.com/uganda/parkug.htm)
Terrain
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, located in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the western Rift Valley lies on the Zaire border adjacent to the Parc National des Virungas. It is one of the largest (331 sq. km) natural forests in East Africa and contains both mountain and lowland forest. It supports a large number of plants and animals endemic to the region, but most notably half of the world's population of Mountain Gorillas.
Mountain Gorillas and Wildlife
The more than 300 Mountain Gorillas, divided into a dozen groups, make up the largest surviving population. The other half is split between Zaire and Rwanda, where they used to roam freely. Even if you don't go see the gorillas, there is plenty to do in the Impenetrable Forest. You can join guided walks and choose between a two-hour stroll to some beautiful waterfalls and various hikes, lasting up to seven-hours and leading to a number of peaks. The area around Buhoma is an excellent place for watching primates and birds and you may catch a glimpse of the noisy but evasive Chimpanzees or the beautiful Hornbills and Turacos. The forest is home to 120 species of mammals, 346 species of birds, 202 species of butterflies, and 163 species of trees, making it one of the richest ecosystems in Africa.
Stand on the equator and view the world from two hemispheres at once, and return home from the other side of the world with a whole new perspective on life… and death.