|
A
magnificent verdant swathe across the steep
ridges of the Albertine Rift Valley, this
ancient rainforest - one of the few in
Africa to have flourished throughout the
last Ice Age - is home to roughly half of
the world's mountain gorillas.
Looking deep into the expressive brown eyes
of these gentle giants is surely the most
exciting and poignant wildlife encounter
that Africa has to offer - but we should not
let it distract from Bwindi's broader
biodiversity, a result of its immense
antiquity and an altitude span from 1,160 to
2,607m.
The national park has 90 mammal species,
including 11 primates, of which the
black-and-white colobus, with its lovely
flowing white tail, is prominent.
The forest birding ranks with the best in
Uganda, with 23 highly localised Albertine
Rift endemics present.
SIZE:
331 sq km
LOCATION:
Southwest. The closes large town is Kabale.
GETTING THERE:
Bwindi can be reached from QENP in the north
(2-3 hours), from Kabale to the south (1-2
hours), or from Kampala via Mbarara (6-8
hours). The roads meet at Butogota, 17km
from the Buhoma entrance gate. 4x4
recommended during the rains.
WHAT TO DO:
Gorilla tracking is the main attraction;
permits must pre-booked at the UWA office in
Kampala. Other guided forest walks are
available: one popular trail leads to a
pretty waterfall, others focus on birding
and monkey-viewing.
SIZE:
331 sq km
LOCATION:
Southwest. The closes large town is Kabale.
GETTING THERE:
Bwindi can be reached from QENP in the north
(2-3 hours), from Kabale to the south (1-2
hours), or from Kampala via Mbarara (6-8
hours). The roads meet at Butogota, 17km
from the Buhoma entrance gate. 4x4
recommended during the rains.
WHAT TO DO:
Gorilla tracking is the main attraction;
permits must pre-booked at the UWA office in
Kampala. Other guided forest walks are
available: one popular trail leads to a
pretty waterfall, others focus on birding
and monkey-viewing. |
