The name Bwindi derives from the local phrase “Mubwindi bwa Nyinamukari” which referred to the Mubwindi swamp in the south east of the park rather than the forest itself. The story behind this name goes back to about many years ago when it is said; a family migrating northwards from Kisoro area found themselves standing at the southern end of a seemingly impenetrable swamp. The parents asked the swamp spirits for guidance and were told that only if they sacrificed their most beautiful daughters Nyinamukari, would the rest of the family cross without mishap. After 2 days of deliberation, the family decided that they could not turn back south and so they threw the girl into water to drown and went on their way safely to the other side. When news of the sacrifice spread, people began to avoid the swamp calling it Mubwindi bwa Nyinamukali (Dark place of Nyinamukali).
The forest was proclaimed as the Impenetrable Forest Reserve in 1932, its official name until 1991 when it was gazette as a National Park and named Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It is regarded to be one of the most diverse forests in Africa. It is a true rain forest spread over a series of steep ridges and valleys that form the eastern edge of the Albertine Rift valley.
Tourist activities
There are a number of activities carried out at the Park of which Gorilla tracking is the major activity. There are 3 habituated gorilla groups that is, Mubale, Rushegula and Habinyanja. Gorilla tracking excursions leave from Buhoma at 08:00 and the round trip might take from 3-10 hours depending on the presence of gorillas and how easily they are located. Guided day walks are also carriedout. Buhoma has 5 different day trails ranging from 30 minutes to 8 hours in order to see several different monkey species. There are also various bird species for about 190 and bird watchers are urged to stick to the main road that runs into the forest from the entrance gate. Village walks also takes in varied activities such as farming, brewing local beer, dispensing traditional medicine and concludes with dancing displays by members of the Batwa community. The walk is organized through the Buhoma Community Rest Camp.
Getting there
The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be accessed by both Road and Air. The park can easily be accessed from both Entebbe in Uganda and Kigali in Rwanda. Please note that there are several sectors within the park and accessibility much depends on the location where you are looking at tracking the gorillas.
By Road,
When getting there from Kampala, the best route to Buhoma entails following the surfaced road towards Kabale as far as Ntungamo 60km past Mbarara. At Ntungamo, turn right to a newly surfaced road for 45km to Rukungiri. From here, you will need to follow dirt roads through Kambuga. Travellers coming from northern destinations such as kasese, Fort Portal or Queen Elizabeth National Park can use two routes to Buhoma.
Where to stay
Luxury tourists can use accommodation facilities such as;
- Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge,
- Gorilla Forest camp, Gorilla Resort,
- Silverback Lodge and
- Lake Kitandara Bwindi Camp.
For Moderate tourists, can
- Silverback Camp,
Budget and Camping can use
- Nature Access Lodge.