Bwindi

Why go

The walk can be short or most of a day. Fitness matters more than a luxury room. A savannah park such as Queen Elizabeth is the usual pairing, not a second forest.

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  One trek, one permit

  The permit is issued by the park authority and is the heart of the price. A single Bwindi stay usually includes one trek. Our longer Uganda sample says when two gorilla days are included. Do not assume a second day.

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  The sectors

  Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo are different gates and different trails. The lodge has to match the sector on the permit. We name both on the quote.

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  Birds and the walk in

  The forest is an Albertine Rift birding site as well as a gorilla park. People who do not trek still should not plan Bwindi as a scenic drive. The roads are slow.

Where to go

• Bwindi Impenetrable ForestThe park itself. Sleep at the sector where the trek starts. Moving gates in the middle of a two-night stay wastes the day on the road.
• Queen ElizabethThe savannah park most trips add: a boat on the Kazinga Channel and a game drive. It is the open-country contrast to the forest.

When to go

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  June to September, and December to February

  The drier months. Trails are steeper in the wet, and the gorillas do not move to suit the calendar. Permits for these months go first.

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  The rains

  April, May, October, and November are muddier. Treks still run. Pack a rain layer either way. The forest makes its own weather.

Travel advice

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  The trek

  Wear boots you have walked in, gaiters if you have them, and give the walking sticks and porters a real job. The group size and the one-hour visit are park rules.

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  Health

  Bwindi is a malaria and a yellow-fever area to ask a clinic about. The permit has an age rule. Check it before you pay for flights for a child.

Accommodation

Costs