What is the Weather and Climate in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
What is the Weather and Climate in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park? Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is located in southern Uganda’s Kanungu region. The park is open all year, but the ideal time to come is during the dry season, when the temperature is hot during the day, making gorilla trekking and other park activities, such as nature hikes, successful since the grounds are dry and the trails are feasible.
Because Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a montane forest, the weather and climate change and it can rain at any time of year regardless of the season, so visitors coming for a gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi national park are advised to pack gorilla trekking equipment such as warm clothes such as cotton sweaters, long-sleeved shirt, and trousers for warmth during morning trekking or during the rainy season and at night while at the lounging area.
What is the weather and climate in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
The weather in the national park is an important factor because visitors commonly question about the best time to visit the mountain gorillas in Bwindi. The park has two different seasons throughout the year: dry and wet/rainy.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park’s dry season lasts from June to August and from December to February. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park experiences little or no rain during this season, attracting a high number of tourists for gorilla trekking since the grounds are dry and not slippery, and the gorilla pathways are passable. The dry season is perfect for activities such as gorilla trekking and forest treks, among others.
Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park receives rain throughout the year, with light showers from March to April and heavy rains from September to November. The climate of the national park turns mild and wet during the rainy season, with heavy rains that might linger all day.
The rainy season in Bwindi Forest National Park makes gorilla trekking increasingly challenging, since the grounds become moist, muddy, and slippery, and the gorilla trekking trails may become impassable. The wet season, on the other hand, is great for birding because migrating birds converge to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to breed, offering travelers with an amazing experience.
The national park is set in deep tropical rainforest and montane forest, creating a tropical environment with typical temperatures ranging from 7 to 20 degrees Celsius to 20 to 27 degrees Celsius with an annual rainfall of up to 2390mm.
The climate of Bwindi Forest National Park in southern Uganda during the dry season is hot during the day, with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius, and cold in the morning, with mist and fog engulfing the forest and temperatures dropping to approximately 9 degrees Celsius.
A Brief Background on Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.
The Bwindi Forest National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the best place in Uganda to monitor mountain gorillas. The park is home to multiple habituated groups and protects over 40% of the world’s mountain gorilla population. The woods is also a birdwatcher’s paradise, with 350 species documented, including numerous Albertine Rift endemics.
The forest is home to nine additional primate species, in addition to the endangered mountain gorillas. Among them are chimps, olive baboons, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and l’hoest monkeys. Elephants can be discovered; however, they are rarely seen. Bushbuck and several types of forest duiker can be observed on occasion. The park includes an excellent list of birds and butterflies.
Bwindi Forest National Park, located on the edges of the Albertine Rift Valley, is an unspoiled rainforest. The terrain is made up of a succession of mountains and valleys that are covered in deep, impenetrable forests. The vegetation of Bwindi Forest National Park is one of the most diverse in East Africa, with 10 tree species found nowhere else in the country.
How to book your gorilla permit in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
A gorilla permit in Uganda’s Bwindi forest national park costs 700 USD per person for foreign non-residents and 600 USD for foreign residents. You should always book the gorilla permit first, which will dictate where you will stay, which means you will book an accommodation facility in the area where you occurred to acquire the gorilla permit, which relies on availability. If you are interested in a certain property, you must reserve the sector permit as well as the lodge in advance.
Where to stay in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
There are several housing alternatives available, including Buhoma Lodge, Silverback Safari Lodge, Engagi Lodge, Crested Crane hotel, Haven Lodge, Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Bwindi View Bandas, Mahogany Spring Lodge, Gift of Nature, Trekkers Safari Lodge, Sanctuary Retreat Lodge, and others.
In the park’s southern area, you’ll find Nsongi Lodge, Trekker Traven Lodge, Cuckoland Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Lodge, Broadbill Forest Camp, Gorilla Mist Lodge, Bakiga Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, and more lodges.
The sector is located in the park’s south and is home to a number of lodges, including Gorilla Height Lodge, Cloud Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Safari Lodge, Backpackers Lodge, and others. You will never run out of places to stay in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park when you plan your safari to Uganda.
How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
By Road.
There are four unique gorilla trekking trailheads in Bwindi Forest National Park. Buhoma and Ruhija are located in the north, while Rushaga and Nkuringo are located in the south. They are many hours away by automobile. The principal gorilla trekking trailhead, the Buhoma sector, is accessible from Queen Elizabeth National Park in 2 to 3 hours (from the Ishasha sector) or 5 to 6 hours (from the Buhoma sector) as part of a Ugandan journey (from the more northern sectors). It takes 5 to 7 hours to drive from Lake Mburo National Park to the several trailheads. Traveling by automobile from Entebbe or Kampala will take around 8 to 10 hours. During the wet season, certain trailheads need 4WD vehicle driving.
By Air.
Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park may be reached by a regular or chartered flight. Kihihi airstrip serves the Buhoma and Ruhija trailheads, while Kisoro serves the Rushaga and Nkuringo trailheads in the south. Both are roughly 40km/25 mi from the park and take approximately 1½ hours to reach. Bar Aviation and Aerolink Uganda are the two domestic airlines that offer scheduled routes to Kihihi or Kisoro.