Bwindi by Road

Duration: 3 nights

Many visitors to Bwindi fly from Entebbe. Alternatively, why not try our newly launched road transfer to Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp via Kigali (Rwanda) and journey across the border to Uganda through a stunning landscape of volcanoes, lakes and hills.

Day 01 - Arrive Kigali and transfer to Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Your journey to see the gorillas of Bwindi begins in Rwanda. After clearing customs at Kigali International Airport you will be met by a Sanctuary Retreats representative who will transfer you to Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp via the Chanika or Katuna border crossing.

Kigali is touted as the cleanest city in Africa. It may come as a surprise to see the large skyscrapers and world class amenities, but there's evidence of Rwanda's burgeoning economy everywhere.

Experience a drive like no other through the scenic countrysides of Rwanda and Uganda - a lush landscape of lakes, volcanoes, rainforest and a "thousand hills" - as you make your way to the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The total transfer time is approximately five to six hours.

Rwandans seem to radiate an air of productivity as you drive past scenes of tea being plucked from vast plantations, plots of land being tilled and scare crows guarding the paddies of rice. The colours are vivid - the rich red of the soil, striking blue of the sky and the verdant green of the plantations. The people equally so, hundreds of men weaving through the traffic on bicycles, the women decked out in vibrant cloth swaying under the weight of woven baskets filled with produce.

At the border fill out the obligatory departure forms and cross over to the Ugandan side. A visa can be bought at the border and costs US$50. Should you wish, there is time to wander around the energetic Kabale market negotiating for exquisite traditional wax dyed fabric before enjoying a traditional Ugandan lunch at a restaurant. Packed lunches can also be prepared.

The next stretch is a winding road high up into the Ugandan mountains. Peppered with little children who run alongside the vehicle yelling “hello”, the road seems to wind into a long forgotten time. There is no electricity or running water and the homes are rustic. If you stop for a break along the way you will hear the echoing sound of children's laughter as you gaze over views that quite simply take the breath away.

It is here that you will enter Bwindi's Impenetrable Forest. Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp is located within Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the perfect base for a gorilla tracking experience - offering luxury in the heart of a rainforest. Due to its unique location, the camp is frequently visited by gorillas throughout the year.

Accommodation is in eight luxury en-suite tents which have two queen-sized beds and a bathtub looking out onto the forest - ideal for soaking yourself after a days trekking for gorillas in the forest. The camp has a bar and dining cottage, as well as a raised natural platform for open-air dining. Guests can sit around the cosy campfire at night and enjoy Bwindi's clear skies which offer incredible star gazing.

Based on your flight times you may wish to overnight in Kigali upon arrival and/or departure, we can book accommodation for you upon request.

Overnight: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Day 02 - Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

After a hearty breakfast in the morning, walk to the park headquarters (approximately ten minutes away) where you will meet the park officials for a briefing before the commencement of the tracking at 8 am. 

The gorillas we track belong to one of the 'habituated' family groups in Northern Bwindi. For several years each group has undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually made them used to the presence of humans. Experienced guides will accompany the tracking, many of who have been involved in the habituation process themselves. Once the gorillas are located, you will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them.

Bwindi is not only great for getting close up to the impressive silverback gorillas. Birders come thousands of miles to see more than 350 species that live within the national park. There are also rare forest elephant, giant forest hog and eleven kinds of primates, such as red tailed and blue monkey, black and white colobus, baboons and chimpanzee. You can also find forest duiker antelopes and bush buck antelopes and over 200 species of butterflies are found in the park.

Overnight: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Day 03 - Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Today you can choose to relax at camp. Other options are a nature walk or a bird walk to spot some of the 300 bird species that live here, including 24 that are endemic to the area.

We would also highly recommend a visit to the local Batwa pygmy tribe. It is a rare privilege to meet the Batwa of Bwindi. Only eight of the original Batwa remain and although no one is sure exactly how old they are, they are believed to be between 80 and 110! The walk to their village is spiced with interesting information and anecdotes: the way the locals make banana gin, how they build their homes and the history of the Batwa.

For hundreds of years they had lived in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, reliant on the forest for food and shelter. When Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in order to protect the gorilla population, the Batwa were moved to the periphery of the forest.

The Batwa are about four feet high and very nimble. They will be delighted that you have come to visit and will welcome you with a traditional chant. Then they will tell you, via a translator, how they hunt, make fires, build houses, use plants for medicinal purposes and even how they bury their dead. After the tour you are welcome to taste their traditional meal of goat stew, pap (ground milieu meal) and boiled green bananas with salt.

Overnight: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Day 04 - Depart Kigali, Rwanda

After a final breakfast at the lodge, your guide will be ready with a fantastic picnic lunch which can be enjoyed on the picturesque journey back to Kigali International Airport for your onward international flight.

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