Page 32 - April-May-2019 Edition

NATIONAL PARKS

BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL FOREST
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift
Valley. Its mist-covered hillsides are blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most bi-
ologically diverse rainforests, which dates back over 25,000 years and contains almost
400 species of plants.
More famously, this “impenetrable forest” also protects an estimated 320 mountain
gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups,
which can be tracked. This biologically diverse region also provides shelter to a further
120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees,
as well as elephants and antelopes. There are around 350 species of birds hosted in
this forest, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics. The neighboring towns of Buhoma and
Nkuringo both have an impressive array of luxury lodges, rustic bandas and budget
campsites, as well as restaurants, craft stalls and guiding services. Opportunities
abound to discover the local Bakiga and Batwa Pygmy cultures through performanc-
es, workshops and village walks.
ACCOMMODATION: Buhoma Lodge, Bwindi Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge,
Silverback Lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp, Mahogany Springs, Bwindi View Rest Camp,
Nkuringo Gorilla
Campsite, Wagtail Eco Safari Camp, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge.
KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the rugged, semi arid valleys between Uganda’s
borders with Sudan and Kenya 700km from Kampala.
Gazette as a national park in 1962, it has a profusion of big game and hosts over 77
mammal species as well as around 475 bird species. Kidepo is Uganda’s most isolated
national park, but the few who make the long journey north through the wild frontier
region of Karamoja would agree that it is also the most magnificent, for Kidepo ranks
among Africa’s finest wildernesses. From Apoka, in the heart of the park, a savannah
landscape extends far beyond the gazette area, towards horizons outlined by distant
mountain ranges. During the dry season, the only permanent water in the park is
found in wetlands and remnant pools in the broad Narus Valley near Apoka. These
seasonal oases, combined with the open, savannah terrain, make the Narus Valley
the park’s prime game viewing location.
ACCOMMODATION: Apoka Safari Lodge, Kidepo Savannah Lodge, Nga’Moru
Wilderness Camp
KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK
Kibale National Park contains one of the loveliest and most varied tracts of tropical
forest in Uganda. Forest cover, interspersed with
patches of grassland and swamp, dominates the northern and central parts of the
park on an elevated plateau. The park is home to a total of 70 mammal species, most
famously 13 species of primate including the chimpanzee. It also contains over 375
species of birds.
Kibale adjoins Queen Elizabeth National Park to the south to create a 180km-long
corridor for
wildlife between Ishasha, the remote southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National
Park, and Sebitoli in the north of Kibale National Park. The Kibale-Fort Portal area is
one of Uganda’s most rewarding destinations to explore.
ACCOMMODATION: Kibale Forest Camp, Rweteera Safari Park, Primate Lodge, Sebei
Cultural Centre
LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP) is the smallest of Uganda’s savannah national parks
and is located in Kiruhura District in Western Uganda.
The park is situated about 30 kilometers by road, east of Mbarara, the largest city in
the sub-region. This location is approximately 240 kilometers by road, west of
Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. The coordinates of the park are: 00 36S,

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