Trekking the Bamboo trail in Bwindi
Bamboo Trail is located in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, one of the most popular tourist sites in southwest Uganda. Nearly half of the world’s gorilla population still lives in these mountainous regions, which are home to the endangered mountain gorillas and are recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Bwindi is a top destination with fascinating and thrilling activities, including gorilla trekking, birdwatching, nature walks, hiking, and community experiences, notably with Batwa villages. These activities are made possible by Bwindi’s natural beauty, unique wildlife species, geography, and cultural history. To allow visitors to explore Bwindi National Park on foot, various paths have been created, including nature walks. One of the routes in Bwindi is the Bamboo Trail, which is located on the park’s eastern border. Trekking the Bamboo trail in Bwindi offers visitors the opportunity to see various flora, animals, birds, and water sources.
The Bamboo Trail is a challenging route in Bwindi with an elevation of over 2607 metres, one of the highest peaks of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. One of the park’s longest paths is the seven-hour bamboo trail, which is situated in the Ruhija area. You will pass through several vegetation types on the walk, including bamboo, afro-montane, and tropical plants.
Trekking the Bamboo trail in Bwindi offers visitors the chance to see a variety of plant species, animals, monkeys, and bird species in addition to Lake Bunyonyi, Mafuga Forest Reserve, and breathtaking vistas of the Virunga volcanoes. When on this walk, you might encounter chimpanzees, forest elephants, duikers, olive baboons, bushbucks, giant forest hogs, blue and red-tailed monkeys, among other creatures.
Birdwatchers visiting Bwindi via the Bamboo Trail will not be disappointed by the sightings of numerous bird species, including the Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Rwenzori Blue-headed Sunbird, Grauers Broadbill (African Green Broadbill), Purple-breasted Sunbird, Stripe Breasted Tit, African Harrier Hawk, and Strange Sunbird. Professional armed ranger guides lead walks along the bamboo route, keeping you safe from potentially harmful creatures.
What to carry when visiting Bwindi-Trekking the Bamboo trail in Bwindi
If you plan to walk the bamboo trail in Bwindi as part of your safari, you should pack the following essentials: long sleeved shirts and pants, insect repellents, a light backpack, long cotton stocks, gardening gloves, pants and sweaters, as well as a camera, binoculars, drinking water bottle, waterproof hiking shoes and energy-boosting snacks.
Accommodation Facilities
It is recommended that visitors who would like to visit Bwindi and use the Bamboo trail for convenient access make hotel reservations in the Ruhija sector, where the trail is situated. However, travellers can still reserve lodging in the Buhoma region if Ruhija accommodations are unavailable.
The Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is blessed with the following accommodation options: Agandi Lodge, Eco Marvels Gorilla Lodge, Bakiga Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, Trekkers Tavern, Cuckoo Land Tented Lodge, Gorilla Mist Camp, Ruhija Community Rest Camp, Gift of Nature Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort, Chameleon Hill Lodge among others.
Best time to trail in Bwindi- Trekking the Bamboo trail in Bwindi
Any time of year is a good time to visit Bwindi and use the bamboo route to explore the park on foot; however, some months are better than others. The best times to visit this park for nature walks are during the dry months of June to September and December to February, when there is little to no rainfall, making the trail dry and passable, the park’s vegetation is short and thin, providing good views of the wild animals, and the park’s roads are passable.
Travellers, particularly those on a tight budget, can take advantage of significant savings on lodging during the park’s rainy seasons, which run from March to May and October to November. One of the park’s many activities is a nature walk. However, excessive rainfall during the rainy season causes the trails to be muddy and slippery, the thick, thin vegetation obscures the views of animals, and the roads that lead to the park are in poor condition.
How to access Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Both air and ground transportation are available for visitors to access Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, who wish to explore the bamboo trail. Travelling by air is the fastest method to access Bwindi, and several airlines, including Bar Aviation Uganda, Aerolink Uganda, and Fly Uganda, offer flights to the park. Kajjansi airstrip/Entebbe International Airport are the starting points for flights, which go to Kisoro airstrip, where you can connect to Ruhija sector.
By road, visitors from Kampala or Kigali can access Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Ruhija sector of Bwindi. Travellers from Kigali can reach Ruhija sector by crossing into Uganda by Katuna border in Kabale, where they link to the park, or they can travel from Kampala to Ruhija sector via Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale to the gorilla trekking sector.
