Bwindi Impenetrable NP is a Unesco World Heritage Site and it is the best place in Uganda to track mountain gorillas. The park protects around 40% of the world’s mountain gorilla population and has several habituated groups. The forest is also a bird watcher’s paradise with 350 species recorded, including many Albertine Rift endemics.

Aside from the endangered mountain gorillas, nine other primate species are found in the forest. These include chimpanzees, olive baboons, black-and-white colobus and l’Hoest’s monkey. Elephants are present but seldom seen. Bushbuck and several types of forest duiker can sometimes be spotted. The park has a very impressive bird and butterfly checklist.

Bwindi is a pristine rainforest on the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley. The terrain is a string of ridges and valleys covered in very dense, impenetrable forest. Bwindi has one of the most diverse floras in East Africa and it harbours 10 tree species that don’t occur anywhere else in the country.

Tracking gorillas is best when Bwindi’s trails are not so sodden and there is more sunshine (June to August and December to February). Slippery trails and occasional mist make wildlife watching more challenging during the wetter months of the year.