Flying Safaris from Entebbe Airport to Bwindi National Park.

Flying Safaris from Entebbe International Airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Flying Safaris are incredible, unique, and most captivating experiences in Uganda. It is amazing to fly from Entebbe International Airport to Bwindi; the remarkable journey not only saves time but also offers beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes and more time to encounter cultural experiences from the surrounding communities, like the Batwa. Bwindi is Uganda’s most sought-after conservation area, known for the mountain gorilla species; it hosts half of the world’s remaining population of mountain gorillas, offering travelers the chance to meet the world’s largest primates in their natural habitats.

Flying Safaris from Entebbe to Bwindi are the smoothest way of getting to see gorillas. Mountain gorilla trekking is the key experience of the park. Bwindi is divided into 4 sectors. Nkuringo, Rushaga, Buhoma, and Ruhija sectors; each of these hosts gorilla families habituated to be comfortable for guest visits. The primates are tracked in groups of 8 people per gorilla family, starting at 7:00 am with a briefing from the park rangers about how you should conduct yourself during the tracking. It takes 2-8 hours, depending on how far the gorillas have moved, and in case guests are unable to see gorillas on a particular day, they are given a chance to track the following day.

There are scheduled and charter flights departing from the Entebbe International Airport operated by domestic ground handlers like Aerolink Uganda, Kampala Executive Aviation (KEA), and Pearl Sky Uganda; the morning flights on schedule depart at 7:00 am, arriving in 1 and a half hours’ flight. The route depends on the airstrip you will be landing at; nearest to Bwindi North is Kihihi Airstrip, and Kisoro Airstrip to the south.  The weather conditions also determine the time of the flight; Kisoro flights are normally only in the morning hours as a result of stronger winds in the afternoon.

Flight bookings can be made through a domestic ground handler or directly to the airline; these range between $300-$600 per seat per way, while charters are more expensive; the advantage of the charter option is time flexibility. Freight and excess baggage are strictly on space availability; extra space normally takes up to 12 kg, and extras need to be communicated and paid in advance. It is a must to have a ground transfer to the respective lodges; for example, from the Kisoro Airstrip to Nkuringo, it takes about 2 hours’ drive.

Flying Safaris from Entebbe to Bwindi depend on the number of days those guests have to spend in the country, the most popular include 3 days to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, 4 days magical Bwindi, 3 days fly gorilla habituation safari, 5 days gorilla and chimpanzee safari, 4 days Bwindi Impenetrable national park to mention a few, these are flexible and can be drafted to fit in guest preference.

Besides flying safaris, the drive option is also an ideal way to get to the conservation area. It takes approximately 9-10 hours to drive through the rolling hills, valleys, banana and tea plantations. Several routes get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the most popular being the Entebbe-Masaka-Ntungamo-Rukungiri route connecting to Buhoma. It is a well-developed road until you get closer to the park. To the south, from Ntungamo, Kabale, and Kisoro, you will get to the Rushaga or Nkuringo sector.

Road travel needs an early morning start; it is a long drive with stopovers at the Equator for a picture moment and lunch in Mbarara town. Ideally, it would be possible to break the journey en route for a wildlife encounter in Lake Mburo National Park.