Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

As names go, there’s hardly a more evocative African destination than the Impenetrable Forest of Bwindi. Located in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Albertine Rift of the great, this swath of steep fold mountains covered in the thick, steamy jungle is just as magnificent as it sounds. The 321 square kilometres (124 square miles) of both montane and lowland forest, is accessible only on foot.
The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of Africa’s most ancient, complex, and biologically rich habitats. During the last Ice Age (Pleistocene Epoch), the forests here acted as a sanctuary for a diversity of flora and fauna. Because of this, diverse species are still a feature of the park, and the reason it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. because of its ecological importance. Among East African forests, Bwindi has some of the richest populations of trees, mammals (over 120 species), birds (over 350 species), reptiles, butterflies, and moths. The park’s diverse species are also partly a result of the large variations of elevation and habitat types in the park.
The combination of its broad altitude span (1160m to 2607m) and its antiquity has produced an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, resulting in some 120 mammal species and over 350 bird species calling Bwindi home. The stars of the show, however, are the approximately 400 mountain gorillas living here. This is one of the best places in the world to see mountain gorillas up close. Having a look at these critically endangered creatures up close is an unforgettable experience.
Not only does the park hosts the endangered half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas, but it also acts as a sanctuary for colobus monkeys, chimpanzees and many birds such as hornbills and turacos.