The best time to film in Bwindi Forest NP largely depends on what you intend to film in Bwindi. For instances, if you are travelling to Bwindi to Film the Batwa Pygmies, then this might be possible all year round. however if your intention is to film the Mountain gorillas of Bwindi, then you might consider choosing the drier season months (with less rain) from June to August and December to February. At these times, the trails leading to the mountain gorillas are drier and less challenging to navigate.
Bwindi Forest is a tropical rains forest – experiencing rains all-year-round and therefore has no completely dry season but rather experiences heavy or light rains; The best time to film in Bwindi Is in the light season months of June to August and December to February
Filming in the drier season months also helps the crew to minimise any water-related damages on their film equipment. The rains in Bwindi forest NP are very unpredictable and can last a great deal of the entire day meaning that you do loose filming time and this makes the project cost a lot more money compared to if you shot your scenes in a given time without interference from the rains.
Practical advice: Even if filming in the drier season months of June to August and December to February, we advise that crew & cast maximise the morning hours 7:00 am to 2:00 pm to shoot as many scenes as possible because the afternoons in Bwindi are usually characterised by light rains that often last the entire afternoon. This is so because Bwindi forest is a tropical rain forest and therefore never experiences a completely dry season – without rains – the rains are either heavy or light rains. What we call the drier months; June to August and December to February experience light rains. While months of April, May & November experience heavy rains.
Looking to go Filming in Bwindi Forest? Browse our list of reputable local film fixers in Uganda who can assist with securing all necessary Filming permits in Uganda including Gorilla filming Permits for Bwindi, and also help with the logistical aspect of your shoot.
- Realm Africa Safaris™ – a local film fixer for Bwindi.