Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi’s Rushaga Sector
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi’s Rushaga Sector: One of the most popular national parks in Uganda is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is situated in the southwestern part of the country. The park has attracted thousands of visitors from different parts of the world to come to see the park’s largest population of mountain gorillas, which are believed to have over 98% human DNA. There are four sectors in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where gorilla trekking takes place, including Nkuringo, Rushaga, Ruhija, and Buhoma where gorilla trekking takes place. In this article, we will examine why tourists enjoy gorilla trekking in Bwindi’s Rushaga sector, one of the most popular tourist destinations.
The Rushaga area is situated in the Kisoro district’s southern section of Bwindi Gorilla Park. When planning a trip to Bwindi National Park for gorilla trekking, this area is among the most popular destinations. This is because, in comparison to other trekking zones, the sector is easily accessible, has the most permits, and is home to the greatest number of mountain gorilla families. Below are some of the factors that enhance gorilla trekking in Bwindi’s Rushaga sector.
Number of gorilla families
Rushaga Bwindi offers a range of mountain gorilla families, which is one of the reasons why you should do gorilla trekking in Bwindi’s Rushaga sector. This sector is home to the highest concentration of habituated mountain gorilla families ready for trekking daily. Rushaga as a sector has 9 mountain gorilla families for tourism purposes and these include Bikingi (for habituation), Bweza, Kutu, Nshongi, Posho, Nshongi,
Easily Access
Rushaga is one of the areas that is easily accessible by road, especially from Kigali, so visitors should get time and visit Bwindi. The area is easily accessible from Kigali; it takes 4-5 hours to travel to Uganda via the Cyanika border in Kisoro. With a 31-kilometre drive from Kisoro town, Rushaga is also the closest sector to visit. Busingye, Mishaya, Mucunguzi, Rwigi, and Kahungye, among others.
High chances of getting permits in Rushaga.
In addition, there are more gorilla permits available in Rushaga Bwindi than in other trekking areas, which is another motivation to go gorilla trekking there. Since the area has 9 mountain gorilla families open for trekking, which translates to 72 gorilla trekking permits, and one gorilla family open for habituation, which translates to 10 habituation permits, it is quite uncommon to book a permit for Rushaga and not receive one. Gorilla permits will always be available; therefore, visitors planning to visit the Rushaga sector do not need to make a last-minute reservation.
The Rushaga sector is a centre of gorilla habituation activities.
Another incentive to go gorilla trekking in Bwindi’s Rushaga sector is to experience gorilla habituation. Mountain gorilla habituation, an activity that allows visitors to spend four hours with mountain gorillas and acclimatise them to human presence, is conducted in this area. In the Rushaga sector, the Bikingi mountain gorilla family has been retained specifically for gorilla habituation, allowing visitors to spend more than an hour with the primates. A maximum of four trekkers, accompanied by researchers and conservationists, are permitted to accompany the gorilla troop.
Rushaga sector can be trekked at any time of the year.
Although some months are better than others, visitors can trek gorillas in the Rushaga section of Bwindi at any time of year. Because of the little to no rainfall throughout the dry months of June through September and December through February, Rushaga Sector is the ideal time to visit. Photography is good, the roads to the park are in good shape, the hiking routes are dry, and the vegetation is sparse and short, providing clear views of the mountain gorillas.
Visitors, particularly those on a tight budget, can take advantage of the discounts on lodging during gorilla trekking in Bwindi’s Rushaga sector, especially in the rainy seasons of March through May and October through November. This is because lodge owners reduce their rates to draw in a few park visitors. During the rainy season, however, there is little to no rainfall, which causes the trekking routes to become muddy and slick, the tall and dense foliage to obscure animal viewing, bad road conditions heading to the park, and blurry photos. However, with our experienced guides at Journeys Uganda who are used to the terrain, we are ready to receive visitors at any time of the year with our 4×4 wheel safari vehicles.
Accommodation in the Rushaga sector
Another justification for trekking the gorilla in the Rushaga region is the availability of accommodation options for visitors. In Bwindi, the Rushaga region offers the most lodging choices for safari visitors who wish to stay overnight or longer. They include Gorilla Hills Eco-Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Wagtail Eco Safari Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Bwindi Jungle Lodge, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Resort, Mutanda Lake Resort, and Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge. These lodging options range from affordable to mid-range to luxurious.