Mountain Gorilla trekking in Rushaga
Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Rushaga: One of the most popular gorilla parks in East Africa is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is situated in southwestern Uganda. The park is home to the highest concentration of mountain gorillas; many tourists have visited the park to see these primates, which are thought to contain over 98% human DNA. The national park is famous for gorilla trekking, which is carried out in the four sectors of the park, including Nkuringo, Rushaga, Ruhija, and Buhoma. This post serves to examine why tourists enjoy Rushaga Sector, one of the most popular tourist destinations, and why you should trek gorillas of this sector.
In Kisoro district, the Rushaga area is situated in the southern section of Bwindi Gorilla Park. Some of the factors as to why mountain gorilla trekking in Rushaga draws quite a number of tourists in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla trekking are: 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; hence, it is a favourite destination for mountain gorilla trekking in Rushaga.
Why is mountain gorilla trekking in Rushaga considered one of the best experiences?
The Rushaga sector has the highest number of gorilla families.
There are several mountain gorilla families to trek in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; this is one of the reasons you should go to Rushaga Bwindi to see gorillas. The greatest number of mountain gorilla families that have been tamed for tourism is found in this sector or region. Seven mountain gorilla families—Bweza, Nshongi, Busingye, Mishaya, Mucunguzi, Rwigi, and Kahungye—have been tamed for trekking in the Rushaga Sector.
As one of the areas that are easily accessible by road, particularly from Kigali, travellers should get time to explore the Rushaga sector. Since it takes four to five hours to get from Kigali to Uganda via the Cyanika border near Kisoro, the area is easily accessible. With a 31-kilometre travel time, Rushaga is also the closest sector to visit from Kisoro town.
There is a high chance 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 for going gorilla trekking there. Since the area has seven mountain gorilla families open for trekking, which translates to 52 gorilla trekking licenses, and one gorilla family open for habituation, which translates to eight 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 Rushaga Bwindi is to experience gorilla habituation. Mountain gorilla habituation, which allows visitors to spend four hours with mountain gorillas and acclimatize them to human presence, is carried out in this sector. In the Rushaga district, 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.
The Rushaga sector has a variety of accommodation facilities.
Another justification for trekking the gorilla in the Rushaga region is the abundance of lodging options available to visitors. In Bwindi, the Rushaga region offers the most lodging options for safari visitors who wish to stay overnight or longer. They include Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Rushaga Gorilla Resor, Gorilla Hills Eco-Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Wagtail Eco Safari Lodge, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Jungle Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Nsongi Camp, and Mutanda Lake Resort. These lodging options range from affordable to mid-range to luxurious.
Rushaga sector can be trekked at any time of the year.
In the Rushaga sector of Bwindi, gorilla trekking is possible throughout the year, though some months are better than others. The best times to visit Rushaga Sector are during the dry months of June through September and December through February, when there is little to no rainfall. The roads going to the park are in good shape, the trekking trails are dry, the vegetation is sparse and short, providing clear views of the mountain gorillas, and photography is good.
Travellers, particularly those on a tight budget, can take advantage of the discounts on accommodation in the Rushaga sector during the rainy seasons of March through May and October through November. This is because lodge owners reduce their rates to draw in a few visitors to the park. However, the rainy season is typified by little to no rainfall, which makes the trekking routes muddy and slick; foliage is tall and dense, making it difficult to see animals; photography is difficult; and the roads leading to the park are in poor shape. However, with experienced guides like those of Journeys Uganda, together with the use of 4×4 wheel safari vehicles, such challenges become a myth.