Batuma Memorial Airstrip to boost gorilla tourism in Ruhija.

The Civil Avaition Authority gave the go-ahead for the Batuma Memorial airport to be built in Kabale so that the area might be developed via agriculture, tourism, and other means. One of the most prominent businessmen in Uganda’s Kigezi district, the late Canon John Batuma, will be honored with the naming of this airstrip. The Ruhija area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is set to see an increase in gorilla tourism once groundwork is finished.

Batuma Memorial Airstrip will enhance Rwanda’s gorilla tourism

Visitors planning to fly from Entebbe Airport to Kabale and then to the Ruhija district of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park have been unable to utilize the region’s built airstrip, in contrast to areas like Buhoma and Kisoro. Because of this, the only alternative for getting to and from Ruhija is to drive via Kabale. In order to reach Ruhija, gorilla trackers have had to fly via Kihihi Airstrip, which is often utilized by gorilla trackers in the Buhoma area.

Batuma Memorial Airstrip to boost gorilla tourism in Ruhija.

From there, they had to connect to Ruhija by road. The route that connects Kihihi and Ruhija is sometimes in a terrible and inaccessible condition, particularly during the rainy season. This makes it impossible for those who want to fly to Ruhija to do bird watching or go gorilla trekking. Travelers will save time and avoid traffic by taking a direct flight to Kabale from Entebbe or Kampala thanks to Batuma Memorial Airstrip.

Because of the construction of Batuma Memorial Airstrip, the Uganda Wildlife Authority will be able to sell a large number of gorilla permits, as the Ruhija region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to three habituated gorilla families, similar to Buhoma in Bwindi’s northern region.

Guests of Kabale’s Bird Nest and Bunyoyi Eco Resort, as well as those passing via Batuma Memorial Airstrip, have a variety of affordable lodging options near Lake Bunyonyi, and from there it’s a short drive to Ruhija, where you can go gorilla trekking. On the other hand, visitors may arrive early and then take a car to their Ruhija lodging for some afternoon forest or community activities.

If you’re interested in knowing when Batuma Memoria Airstrip is expected to open and which airlines will begin offering scheduled and charter flights to this region of Uganda, Katland Safaris will keep you apprised of all the latest news.

Updated list of gorilla families and permits available in the Nkuringo region.

Updated List Of Gorilla Families And Permits Available In Buhoma Region.

Revised list of gorilla families and permits accessible in Buhoma, Bwindi. Apart from the busiest gorilla safari location in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the Buhoma region has some of the pioneer gorilla families from the park. Five gorilla families open to public booking today in the northern section of Bwindi Impenetrable National, the Buhoma region. Note that while the habituation process is still under progress for probable younger children, the count of gorilla families in the Buhoma region may vary.

Among the first gorilla trekking families sent to public visitation in Uganda, the Mubare gorilla family became open for tourism in 1993. 1998 saw the opening of the Habyinyanja gorilla family for gorilla treking. In 3002 Rushegura was also available to the general public. Though they are currently under observation, there are yet more possible gorilla families that could be accessible to the general people.

Given its special past, many visitors originally asked for gorilla permits for Buhoma before other regions. This changed, although, when the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was split into four areas. Apart from the Buhoma region, additional gorilla safari sites in Bwindi are Ruhija in the east and Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south.

Make sure you plan lodging for the gorilla trekking safari either within or near the Buhoma region to prevent running afoul of rules trying to catch up with briefing time. The varied landforms separating one region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from another makes connecting between them difficult; also, the extensive forest cover is difficult to access. Sometimes the usual autumn rains leaves the roads linking the Bwindi districts muddy.

The Gorilla families in the Buhoma region:

Mubare family:

Since the Buhoma region was opened in 1993 and this Uganda safari activity was made available to the public, this gorilla family bears the gorilla trekking legacy of the area. The Mubare family, derived from the Mubare Hills in Kanungu, includes numerous family members whose numbers vary with time as many births and deaths take place. Seeing the Mubare gorilla family is like stepping into Uganda’s gorilla trekking safaris’ past.

With 10 mountain gorilla family members, the Rushegura family—3002—was finally released for public access. The family has evolved; now, over 16 individuals are listed under the Rushegura gorilla family but may increase or shrink depending on the state of the forest.

Families from Habinyanja

The Habinyanja family was the second to be made publicly visited in Uganda in the history of gorilla trekking. Opening this gorilla trekking family, twenty-one members have enrolled with two silverbacks. Birth, splits, grabbing, and much more are occurring in the bush, so the count of the habinyanja gorilla family has been shifting over time.

Muyambi family:

One of the Muyambi gorilla trekking families broke apart from the Mubare gorilla family when one of their silverbacks began his own family.

Updated List Of Gorilla Families And Permits Available In Buhoma Region.

This gorilla family had six members at the time it was first accessible for gorilla trekking, however numbers could vary with time.

familia Katwe

In 2018 public visits to the Katwe gorilla trekking family in the Buhoma region were welcomed. Thanks to the habituation program, this family increased the count of gorilla permits accessible in the Buhoma region. For three years, the Katwe family was under the gorilla habituation.

How would you schedule gorilla families for the Buhoma area?

While family-based booking for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park no longer exists, on trekking day visitors are assigned these gorilla families to walk. There may be eight visitors to every gorilla family maximum.

Suggest this directly when you submit the gorilla safari question, if Buhoma is your favorite gorilla trekking destination. Tell others you intend to schedule the gorilla trip when you search for availability.

While we help our customers to purchase gorilla permits at Katland Safaris, you must offer us the date and amount of gorilla permits you want to book. Participants for gorilla safaris in Uganda must be at least 15 years of age as that is the age restriction. Our tour guide looks for gorilla trekking permits from the Uganda Wildlife Authority list.

If Buhoma gorilla trekking permits are not available, remain open-minded to other choices as the experience is unique and fascinating in all the gorilla trekking sites. Every day Buhoma offers 32 gorilla trekking licenses for public booking.

Once availability is known, get your gorilla permits right away before they run out. Though availability is restricted to a maximum of 8 per gorilla family, demand for gorilla licenses is great globally. This is for conservation purposes; bombards of humans in the forest disturb the mountain gorillas. For the vegetarian mountain gorillas, even the consequences of mass tourism—like trampling on vegetation—may cause food shortage.

Forward to us some personal information to include on the gorilla permits card: your complete name as shown on the passport, date of birth, nationality, and passport expiry date.

Where in the Buhoma region may one find lodging suitable for gorilla trekking?

The Buhoma section of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has the most comprehensive selection of lodging options spanning luxury, mid-range, and cheap. Demand for these facilities rises throughout the peak season, which is June, July, August, September, December, and January, therefore causing shortage.

Among the Buhoma lodging are Gorilla Forest Camp, Marasa Silverback Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Bwindi View Bandas, Gorilla Resort, Buhoma community Campsite, Lake Kitandara Tented Camp, Buhoma Lodge, Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge.

How one arrives to the Buhoma section of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

By road.
Though it may be accessed from many paths, the Buhoma region is in the north section of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park:

Driving for around nine to ten hours, Kampala, or Entebbe, to Kabale, Kanungu, And Buhoma is approximately 534 kilometers. You need a 4×4 wheel drive car for easier navigation because the roads are curvy and sometimes dirty.

Known to be the quickest path is Entebbe or Kampala to Ntungamo to Rukungiri to Kihihi to Buhoma. You cover around 472 kilometers on your drive.

About 160 kilometers from Mweya and 60 kilometers from the Ishasha area, Queen Elizabeth National Park spans Kihihi to Buhoma. Entebbe of viewing the tree climbing lions is more open when traveling throughout the Ishasha section of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

From Kigali in Rwanda, pass by Cyanika or Gatuna borders into Kabale, Kanungu, and Buhoma in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Five to six hours make up the trip.

You may get daily domestic flights to Kihihi airstrip from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airfield. Your resort in the Buhoma region needs a transfer car hired. About two hours separate the Kihihi airstrip’s journey from the Buhoma region.

For private gorilla safaris, charter airplane services are available from Kajjansi Airfield or Entebbe Airport. You have to arrange a transfer car as well.

In the Buhoma region, which gorilla family is the easiest to visit?

The easiest gorilla family to hike in the Buhoma region is not clear-cut as mountain gorilla attitudes are always shifting. Their characteristics, the daily weather, the closeness of their food supply, and others all are shaped by the atmosphere of the forest. The ease or length of search for the mountain gorillas depends even on the speed of other visitors.

Given the current conditions in the jungle, the gorilla family nearby the previous day may be the distant the next day.

Though there is plenty to see in this eco-forest park, some patience is needed before seeing the mountain gorillas. You may also have an open mind. Search for additional primates including L’Hoest’s, olive baboons, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey.

Gorilla treking in Buhoma lasts how long?

The time you find the mountain gorillas, the weather of the days, the speed of other visitors, and others determines the duration of the gorilla trekking safari in the Buhoma region. Only one hour is permitted with the mountain gorillas during gorilla trekking for conservation purposes.

Mountain gorillas’ everyday life is usually disrupted by human presence, hence the time spent with them is kept low.

While some visitors have spent more than three-quarters of the day, others have found the mountain gorillas in one hour; hence, you must be patient to finish the whole experience.

A gorilla safari to the Buhoma region costs what?

While we at Katland Safaris arrange our gorilla safaris based on Luxury, mid-range, and budget, the gorilla permits are the same expense for everybody.

For foreign non-residents, the gorilla trekking permit for the Buhoma region costs $800; for foreign residents, it is $700; and for East Africans, it is 300 000shs.

We take into account the number of persons on the safari, the number of days on the gorilla tour, the tour package you pick, the time of booking the gorilla safari, other activities to mix with the gorilla tour, and others in order to quote other gorilla safari expenses.

Is it possible to postpone the gorilla permits for the Buhoma region?

If you are confident you will be traveling in the future and you cannot honor the day for your scheduled gorilla safari, you may ask to reschedule. Following the steps below will help Uganda Wildlife Authority to approve gorilla permit rescheduling.

Write to the Uganda Wildlife Authority asking that the gorilla permit be brought forward. Explain why you are unable to go on the scheduled gorilla trip. Attach whatever proof you have to backup it.

Approved, your gorilla permit is moved in line with the prevailing availability status.

The gorilla permit to be rescheduled must to be completely paid for and transferred to a date within the year it was booked from.

How safe is Buhoma region gorilla trekking?

Since ranger rangers accompany every gorilla trip in the Buhoma region, it is safe for safaris. Aiming to preserve the mountain gorillas and other forest inhabitants, these skilled and seasoned ranger guides are Every ranger guide carries a defensive item: one has a firearm and another a machete for any kind of emergency.

In should support be required, the ranger guide also carries a radio call to let security on the ground know.

The ranger guide patrol crew gets up early every morning to track where the mountain gorillas could have spent the night or prospective hangout sites for the day. Like other deadly wild creatures like lions, hyenas, and others, they also search for evidence of strange visitors. Should they trace placed snares, the rangers deactivate them.

Before allowing the family to be seen publicly, even the mountain gorillas must get acclimated to human presence. Without changing their nature, this helps ease the hostility between the mountain gorillas and people.

Entering the forest only with an accompanying ranger guide means that, as a visitor, you have to consider personal security. To prevent getting lost in the forest, keep with the group you are trekking gorillas with.

How demanding is gorilla trekking in the Buhoma Area?

The geography of the Bwindi forest makes gorilla hiking in Buhoma difficult. Several landforms including hills and plateaus covered in rich flora emerged from the volcanic activity in this region.

Visitors have to hike to locate the mountain gorillas when they spend part of their day on the slopes. You need some fitness to do the gorilla hike as this is really exhausting. Choosing the correct gorilla safari clothing helps you avoid injury as the jungle features certain irritating surfaces like stinging nettles.

Cary, some energy snacks to eat on the way to locate the mountain gorillas.

Hiring a porter before beginning the gorilla trip helps you avoid tiredness lugging the safari equipment. A porter is a local resident who holds your stuff while you search for the mountain gorillas. When you are exhausted, the porter may also provide you a push. Hiring the porter for gorilla safaris is quite affordable.

Hiring a porter is one of the primary ways you can help the community on the gorilla safari if you desire to do so.

Get more information by contacting our staff.

Updated list of gorilla families and permits available in Rushaga region.

updated Rushaga Bwindi gorilla families and licenses. South of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies Rushaga. This enterprise is expanding gorilla trekking with eight gorilla families. Busingye, Bweza, Kahungye, Nshongi, Rwigi, Mucunguzi, and others are Rushaga Gorilla families.

Start by telling them you want to go gorilla trekking in Rushaga so they can get gorilla permits. Gorilla habituation is possible in Rushaga. An adventure begins when travelers join a team of researchers and habituators into the forest to visit a semi-habituated gorilla family for four hours.

Olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, vervet monkeys, and black and white colobus may be seen in Rushaga’s forest together with mountain gorillas. Many birds, especially Albertine rift endemics, may be found near your window seal.

Rushaga is one of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s four gorilla trekking destinations. East Ruhija, south Nkuringo, and north Buhoma are also locations. Four preservation administrative zones divide Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Volcanic peaks, plateaus, and heavy flora make Bwindi forest difficult to navigate.

What gorilla families dwell in Rushaga, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

family Gorilla Nshongi

Nshongi gorilla family was named after River Nsongi, where it lived. The large gorilla family Nshongi split up after fighting with the Bweza family. Public booking for the 6009 Nshongi gorilla family began. The Nshongi gorilla family has over eight members, however births and deaths may change this.

Busingye gorilla family

The Busingye gorilla family divorced from Kahungye after familial dispute. Rumanzi is the dominant silverback in this gorilla family. Seeing many beautiful mountain gorillas makes visiting the gorilla family interesting. Public tours of the Busingye gorilla family began in 2015.

Gorilla Family Kahungye

The 2011 Kahungye gorilla family has over 27 members. The gorilla family was called after Kahungye hill.

Gorator family

Mishaya gorillas are Nshongi descendants. Mishaya, the silverback, waged war on neighboring mountain gorilla families to raise its number.

Family Bweza gorilla

After splitting from the Nshongi family, the Bweza gorilla family Kakono Silverback left Nshongi in 2013 after phoning Bweza and challenging his commander.

Mucunguzi gorilla family

Mucunguzi, a Bweza gorilla split, means rescuer locally. One silverback, Mucunguzi, kidnapped Bweza family members to create this family.

Rwigi gorilla family

The Kahungye family split into the Rwigi gorilla family. Rwanda’s silverback leader is a gorilla. He left to start his own family, disagreeing with other Kahungye silverbacks.

Bikingi Gorilla Family

Habituation occurred in 2015, making the Bikingi gorilla family hikeable. Due to family strife, the disgruntled members departed but were found with mountain gorillas.

Updated list of gorilla families and permits available in Rushaga region.

In southern Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, including Rushaga, two gorilla habituation experience families live.

Booking Bwindi Rushaga Gorilla Families

Choose a day to go gorilla trekking and determine how many permits you need. To ease access, state your request for Rushaga licenses from the start.

On gorilla excursion day, Katland Safaris helps check gorilla permit availability, book them, and deliver them to visitors. So you can relax, we can manage extra safari logistics for gorilla safari planning. Our Trip Advisor, Safari Bookings, and other travel websites reflect that our over 10 years of planning African safaris have improved our understanding.

After receiving your request, our safari specialist checks Uganda Wildlife Authority availability and responds quickly.

Customers should acquire gorilla trekking permits immediately since their status might change at any time. Gorilla permits are first-come, first-served. Booking without a gorilla permission is impossible.

We scan and transmit a receipt to verify your gorilla permit purchase. Please mention your passport name, nationality, date of birth, and passport expiry date on your gorilla permit.

Our driving guide registers your gorilla permit with the ranger guide on gorilla trekking day before briefing when you book the full safari package.

What do Bwindi Rushaga gorilla hiking permits cost?

International nonresidents pay $800, foreign residents $700, and East Africans 300,000hs for Uganda gorilla trekking permits.

Gorilla excursion permits include park entrance for 24 hours, government taxes, security, mountain gorilla conservation, local community aid, ranger guide fees, one hour of gorilla trekking, and more.

The gorilla permit charge covers just personal expenses like tipping, hotel, food, packed lunch, and others.

Do gorilla trekking licenses come in installments?

Indeed, the Uganda Wildlife Authority allows installment gorilla permits if purchased before 90 days to ensure you top up before gorilla safari day.

Gorilla permits are reopened to the public and non-refundable if top-up days are not respected.

Avoid forgetting to refill your gorilla permit by buying it entire.

Which Rushaga hotels should the Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Safari book?

Although Rushaga, the new gorilla safari hotspot, offers various housing alternatives, you might instead stay in Nkuringo. Nkuringo is a short drive from Rushaga, so you may stay there.

You must know your permit location before booking a Bwindi Impenetrable National Park accommodation for gorilla safaris. This prevents early morning briefings from being missed due to dark Bwindi travel. Slick roads, poor view, logs across the road, flat tires, and others are common on the journey.

Shadows Lodge, Rushaga Safari Lodge, Ichumbi Lodge, Bwindi Backpacker’s Camp, Nshongi Camp, Nkuringo Lodge

How to go to Rushaga, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

To go by road, you will need a well-maintained 4×4 4WD automobile and an experienced driving guide. The approach to the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is winding since the Kigezi sub-region is volcanic. Sometimes roads are dirty, especially after severe rains.

To Kabale for Rushaga from Entebbe or Kampala
From Kampala or Entebbe to Kabale, then 105 kilometers to Rushaga, the distance is 414 kilometers. Kisoro, 35 km from Rushaga, is another option for overnight. Over 80 kilometers separate Kabale from Kisoro.

Daily domestic light from Kajjansi Airfield or Entebbe Airport to Kisoro Airfield, then a transport vehicle to Rushaga. Due to dense fog in Kisoro, weather might affect flights.

Chartering an airplane from Kajjansi or Entebbe Airport to Kisoro would allow you to take a car to your Rushaga hotel.

When is optimal for Rushaga Bwindi gorilla hiking?

Gorilla hiking is best when you’re ready. Most tourists pick dry season. The Bwindi rainforest is known for its unpredictable precipitation, although June, July, August, September, December, and January are dry.

Less precipitation in the forest makes mountain gorillas, several monkey species, birds, butterflies, and various tree species more visible. The heavy canopy lets more sunlight reach the ground, making woodland routes speedier. Even rivers stick to their routine.

Travel is busiest in Uganda during the dry season, therefore you must secure gorilla trekking authorization in advance. Peak season gorilla permits are scarce due to high demand. Last-minute gorilla trekking permits and facilities are hard to get in peak season.

Gorilla permit demand is lower in the rainy season (March, April, May, and November). Last-minute gorilla permits are more likely in the low season.

If you want to upgrade your gorilla safari without going crazy, consider low-season offerings. Service providers might slash costs to break even.

Is Rushaga Gorilla Trekking Hard?

Gorilla hiking in Rushaga is tough due to its volcanic landscape. Volcanic activity created ridges, plateaus, and other features. The passage is partially blocked by thick foliage that has overgrown and distorted these traits for years. The woodland has various routes that must be maintained.

Ranger guides use machetes to chop hanging bushes that impede the way.

Gorilla safaris need considerable physical fitness since you must follow mountain gorillas in the hills or valleys. The route may be muddy and treacherous due to continuous rainfall and forest deterioration.

You may avoid injury while searching for mountain gorillas in the forest’s harsh terrain by wearing the right gear.

Which Rushaga gorilla family is easiest to trek?

Each Rushaga gorilla family is intriguing, making it hard to choose one. The gorilla family that was easiest to find yesterday may be the hardest to find tomorrow. After the briefing, you are given a gorilla family, but the permit distribution criteria are unclear.

Gorilla permits are occasionally given based on age, hobby, connection, etc.

You may appreciate more than the wilderness offers if you’re patient and receptive to other intriguing components. You await stunning terrain, sparkling waterfalls, and others. Learn about Bwindi’s biosphere reserve, or impenetrable national park forest.

Trekking Gorilla Rushaga safety?

Rushaga gorilla trekking is safe since the gorilla families were resolved before being released. Each gorilla trekking team has two well-trained ranger guides, one with a machete and the other with a rifle.

Visitors must attend a briefing before the gorilla expedition to learn the regulations and avoid breaking them. Tourists may be at risk from calm mountain gorillas that attack when challenged.

Park security collaborates with Ugandan security forces to ensure order within and outside the park.

Visitors should avoid the woodland without a ranger guidance for their safety.

Visit the mountain gorillas for an unforgettable experience; book today.