List of gorilla habituation lodges in Rushaga and Nkuringo

Following a family of semi-habituated gorillas to acquaint them with human presence without changing the natural environment is known as a “gorilla habituation adventure.” The southern region of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is where gorillas get habituated.

To reduce the likelihood of having to get up early for a briefing, reservations for the gorilla habituation safari must be made in the southern portion of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Staying at a resort that fits your budget can help you experience the finest gorilla habituation vacation and prevent any hassles at check-out. Accommodations in the southern section of Bwindi’s impenetrable national park are categorized as luxury, mid-range, and cheap. There are two regions in this southern region of Bwindi: the Rushaga area and the Nkuringo area.

Clouds Lodge is one of the lodging options in the Rushaga and Nkuringo regions.

In the southern section of the Bwindi forest sits this ultra-luxurious lodge. Well-ventilated ensuite rooms are available at this lodge. Every room is comfortable, and the balcony offers a fantastic view of the forest canopy. Mountain gorillas are among the creatures that may occasionally pay you a visit.

Clouds Lodge features a well-stocked restaurant and bar, as well as a lovely atmosphere that combines modern and regional architecture.

Throughout your stay, you can count on a personal battler to handle all of your room service needs. After that, you simply relax and lie back.

Gorilla Lodge at Nkuringo

This opulent lodge is located on Nteko Ridge with a view of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. At the moment, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge features a restaurant, a well-stocked bar, and fifteen independent rooms. The rooms are divided into three categories: villas, cottages, and terrace rooms.

Gorilla Hills Eco Lodge

Situated in Kisoro, this lodge offers a restaurant and bar, lovely gardens, free wifi, and tranquil views of the surroundings.

Rushaga Gorilla Lodge

Each accommodation at this lodge is tastefully designed to ensure that you have a great night in the jungle, and it overlooks the stunning Bwindi forest.

Rushaga Gorilla Safari Lodge

With eight ensuite units to date, this opulent establishment offers a view of the Bwindi forest. Each self-contained room has its own balcony and veranda. You can follow the Nshongi gorilla family from the resort. The two gorilla families available for acclimatization adventure are near Rushaga Gorilla Safari Camp.

After a tiring gorilla trekking safari, guests can wind down and chill at the lodge’s well-stocked restaurant, lounge, and bar.

Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Great views of the Bwindi forest canopy may be seen from this mid-range lodge. The lodge has a café, a minibar, and wifi. Every room has a balcony where you can enjoy the forest’s activities. Rushaga Gate is roughly ten minutes’ drive from the lodge.

Gorilla Haven Lodge in Rushaga

This low-cost lodge is located in Kisoro’s Ryarutagara. The lodge offers a variety of lodging options, some with communal amenities and others with private spaces.

Camp Nshongi

This low-cost establishment is located outside of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Four traditional Bandas with double beds and private bathrooms are available at the site.

Back Packers Lodge in Bwindi

This low-cost facility is located outside the inaccessible national park of Bwindi. The establishment consists of self-contained rooms, cottages, and non-self-contained rooms with communal restrooms and toilets.

How to Reserve Permits for Gorilla Habituation

Decide on the quantity of gorilla licenses and the timing for gorilla habituation. Two gorilla families are presently available for habituation in Bwindi; the public is only granted up to four permits per day.

When you contact us, our safari adviser looks through the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s list of gorilla habitat permits that are available.

Due to their limited supply and strong demand, we ask all of our clients to apply for habituation permits in advance, without payment, if they are still available. Permits for gorilla habituation are restricted to four visitors for conservation purposes.

Send your personal information so that your gorilla habituation card can be produced. Names as listed on the passport, nationality, birthdate, and passport expiration date are a few of the required details.

What is the cost of a permit for gorilla habitat?
For foreign nonresidents, the gorilla habituation permit costs $1500 per person; for foreign residents, it costs $1000; and for East African residents, it costs 750000shs.

Included and excluded in the gorilla habituation permit costs are

A gorilla habituation ticket costs four hours of gorilla viewing, park entrance fees, ranger guide fees, security, and support for gorilla conservation and the local community.

The gorilla trekking permit excludes porters, beverages, tips, transportation, and any other personal belongings.

Is it possible to purchase a gorilla habitat permit in installments?

Yes, you can pay for the gorilla habituation permit in 30% and 70% installments, but you have to do so ninety days before to the habituation date. The greatest way to demonstrate your dedication to seeing a mountain gorilla is to pay for your gorilla habituation permit in full, although occasionally this is unavoidable.

According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s payment policy, don’t forget to top up the 90 days before the habituation date or risk losing the remaining amount.

Is it possible to reschedule a gorilla habitat permit?

You can reschedule for a later date if you are unable to go on the gorilla habituation safari on the day you have reserved.

In order to postpone your gorilla habituation permit, you must submit a request to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. If you have a backup plan for rescheduling your gorilla habituation permit, include it with your request.

If available, the gorilla permit is rescheduled after your approval. You can reschedule the same gorilla habituation permit two times. The third occurrence requires a 25% cost increase for the executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority to step in.

Does the Cost of Gorilla Habituation Make Sense?

The cost of the gorilla habituation permit is high, but it is well worth it. One of the most sought-after activities in the world is getting closer to the last remaining mountain gorillas in the world.

By the 1980s, when around 300 mountain gorillas were counted during the census, the endangered species was on the verge of extinction, and you are in favor of their survival.

It’s moving to see how most attendees of gorilla habituation leave the fours with an inexplicable sense of connectedness.

Employing porters to move your possessions at a reasonable price helps the neighborhood indirectly. They finance their children’s tuition and maintain their own lives with the money they earn.

Twenty percent of the proceeds from the gorilla safari activities are donated to the local community each year to help with projects like road upkeep, school establishment, and water source construction.

Families of Gorillas in the Rushaga Area

Approximately eight gorilla families are currently accessible to tourists in the Rushaga area: the Bweza, Kahungye, Busingye, Nshongi, Mishaya, Mucunguzi, Bitukura, and Rwigi groups.

Families of Gorillas in the Nkuringo Area
Christmas Family, Nkuringo Family,

How long does it take for gorillas to get habituated in Rushaga or Nkuringo?

Since mountain gorillas are free-ranging creatures who roam the forest without constraints, the best time to locate them is still up in the air. You begin by following the path where the mountain gorillas were last spotted the night before. Usually, it takes a push element to get someone to travel very far from here.

Finding the mountain gorillas may occasionally take two hours or longer, but patience is essential.

Occasionally, the habituated gorilla family may move if there is a dispute within or with another family.

It becomes difficult to locate gorillas because they must go for other feeding grounds when the food supply in the area where they are habituated runs out.

It takes longer to find the mountain gorillas during habituation since the jungle is cold and slick during the intense wet season.

Finding the mountain gorillas takes longer when other habituation is slow. Because of this and the area’s normally mountainous terrain, you must be somewhat fit.

How Secure Is Habituation for Gorillas?

Although semi-habituated mountain gorillas are used for gorilla habituation, the resulting animals are not aggressive. The mountain gorillas are quiet and reserved in their natural habitat. To prevent you from assaulting wild animals, escorting rangers are armed with a rifle and a machete.

To avoid being lost in the woods, you should be mindful of your personal security by staying near the people you are accustomed to. To prevent encountering other untamed forest inhabitants, such as forest elephants, enormous forest hogs, vipers, and others, only enter the forest accompanied by a ranger guide.

Is It Hard to Habituate Gorillas?

The topography of gorilla habitat is often highland due to volcanic activity. However, you may have to hike to see mountain gorillas because they may spend the day on the slopes or deep in the valleys.

Wearing the appropriate gorilla habituation gear that can survive the conditions of the forest is essential.

To avoid muscle tension, stretch your muscles before the gorilla habituation safari.

Gorilla Habituation Safari: How Much Does It Cost?

The price of a gorilla habituation permit is the same for luxury, mid-range, and budget safari options. Some of the following factors are taken into account while determining the overall cost of the safari package:

The more people who sign up for the gorilla habituation safari, the lower the cost per person becomes.

Due of the high cost of all facilities, safari packages are expensive when gorilla habitat is booked during the busiest time of year. However, there may be lower prices during the off-peak months for services like lodging, car rentals, ranger guide fees, and more.

the variety of other activities, like as game drives, chimpanzee trekking, launch trips, and others, that can be combined with gorilla habituation. The cost of the safari increases with the number of activities related to gorilla trekking.

List of Items to Bring for Gorilla Habituation

Wear a foldable safari hat to protect your hair from flying insects that buzz in the bush.
Wearing garden gloves shields your hands from potentially painful nettles.
In the bush, sunglasses can shield your eyes from flying insects.
Rainproof equipment in case it suddenly starts to rain.
Safari boots are resistant to the slick terrain and damp dirt found in forests.
bug repellent that can shield you from insects that sting.
A pair of binoculars in case you want to see distant features more clearly
If you need to make purchases on-site, have extra money to convert into local currency.
pants and a long-sleeved shirt in wilderness-friendly hues like khaki and beige.
A waterproof rucksack to keep your stuff in when you’re out in the wild.
Emergency supplies in a first aid pack that you can use if necessary
a camera to capture memories of your trip with the gorillas, but avoid using flash. The mountain gorillas, who are afraid of unfamiliar situations, are alarmed by this.
You should pack as little as possible but with essentials that you can lift if you need help. Use a duffel bag to hold your possessions.
Toiletries in case your skin is sensitive or your lodge does not supply them.
Additional garments to switch into following gorilla habituation
If you have limited time to clean your safari boots after gorilla habituation, you should bring a shoe bag.
Since the majority of lodges rely on solar energy, a torch will provide you with illumination when the lights go out at night.
A pair of stockings to wear inside your clothing to prevent stinging insects from getting inside and harming you.

The Gorilla Habituation Rules

Mountain gorillas should not be fed, therefore dine at least 300 meters away from them.
It is prohibited to spit on plants because you could infect the mountain gorillas with pathogens.
To prevent spreading germs to the mountain gorillas, keep a distance of approximately 8 meters.
It is prohibited to litter in the forest because it changes the environment in which mountain gorillas live.
When you find mountain gorillas during a gorilla habituation adventure, you are only permitted to spend four hours with them.
Gorilla habituation can only occur in those who are at least 15 years old.
When you find the mountain gorillas, stand around 8 meters away from them. Stealthily back off if they approach.
When gorilla trekking, speak quietly or in a low voice to avoid starting a stampede in the forest.
Take pictures with a flash-less camera that is soundproof.
When gorilla hiking and looking for mountain gorillas, wear a clean mask.
When you find mountain gorillas, avoid encircling them since you might upset them.
Offer to stay behind if you contract a contagious illness.
For additional information, get in touch with us.