The southern portion of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s Rushaga gorilla trekking area is here, and here is why you should walk gorillas there. Currently home to around five gorilla trekking families available for tourism—Nshong gorilla family, Mishaya gorilla family, Kahungye gorilla family, Bweza gorilla family, Busingye gorilla family, and another two currently under habituation—Rushaga region

Currently, the four locations of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park gorilla trekking follow area and Rushaga. Other locations include Ruhija, Buhoma, and Nkuringo regions. To be let in this region for this safari, you need a gorilla trekking permit booked in the Rushaga area.

With Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, overnighting in one location and perform gorilla trekking in another is really dangerous. This is so because you have to travel great distances early morning to meet up with early briefing time before gorilla trekking. The path includes several challenges like slick roads, logs blocking the route, flat tires, and others.

 

How To Get To Trekking Area Of Rushaga Gorilla

From Kampala to the southern portion of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the trip covers up to Kabale 414km in close proximity to 4 hours. About eighty kilometers from Kabale, Kisoro is where you might spend night. You have 35 kilometers to cover—from Kisoro to the southern edge of Bwindi—about 1 hour and a half.

 

Flights

Daily domestic flights from Kajjasi Airstrip or Entebbe Airport to Kisoro airstrip, however you must arrange a transport car to your accommodation. These once daily flights rely on demand and the state of the weather.

Although charter flight schedules may also be arranged, previous booking is required.

 

Facilities in the Rushaga Gorilla Trekking Area

Rushaga Gorilla Lodge; Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge; Gorilla hill Eco Lodge; Lake Mahere Gorilla Lodge; Bwindi Guest House; Bwindi Cultural Center. One may still spend nights in Kisoro town.

 

When would be the ideal time for Gorilla Trekking in Rushaga Area?

Although Gorilla Trekking in the Rushaga section of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is available all year long, from June to December to January is the most thrilling. This season the forest gets less rain, hence forest residents are more active. Primates include chimpanzees, olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, L’ Hoest’s, and others call this biosphere reserve home.

Double gorilla trekking allows avid birders to see some of the Albertine rift endemics like Alpine Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, Malachite Sunbird, Dusky Tutle Dove, Montane Double Collared Sunbird, and others.

 

How To Book Rushaga Area Gorilla Trekking Approaches

Record the day you want to go gorilla trekking in Uganda and the number of persons you want to go with.

When you ask questions of us Our safari adviser needs to find out whether gorilla permits for the Rushaga region are available. You also have to explain why you choose the Rushaga gorilla trekking route.

Should availability be favorable, we kindly ask you to get your gorilla trekking permit immediately. This is thus because the gorilla allows quick sales off and its state changes often.

Given the great demand for mountain gorilla licenses worldwide, buying them follows first come first. The mountain gorilla licenses are restricted to only eight gorilla permits for every household.

Following semi-habited gorilla families, you might choose to undertake gorilla habituation in the Rushaga region, around four hours. Though they still exhibit wild characteristics, these gorillas are really fascinating to see because of their appeal. There are only four persons permitted to go with the group of researchers and habituators.

You must supply information like your complete name as per your passport, nationality, date of birth, passport expiration date, and others after booking your gorilla trekking permit.

 

How much gorilla Trekking in Rushaga Gorilla Trekking Area costs?

The uniform expense of a safari to the Rushaga region is the gorilla trekking permit. Right now, the gorilla trekking licenses are $800 per person, for a one-hour trip. In southern Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, gorilla habituation each person takes four hours for $1500.

 

 Other considerations regarding gorilla trekking expenses include

The total count of visitors engaged in gorilla trekking. The cost per participant decreases as more paying individuals go for gorilla treking. This is so you may split various costs such driver guides, twin rooms, car rental, and others. You pay the total cost of the gorilla trekking safari as a single tourist.

If you plan your gorilla trekking safari during the peak season, most providers have exorbitant rates; lower rates might be provided to you during the low season. This might cut your personal expenses.

The number of days on safari also counts; the cost of your safari increases with the more days you spend on your gorilla trekking safari. Usually, services provided during gorilla treking are paid daily.

Your safari’s gross cost will be greater depending on the extra activities you have put into your gorilla trekking schedule. You could choose birdwatching, scenic gazing, climbing, chimpanzee treking, and others.

 

How Difficult Is Rushaga Area Gorilla Trekking?

Since gorilla trekking takes place in a volcanic region, anticipate to walk the hills sometimes to reach the mountain gorillas. The mountain gorillas recline in the valley at times and spend part of their time on the mountains.

Should they are eating from the slopes, you must ascend the marshy or steep heights in search of the mountain gorillas.

 

This explains why you need some athleticism to really enjoy the experience.

Sometimes the ranger guide must use a machete to clean the path allowing you to pass through years of tangled foliage. Remarkably surviving for 25,000 years, this drape of vegetative cover is a relic of the ice period that ravaged Africa under arid circumstances.

The Level of Danger Mountain Gorillas Pose

Though on the surface they appear terrifying, mountain gorillas are inherently calm. Their dark brown sunken eyes match their black fur layer of hair across the body. Movement among mountain gorillas is accomplished via knuckle walks. Angry, the mountain gorillas pound their chests, hoot, pull grass about them, walk on one foot, and hide into the park’s deeper ends.

To fully enjoy the one hour allotted to be in their company, you have to abide by gorilla trekking guidelines. Touching the baby irritates them, hence it is not a good idea.

 

Where in Rushaga Area The Mountain Gorillas Are Found

Though their whereabouts is unknown, you may spend two hours to three-quarters of the day looking for the mountain gorillas. One of the reasons saying the easiest family to hike is difficult is this.

Finding the mountain gorillas relies on the distance from their diet. The mountain gorillas living in the near sections of the forest might be easily found when enough of food is present in these places.

Should a member of the gorilla family die, they could grieve and hide in the more remote parts of the jungle. A gorilla family known to be nearby may briefly enter the deeper parts of the forest.

A gorilla family moves into the deeper areas of the forest to regenerate and withdraw after losing during a fight with another gorilla family.

The state of the weather in the forest can lead the mountain gorillas to be either near or distant from one other. Sometimes the harsh rain seasons hide the food for the mountain gorillas particularly in relation to river flooding. To located them, you must climb to the hills.

 

 

Is the Rushaga Area fit for Gorilla Trekking?

Because rangers cooperate with other Uganda security agencies to maintain peace and order in this region and safeguard the forest inhabitants too, the Rushaga area is secure for gorilla trekking.

A team of rangers awakens early every day to track mountain gorillas in the woods. They report back to the rangers, which is then passed on even to park security. In case of backup, the rangers also utilize their radio calls for communication.

Although the Rushaga region has general security, you still have to be careful individually.

Never enter the pack without a ranger guide as unhabituated forest inhabitants such forest elephants, enormous forest pigs, vipers, and others may attack you.

Counting a lot of money in public puts you in risk as you can draw the wrong individuals to follow you.

In case you have to do any local transactions, carry some limited cash that you may convert into local money. The long process of retrieving money from credit cards makes using them as a form of transaction rare in Africa.

Bring appropriate gorilla trekking equipment to help you protect your feet from damage.

Steer clear of eating anyplace else than the specified spots advised by the ranger guide. This helps one to prevent food poisoning.

Should you have valuables, let the lodge management know so that, should one exist, they might be stored in the lodge safe. This helps one avoid tense behavior during the gorilla walk.

Move with your passport and other identifying records so that, should a problem arise, you will be assisted.

 

Guidelines of Gorilla Trekking in Rushage Area

Maintain About eight meters separate you from the mountain gorillas once you find them.

Given the COVID-19 epidemic, use a mask when gorilla trekking. This became among the guidelines to be followed upon mountain gorilla discovery.

No, as it disturbs mountain gorillas, flash photography should not be used there. New events in their surroundings scare mountain gorillas.

Never smoke or drink close to the mountain gorillas; you could not realize the impact of the smoke until much later in their lives.

Should you want to cough or sneeze, do so away from the mountain gorillas or in your elbow to stop the virus transmission.For hygienic reasons, cover your nose or mouth with a cloth here.

Should you need to ease yourself, ask the ranger guide to dig a hole for you. Cover everything thoroughly in a hole of more than 30 cm, beyond identification, therefore preventing the primates from exhuming anything later.

Never trash in the wild; instead, offer to help clean it up should you come across it. Mountain gorillas and other primates only eat from the forest, hence it is imperative to keep it in its natural environment.

During gorilla trekking, avoid spitting on park grounds or plants as it is unclean and food for the mountain gorillas.

The nature of this adventure makes the age restriction for gorilla trekking 15 years. Although the exact time for finding the mountain gorillas is unclear, the topography’s steepness and slick soils make sometimes difficult travel.

Although every visitor in the party has paid for a gorilla permit to be in the presence of the mountain gorillas for the specified period, do not try or encourage the mountain gorillas as they will hide.

Try to keep your voice quiet and stay away from quick movements while near mountain gorillas. Mountains gorillas are alert to strange sounds in their surroundings.

Once you find the mountain gorillas, only one hour is allowed for them to go about their daily business.

When you find the mountain gorillas, avoid encircling them as your presence may irritate them. The mountain gorillas worry about fresh events happening in their surroundings.