Why you should trek gorillas in the Rushaga region of Bwindi.
Trek gorillas in Rushaga. The southern portion of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s Rushaga gorilla trekking area is here, and here is why you should walk with 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 for gorilla trekking follow the area and Rushaga. Other locations include Ruhija, Buhoma, and Nkuringo regions. To be allowed 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 performing gorilla trekking in another is really dangerous. This is so because you have to travel great distances early morning to meet up with the 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 the Trekking Area Of Rushaga Gorilla | Trek gorillas in Rushaga
From Kampala to the southern portion of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the trip covers up to 414km in approximately 4 hours. About eighty kilometers from Kabale, Kisoro is where you might spend the 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, a 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 the 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 Turtle Dove, Montane Double Collared Sunbird, and others.
How to Book Rushaga Area Gorilla Trekking Approaches | Trek gorillas in Rushaga
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 questions, our safari adviser needs to find out whether gorilla permits for the Rushaga region are available. You also have to explain why you chose 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 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-habituated gorilla families, you might choose to undertake gorilla habituation in the Rushaga region for around four hours. Though they still exhibit wild characteristics, these gorillas are really fascinating to see because of their appeal. There are only four people 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 does gorilla Trekking in Rushaga Gorilla Trekking Area cost? | Trek gorillas in Rushaga
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 takes each person 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 trekking. This is so you may split various costs, such as the 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 trekking 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 trekking, and others.
How Difficult Is Rushaga Area Gorilla Trekking? | Trek gorillas in Rushaga
Since gorilla trekking takes place in a volcanic region, you may have 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 in 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 in 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 the Rushaga Area the Mountain Gorillas Are Found | Trek gorillas in Rushaga
Though their whereabouts are unknown, you may spend two 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 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 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 another. Sometimes, the harsh rainy seasons hide the food for the mountain gorillas, particularly in relation to river flooding. To locate them, you must climb to the hills.
Is the Rushaga Area fit for Gorilla Trekking? | Trek gorillas in Rushaga
Because rangers cooperate with other Ugandan 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 as forest elephants, enormous forest pigs, vipers, and others, may attack you.
Counting a lot of money in public puts you at 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 for Gorilla Trekking in Rushaga Area | Trek gorillas in Rushaga
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 one of the guidelines to be followed upon the 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 into 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 them in their 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 requires a minimum age restriction for gorilla trekking of 15 years. Although the exact time for finding the mountain gorillas is unclear, the topography’s steepness and slick soils sometimes make travel difficult.
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 tryto 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.
