How to spend 5 days in Rushaga region of Bwindi

Are you planning to spend 5 days in Rushaga region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park? Do you want to make a choice of activities to do in Rushaga? Rushaga region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the best regions in Bwindi impenetrable National park where you can spend 5 days in southwestern Uganda.

About Rushaga region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Rushaga region of the famous Bwindi impenetrable national Park is one of the four sectors for gorilla trekking in Uganda and Bwindi. The other three sectors of Bwindi impenetrable National park include Rushaga, Buhoma, and Nkuringo. The Rushaga trailhead is found in Kisoro district in southwestern Uganda sharing a border with Congo, Bwindi impenetrable National Park is home to more than half of the only remaining Mountain Gorillas in the wild making it one of the famous and best places to trek the Mountain Gorillas. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the oldest forests in Africa and was declared a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.

Gorilla families in Rushaga sector for gorilla trekking are Nshongi Gorilla Group, Mishaya Gorilla Group, Bweza Gorilla Group, Bikyingi gorilla family, Kahungye Gorilla Family, Busingye Gorilla Family and Mucunguzi gorilla family. Each gorilla family is only allowed to be trekked by 8 visitors in company of guides, porters and rangers as per the Uganda wildlife Policy on gorilla tourism in Uganda. The gorilla trekking permit costs USD700 per person for Non-Foreign Residents, USD600 for Foreign Residents and Shs.250, 000 for East African Citizens. The trekking permit only allows one hour of viewing of the gorillas. There are 56 permits available per day for gorilla tracking in Rushaga of Bwindi impenetrable national Park.

How to spend 5 days in Rushaga region of Bwindi impenetrable National Park?

There are many activities that one can engage in while in Rushaga regions Bwindi impenetrable National Park.  Most people come here to do gorilla trekking but there are several other top-notch activities that can be done in 5 days or more.  Such activities include gorilla trekking, gorilla habituation experience, Batwa cultural experience, Nature and forest walks, volunteer work, birding and so much more.

Gorilla trekking in Rushaga region of Bwindi

Gorilla tracking is one of the interesting activities to do if one has 5 days to spend in Rushaga region of Bwindi. Gorilla trekking involves visiting the gorillas in their natural habitat in the forest for one hour once found. Gorilla trekking in Rushaga starts at 7:00 am with a briefing at Rushaga Park headquarters on the dos and don’ts while moving in the forest and with the gorillas.  This, therefore, means that one needs to overnight in a lodge closer to the park headquarters to enable him or her to arrive in time for briefing.  After the briefing, the park guides, rangers, and trackers lead you to the forest to find the gorillas. The choice of gorilla family allocated to you will depend on your physical fitness and interest.  The trek may take from one hour to over three hours but once you find these mountain gorillas, you will be allowed one hour of viewing and photography and later you return to the starting point to receive a certificate for the successful gorilla trekking in Uganda. Only eight visitors may see gorillas per habituated family per day according to Uganda wildlife Authority policy so as to conserve the gorillas. To be allowed to do gorilla trekking, you must be aged 15 years and above as per the policy, and minors are not allowed to trek since someone may not easily control them in the forest and may easily transmit diseases to the gorillas. You will have a great gorilla trekking experience starting from Rushaga Trailhead on Christmas.

Organizing a gorilla trek to see mountain gorillas in the Rushaga region should be done one or two months in advance, much as we organize Rushaga gorilla treks on brief notice. A gorilla permit is the most important component of trekking mountain gorillas in Rushaga and must be pre-booked. Encounter Africa safaris assists in checking availability, reserving, and securing your gorilla permits once contacted. Once your gorilla trekking permit has been secured, we will go ahead and book your accommodation and transport to and from Rushaga region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. For more information about organizing a gorilla trek to see mountain gorillas in Rushaga region, kindly contact us on email, phone, or WhatsApp and we will advise you accordingly.

Gorilla Habituation experience Rushaga region

Gorilla Habituation experience is also one of the current and most sought-after things to do when planning to spend 5 days in Rushaga region of Bwindi. The mountain gorilla experience allows you to spend four hours with mountain gorillas still undergoing habituation. A maximum of four people are allowed to do gorilla habituation activity in Bwindi Forest National Park in Uganda. With this, we require you to book your gorilla habituation permit in advance to secure your place. The experience starts and takes up to half or a full day depending on the time you take to find these mountain gorillas. Gorilla habituation activity is only done in the south of Bwindi impenetrable National Park between the sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo. During this experience, you visit the gorillas that are being habituated, with researchers and guides, you monitor the way gorillas feed, move, rest, and also communicate with them. That gorilla habituation involves hunting for mountain gorillas that are still under habituation, one has to prepare very well as it may involve long hikes and treks in the forest. A hiking stick, enough drinking water to keep you hydrated should come in handy. Don’t forget to hire a porter who will assist you by carrying your back park and giving you a push or pull when the going gets tough.

Organizing a gorilla habituation holiday to Rushaga region of Bwindi impenetrable National Park should be done in advance three to four months in advance to avoid shortage. A gorilla habituation experience permits should be booked in advance and later other services such as lodges and transport done later. Encounter Africa safaris checks availability, reserves, and secures gorilla habituation experience permits on behalf of our clients, and should there be any cancellations, we will still assist you to process a refund or reschedule your gorilla habituation experience permit to another date. This is one of the most important reasons why you should book your gorilla habituation experience holiday to see gorillas in Rushaga through a registered tour Operator like Encounter Africa safaris.

Bird watching Experience           

Rushaga region of Bwindi Forest National Park is home to various unique bird species including the Albertine Rift Endemic birds and it is a place to be for Bird watchers, Key bird species to spot on your birding tour in Bwindi National Park include Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Nightjar, Dwarf Honeyguide, African Green Broadbill, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Yellow-eyed Black-Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Short-tailed Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Crimson wing. We do organize birding packages to Bwindi Forest National Park, with professional birding guides you are able to identify different birds.

Batwa Cultural and Community experience

Enjoy the Batwa cultural encounter when you spend 5 days in Rushaga region of Bwindi. The forest used to be inhabited by the Batwa people commonly referred to as the pygmies for many years until of recent when they were removed from the Bwindi Forest to the surrounding communities of Bwindi Forest National Park to ease mountain gorilla conservation and tourism. 5 days trip will give you an opportunity to see how these pygmies used to spend their time in the forest, where they used to stay, how they used to harvest wild honey as well as hunting. They will show off their dances and explain how they have managed to settle and enjoy normal life outside the forest. You can as well visit the rest of the community in the out skirts of the forest, the women groups that do crafts and sell food, the community schools and we encourage if you have any donation to support the children with clothes and scholastic materials.

Nature walks in Rushaga region of Bwindi

Bwindi Forest National Park is made up of a tropical forest that has ancient tree species and some of them endemic to this forest. It is as well known to be impenetrable due to its thick canopy, making nature walks enjoyable. In Rushaga you will have a chance to learn about different tree species, spot different bird species as well have a chance to sight different animals including rare forest elephants if lucky, monkeys, baboons. You will as well have a Nature walk to the river stream that crosses the Rushaga region.

Nature walks in Rushaga region are conducted by well-experienced and knowledgeable ranger guides who are always willing to share their knowledge of birds, primates, and plants in the forest. Feel free to ask them any question, and they will surely provide you with an answer. Nature walks can be done before or after your mountain gorilla trek and are also good for family tours, most especially where one of the family members is below the age of 15 which is the minimum age for a gorilla trek. While others are on their mountain gorilla trek, kids below the age of 15 years can join such walks as they wait for their parents. The advantage of such walks is that it can be booked on the ground and has no specific carrying capacity.

Volunteering in and around Rushaga region of Bwindi

The other way how you can spend 5 days in Rushaga is by participating in Volunteering activities. You can volunteer in community-based projects, teach in schools as you empower the local communities staying in Rushaga of Bwindi. Encounter Africa safaris is a responsible travel company and believe in giving back to the community. We encourage our clients to share their skills and experiences with the local community projects such as schools, hospitals, women groups, and organizations dealing with environmental conservation. Encounter Africa safaris works with different women groups, youth projects, schools, and Environmental conservation projects in and around Rushaga region of Bwindi impenetrable National Park. We, therefore, encourage everyone to spare 2-3 days to volunteer in any of the above-mentioned projects, and Encounter Africa safaris will ensure that your volunteer placement is handled with care to ensure that it benefits the community or the environment. Feel free to contact us for more information about volunteer placement in and around Rushaga region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Where to stay in Rushaga region of Bwindi?

Rushaga sector in Bwindi impenetrable national park has many lodges/Hotels where you can stay on your gorilla trekking tour. These range from budget to high end hotels and Encounter Africa safaris can help you book the hotel of your choice and budget. In Rushaga, you can stay at Rushaga Gorilla camp, Four Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi gorilla lodge, Clouds Mountain gorilla lodge. The lodge rooms can sell out during the high season and we encourage you to book in advance as you will spend 5 days in this region.

Why book Rushaga activities with Encounter Africa?

Encounter Africa safaris is a Local tour operator based in Uganda with its head offices in Entebbe. Ugandans run and own encounter Africa safaris. We have been in operation for over 15 years and we specialize in life-changing experiences and sustainable tours and holidays to all East African countries. We are members of AUTO (Association of Uganda Tour Operators) and registered by UTB (Uganda Tourism Board). We have a good and long working relationship with UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) making it easy to book your gorilla permits and other park activities. Encounter Africa safaris is highly reviewed on trip advisor as well as Safari bookings.