Reasons Why the Rushaga Sector Of Bwindi Is Popular

Find reasons why the Rushaga sector of Bwindi is popular. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is divided into areas for quicker administrative work in this vast, thick forest. Rushaga Area in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the growing sections of this park, currently hosting about 8 gorilla families. Those trekking Bwindi gorillas from Kigali, Rwanda, can easily access the Rushaga region compared to other regions in the North and East of the forest.

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Rushaga Area is home to fully habituated mountain gorilla families like Nshongi Family, Busingye Family, Kahungye Family, Mucunguzi Family, Muhozi Family, Rwigi Family, and Mishaya Family. When booking a gorilla permit for Bwindi impenetrable national park, the southern sector, you can request gorilla permits for the Rushaga area.

In the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are two gorilla families open for gorilla habituation experience. These mountain gorillas are semi-habituated, so that tourists may experience uncommon behavior with fully habituated gorilla families, like those going into hiding.

The gorilla habituation experience is an adventure where you escort a team of researchers and rangers in the wilderness to follow a fully habituated gorilla family in the wilderness and stay with them for four hours. This helps the mountain gorillas get used to human presence without altering their nature.

When in the Rushaga area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you have an optional gorilla activity to engage in.

Other areas into which Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is divided include:

• The Ruhija area in the East.
• The Buhoma area in the North.
• The Nkuringo area in the South.

How To Book Gorilla Trekking Permits For Rushaga Area

If you are interested in trekking mountain gorillas in the Rushaga area, say it before securing the gorilla permit so that this is specified at the Uganda Wildlife Authority reservation office in advance.

Identify a date when you hope to do gorilla trekking and the number of gorilla permits you hope to purchase in the Ruhaga area of Bwindi Forest. About 8 gorilla families are available for public booking, that is, 64 gorilla permits.

When you enquire from us about wishing to do gorilla trekking in the Rushaga area, our tourist consultants check availability from the Uganda Wildlife Authority list. Encounter Africa Safaris is one of the accredited companies to have access to the mountain gorilla permit list.

When availability per your gorilla trekking date is approved, we advise clients to purchase their gorilla permits as soon as possible. This is because gorilla permits get sold out fast, especially in the high tourism season when demand is extremely high worldwide.

Forward some passport details like your full name as indicated on the passport, date of birth, passport expiry date, and nationality. Details are filled in the gorilla permit card retrieved on the day of the gorilla trekking this identification.

What Is The Cost Of a Gorilla Permit For Rushaga Area?

The gorilla permit for the Rushaga area costs $800 per person per trek for foreign nonresidents, $700 per person for foreign residents, and 300000shs for East African residents.

The cost of gorilla permits includes park entrance fees, security during gorilla trekking, mountain gorilla conservation, local community support, ranger guide services, and one hour of viewing the mountain gorillas.

Exclusions of gorilla permit cost are no tips, porter fee, accommodation, transport, and any other items of personal nature.

Can I purchase the gorilla permits for the Rushaga area in installments?

You can purchase the gorilla permits for the Rushaga area in Installments of 30% and 70%, respectively, but you must have purchased the gorilla permits 90 days after the gorilla trekking date.

You must top up your gorilla permit before the 90 days to trekking day or get a penalty.

The gorilla permits are sold per day on a first-come, first-served basis, so no gorilla permit is reserved without payment. 

It is best to purchase the gorilla permits in total, so you remember to top it up.

What is the cost of the gorilla safari to the Rushaga area?

The cost of a gorilla safari to the Rushaga area is packaged according to luxury, mid-range, and budget. It would be best to have a gorilla permit for all these safari packages, which cost $800 per person per trek. 

Other factors that determine the cost of a gorilla permit include:

The number of other activities you combine with gorilla trekking in the Rushaga area. You can do chimpanzee trekking, visit Lake Bunyonyi, do game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and do golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park.

The time you book the gorilla safari also contributes to the cost of the gorilla trekking package, where the peak season safaris cost a higher price compared to the low season safari packages sometimes. Chances of discounted prices during the low season are high.

The more people included in the gorilla safari, the less the per-person cost. When you travel solo, all the gorilla safari costs are charged to you alone.

Each inclusion differs when you choose a luxury, mid-range, or budget safari package. The more inclusions, the higher the safari cost.

How To Get To Rushaga Area Of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Road Transport

Kampala or Entebbe To Kabale To Nkuringo OR Rushaga

The drive from Kampala to Kabale town is about 414 kilometers for 5 to 6 hours, then connect to Nkuringo for 105 kilometers lasting about 4 hours on the mountainous Murram road.

You can stay overnight in Kisoro town, about 80 kilometers from Kabale. The drive from Kisoro town to the Nkuringo or Rushaga area is about 35 kilometers.

By Air

Domestic scheduled flights commence daily from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kisoro Airstrip. From Kisoro airstrip, you can hire a transfer vehicle to the Rushaga area.

How Safe Is Rushaga Area Of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

A trained team of rangers who protect the forest and its dwellers patrols the Rushaga area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. They coordinate with other Uganda security agencies to keep law and order in this gorilla habitat.

As a tourist, you have to pay attention to personal safety by not entering the forest without an escorting ranger guide and do not let strangers into your room in case you are not sure about their character.

Carry the right gorilla trekking gear like insect repellants, a first aid kit with emergency medication, wear a long-sleeved shirt and convertible trousers, and several others. These are for personal protection.

What Is The Best Time To Visit Rushaga Sector Of Bwindi

Visiting the Rushaga area in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is open all year round; however, the dry season is June, July, August, September, December, and January.

The mountain gorillas are more lively and full of energy during this period because the conditions in the forest favor their life in the wilderness. There is a lot to eat as mountain gorillas have to walk all day searching for foliage to satisfy them throughout the day and night.

The trails in the forest have less undergrowth obstructing you from moving forward. 

During the wet season, which is normally Match, April, May, and November, the mountain gorillas tend to move to the slopes. Yet, the way is sometimes very slippery and soggy from the rains that fall, yet less sunray penetration gets to the ground.

For anyone who wishes to have an exclusive gorilla trekking experience attending with less company or alone, such opportunities are more available in the wet season.

What Accommodation To Book For Gorilla Safari In Rushaga Area

The most important decision is spending the night within or close to the gorilla safari area. Driving from one area of the Bwindi forest to another is time-consuming, yet the roads sometimes need improvement. You may need to drive in the dark to catch up with a briefing in another area.

To avoid such circumstances, overnight within or close to Bwindi's Rushaga gorilla trekking area. Accommodations in the Rushaga area of Bwindi Forest are graded according to luxury, mid-range, and budget.

Rushaga area accommodations: Clouds Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Safari Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla hill eco Lodge, Lake Mahere Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Guest House, Bwindi Cultural Center

How Long Is Gorilla Trekking In Rushaga Area?

Gorilla trekking in the Rushaga area may take 2 hours after starting the trek or more depending on the mountain gorillas location and factors prevailing in the forest.

When a gorilla family fights with another family, and they lose, they may be pushed into the deeper ends of the forest.

When mountain gorilla food is exhausted, they have to relocate, so the time to find them may be longer than usual.

Sometimes during the wet season, the trails are slippery, delaying the time for tourists to locate the mountain gorillas that may be feeding from the slopes.

When an adventurous dominant silverback leads the mountain gorilla family, the rest is forced to follow his hobbies. If they move into the deep forest, you may take a long time to locate them.

Going gorilla trekking with slow trekkers may delay the time you locate the mountain gorillas since the ranger guide follows the pace of the slowest trekker. 

How Aggressive Are Mountain Gorillas?

Mountain gorillas are serene, so do not expect them to act rough during gorilla trekking. Despite their dark, furred bodies and knuckle locomotion style, they are peaceful animals. Mountain gorillas have never attacked anyone during gorilla trekking. 

To confirm the gorilla family is ready for public viewing, mocks are done for some time. The mountain gorillas are first habituated to human presence through the gorilla habituation process. Gorilla habituation is getting a wild gorilla family used to human presence without altering their nature. This process may take 2 years and beyond, depending on how long it takes to get them accustomed to humans.

What Is The Age Limit For Gorilla Safari In Rushaga Area?

15 years and beyond is the area limit for gorilla safari in Uganda. This is because the way to the mountain gorillas can only be managed by a person aged 15 years and above. Some level of fitness and patience is necessary while trekking to locate the mountain gorillas, which a child may not have.

Mountain gorillas are provocative at times, which may not go well with a child below this age. In case you show some freight, you may appear suspicious before the mountain gorillas. This may agitate them and cause the gorillas to go into hiding.

What Are The Dos And Do Not Of Gorilla Trekking In the Rushaga Area?

• No feeding the mountain gorillas, so eat at least 300 meters away from them. Mountain gorillas are wild animals that must not depend on human provision but on the forest for survival.
• Spitting on vegetation is forbidden as you may pass germs to the mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are highly susceptible to human communicable infections like covid-19, cough, flu, and several others. 
• Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas to avoid passing germs to them. 
• Littering in the forest is forbidden as it alters the nature of the forest where mountain gorillas thrive.
•  Only 1 hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas when you locate them during a gorilla trekking adventure.
• The age limit for gorilla habituation is 15 years and above, as the wilderness may be rough for a child below this age. Sometimes mountain gorillas feed from deep in the forest, which may not be easy to withstand.
• Stand in a tight group when you locate the mountain gorillas. They are highly sensitive to visitors around them as they may look suspicious. In case they come closer, stealthily retreat.
• Talk at a low tone or keep quiet during gorilla trekking so that you do not cause a stampede in the forest.
• Use a flash-less camera to take photos, and it should be soundproof.
• Wear a clean mask during gorilla trekking and when locating mountain gorillas.
• Do not surround the mountain gorillas when you locate them, as you may cause them to get agitated. 
• In case you catch a communicable infection, volunteer to stay behind. 

Contact us for more information about trekking the Rushaga sector of Bwindi.