Planning A Safari To See Mountain Gorillas In Ruhija Region Of Bwindi

Ruhijah gorilla trekking area lies in the eastern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. If you wish to book gorilla permits for this area, expect to go this direction. Currently, the Ruhijah area has gorilla families like the Oruzogo, Bitukura, Mukisa, and Kyaguriro families.

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Depending on your reasons for wishing to do gorilla trekking in the Ruhija area, you must purchase the gorilla permits for this area as soon as possible. Each day, a maximum of 8 gorilla permits are allowed for public booking per family. Gorilla permits are sold according to the area and on a first-come, first-served basis. You must pre-purchase your gorilla permit before confirming that you can participate.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a thick forest with a vast area, was subdivided into four gorilla trekking areas, Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo, and Rushaga, for easy administrative reasons.

Each area has accommodations within or on its outskirts, so you need to spend the night closer to that area. This is to avoid waking up early and catching up with briefing the next day. The huddles on the way may be an obstacle that may lead you not to attend gorilla trekking, like a blocked road by logs, slippery road surface, total darkness leading to poor visibility, puncture, and so much more. 

How To Plan For Gorilla Trekking In Ruhija Sector Of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Book a gorilla permit for the Ruhija area.

When booking the gorilla permit, suggest to the tour operator or Uganda Wildlife. 

Authority reservation officer to allocate you a permit for the Ruhija area. You can suggest your reasons for booking your gorilla permit in this area to support your request.

Ruhija area of Bwindi impenetrable national park is a birders' haven. The three-hour hike to visit Mubwindi swamp allows you to spot several bird species, including Albertine endemics. Doing gorilla trekking in the Ruhija area gives you a double chance to take photos or videos of both mountain gorillas and a variety of birds.

As you climb through the bamboo zone towards Lake Bunyonyi and Mafuga forest, as you are in Ruhijah, the stunning panoramic views are unbelievable.

How To Book Gorilla Permits For the Ruhija Area? 

Select a date when you hope to do gorilla trekking and the number of people traveling with you for this adventure. 

Check for Ruhija gorilla permit availability from the Uganda Wildlife Authority reservation office or a credible tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris. 

Upon finding availability, and since you have a niche area of your preference, we advise you to book your gorilla permit as soon as possible. This is because the gorilla permits sell out fast, especially during the peak season when demand for gorilla safaris is at its peak. The high tourism season for Uganda is June, July, August, September, December, and January.

Later, forward some passport details like your full name as indicated on the passport, date of birth, nationality, and passport expiry date.

How Much Is The Gorilla Permit Cost For Ruhija Area Of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

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

The cost of a gorilla permit includes:

• Park entrance fees last 24 hours from the time of entering the park.
• Security during gorilla trekking.
• Ranger guide services.
• One hour with the mountain gorillas.
• Local community support.
• Mountain gorilla conservation.

Exclusions in gorilla permit cost are transported to gorilla safari destinations, porter hire, snacks, and any other items of a personal nature.

Can I reschedule the gorilla permit for the Rushaga area?

Gorilla permit rescheduling is accepted by the Uganda Wildlife Authority as long as you follow the procedure of requesting this service. Note that Uganda Wildlife Authority accepts two free gorilla permit rescheduled times. If you request for the third time, you must go through the Executive director of Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Procedure

Write to Uganda Wildlife Authority requesting to reschedule your gorilla permit. State the date to which you hope to move the gorilla permit. If you have a reason for not honoring the pre-booked date, state it, too.

Upon approval, your gorilla permit is moved based on prevailing availability per your suggested date.

Reserve accommodation in the Ruhija area or Buhoma Area

Buhoma and Ruhija areas are close from each other, so you can book accommodation in either area if your gorilla permit is booked in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Ruhija area has limited accommodation choices, so most tourists stay overnight in the Buhoma area. It would be best if you rose to drive for about 2 hours on a bumpy road to the briefing point of the Ruhija area. The road connecting the Buhoma area to the Ruhija sector is in poor condition, so you need a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle.

Ruhija And Buhoma Accommodations to book

Ruhija Safari Lodge, Broadbill camp, Chameleon’s Hill Lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp, Silverback Lodge, Engage lodge, Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Bwindi View Bandas. Gorilla Resort

Secure Transportation To Ruhija Area Of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Road transport is the most accessible means to the upcountry destinations, including Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You need to book a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle  

because the road to Ruhija is in poor condition, especially in the severe wet season. The roads get slippery and soggy as the amount at which water sips into the soil is low because of the volcanic soil texture.

How To Get To Ruhija Area Of Bwindi Forest By Road

From Kampala, You drive to Kabale then to Ruhija. The drive to Kabale lasts 414 kilometers for about 5 to 6 hours. Carry to Ruhija for about 47 kilometers, driving for about 2 hours. The public does not frequent this road, so it's changing to maneuver sometimes.

Driving from the Buhoma area to the Ruhija area takes about 2 hours to catch up with a briefing at the ranger station. If your overnight is in the Buhoma area, you need to wake early and drive before 0730 hours when the briefing starts. Ensure you have packed all your gorilla trekking gear with a packed lunch because the time of returning after gorilla trekking is unpredictable.

By Air Transport

Daily domestic flights commence from Entebbe Airport to Kihihi airstrip. You need a transfer vehicle to your lodge as the distance driven may last about 2 to 4 hours.

Charter flight services are available too at Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe airport to Kihihi airstrip.

Reserve Additional Activities To Combine With Gorilla Trekking

You can pre-arrange this in your itinerary if you want to take on more activities besides gorilla trekking. You can do additional activities like visit Lake Bunyonyi for more birding experience and relax after gorilla trekking fatigue, game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale, Or Queen Elizabeth National Park, to mention but a few.

Pack The Right Gorilla Trekking Gears

When you start gorilla trekking, there is no turning back, so you need to pack the right gear. Gorilla trekking is done in the wilderness, with a number of hurdles to overcome. Packing light but relevantly saves you from having to worry about where to stop during the walk or stinging bugs in the wilderness.

Carrying a waterproof backpack saves all your gear from getting lost or wet while trekking to find the mountain gorillas. Some gorilla trekking gear you may pack includes rainproof gear, a long-sleeved shirt, insect repellant, bug spray, a first aid kit, and more.

How Difficult Is Gorilla Trekking In Ruhija Area Of Bwindi Forest?

The terrain of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is volcanic, with ridges and plateaus draped with tangled vegetation over the deeply fissured landscape of steep, slippery valleys and high draughty ridges.

Tourists are advised to have some fitness level to succeed in gorilla trekking. When you are unfit, you may get muscle pulls. 

Delaying the rest of the trekkers because of your unfitness, you may become uncomfortable or get into an argument with the rest. The ranger guide follows the pace of the slowest trekker so that no one is forgotten in the jungle.

Can I Be Allowed To Trek Mountain Gorillas In Another Area With Ruhija Gorilla Permit?

When allocated to gorilla trekking in a particular area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you are expected to be there. You are not permitted to do gorilla trekking in another area when you possess another permit. This is because each area has particular gorilla permits allocated to it. During the peak season, gorilla permits are sold out, and finding a no-show is hard. Before booking accommodation overnight during the gorilla trekking safari, you must consider the area of your permit.

How Long Is Gorilla Trekking In the Ruhija Area?

The time taken doing gorilla trekking is unknown as it is dependent on a number of factors like the pace of the trekkers, the proximity of the mountain gorilla feeding area, the weather conditions prevailing in the forest, in case the gorilla family is adventurous and so much more.

You need to have some patience and be in good health conditions during gorilla trekking. The time of locating the mountain gorillas varies as some tourists find them after two hours while others over three-quarters of the day.

Upon finding the mountain gorillas, you have one hour allowed in their presence for conservation reasons. The mountain gorillas are habituated to be in human presence for just one hour, then let them go about their daily life. They are vegetarian and spend their day feeding on foliage like bamboo, soft stems, leaves, and fruits, which support their huge bodies through night and day.

How Aggressive Are Mountain Gorillas During Gorilla Trekking

 In nature, the mountain gorillas are serene and calm primates; however, some animations have painted them as aggressive. When you go for gorilla trekking, you may change your mind upon looking into the shy dark brown eyes of the mountain gorillas. They are an adorable primate species.

Mountain gorillas are few left in the world, with a population of about 1000 living in the world. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the few habitats that host mountain gorillas, and almost half the total number of these primates are residents of this vast prehistoric forest. 

Mountain gorillas are never aggressive and live peacefully. They would rather retreat into hiding when agitated by their visitors than stage an attack.

What To Pack For Gorilla Trekking In Ruhija Area Od Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

• No feeding the mountain gorillas, so when eating, do it 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 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 you locate the 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. 

Please contact us if you wish to book permits for this area.