Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable national park: gorilla trekking in Bwindi is one of the major activity done by travelers on a Uganda safari. Bwindi impenetrable forest being one of the best destination to encounter mountain gorillas, receives several travelers from all over the world to take part in gorilla trekking. Bwindi is the most visited national park in Uganda especially by primate lovers, birders and nature lovers thus tracking gorillas has always been the most enjoyed activity by many travelers on a Uganda safari and it never misses out on most travelers’ bucket list at any given period of time. Bwindi impenetrable national park is situated in the far south western part of Uganda the pearl of Africa and as of now, it harbors the largest population of endangered mountain gorillas in wild with more than a half of the total population of mountain gorillas still surviving in the jungle. Trekking gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national is so rewarding and it offers high chances of encountering mountain gorillas than in any other gorilla trekking destinations such as Rwanda and DRC which also have mountain gorillas.
Gorilla trekking sectors in Bwindi Impenetrable national park
Bwindi impenetrable national park has four well designated gorilla trekking sectors all with over 20 habituated mountain gorilla families available for trekking as long as one obtains a gorilla trekking permit in time and these sectors are well distributed with Buhoma sector situated in the northern part of the park, Rushaga sector and Nkuringo sector in the southern part of the park, and finally Ruhija sector in the eastern part and northern part as elaborated in this article.
Buhoma sector: Buhoma sector is situated within the northern part of Bwindi and is the most visited sector especially by travelers on a Uganda safari due to its history being the first sector to receive gorilla trekkers in Uganda with the first trekked Mubare gorilla family. Travellers interested in trekking gorillas in Bwindi especially in Buhoma sector have to really book their permits pretty early in order to be in position to enjoy the benefits of visiting the main trail head of gorilla trekking in Uganda as permit in Buhoma tend to get done very early.
Rushaga sector: Rushaga sector is one of the best sectors in Bwindi where gorilla trekking can take place. The best thing was trekking gorillas in Rushaga sector is that the sector has more number of gorilla families, it is easily accessed from Kigali thus attracting travelers on a Rwanda safari to close over and trek mountain gorillas in Uganda with in the southern part of Bwindi specifically in Rushaga sector that is easily reached by road transport through Cyanika border to Rushaga sector at a cheaper gorilla trekking cost as compared to a higher cost in Rwanda. It is also in Rushaga sector that travelers can enjoy gorilla habituation at a fee equivalent to a Rwandan gorilla trekking permit, $1500 per person.
Nkuringo sector: this sector is also situated in the southern part of Bwindi close to Rushaga sector thus trekkers can easily do a double trek by visiting Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors or even sleep in one sector and enjoy gorilla trekking in the other sector.
Ruhija sector: This sector is strategically positioned in the eastern side of Bwindi impenetrable national park.
Trekkers in Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Ruhija sector can easily combine a gorilla trekking safari to a wildlife safari within other parks such as Queen Elizabeth national park the most beautiful park with unique creatures such as tree climbing lions and other wildlife.
In all the above mentioned sectors, gorilla trekking is conducted at a similar cost of $700 as of 1st July 2020, this cost permit is always fixed by the boards governing the wildlife in Uganda and it can change at any period of time with the minimum of two years and to engage in gorilla trekking within Bwindi, one has to be at least 15 years of age and above which is the minimum age limit for trekking gorillas.
The Tracking of gorillas lasts between 30 minutes to 8 hours or even a full day depending on the terrains in the park, the trekking fitness of trekkers, and the movement of the mountain gorillas from the time they were seen nesting the previous evening.
What are the requirements for gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable national park?
Gorilla trekking permit: Like any other gorilla trekking adventure, trekking gorillas in Bwindi requires one to obtain a gorilla trekking permit either direct from the Uganda wildlife authority or through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris who are in position to organize an entire safari.
Fitness level: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi also requires a particular level of fitness due to the higher altitude as the mountain gorillas in Bwindi are found up in the hills where they meander in search on of food.
Proper trekking attire: the appropriate gorilla trekking attire is essential to the trekkers’ safe during the hike up and down in the forest as they search for the habituated mountain gorilla families. These include; long sleeved clothes, a cap, sun glasses, a rain jacket, and a warm sweater. These will keep your skin from scotching sun, scratches from rough plants, and bites from insects among others
Endeavor to follow all the gorilla trekking rules and regulations while on a gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi impenetrable national park since you will be in the wild surrounded by the wildlife.
Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable national park for a gorilla trekking safari depends on the sector one intends to visit.
For instance, one can access Bwindi impenetrable national park from kampala- Entebbe and this takes roughly 10-12 hours’ drive on the road via Kampala – masaka- Mbarara – kabale – Kisoro to the land of endangered mountain gorillas.
However, for travelers from Rwanda, it takes about 3-4 hours road drive via Cyanika or katuna border
Form Queen Elizabeth national park, it takes 3-5 hours depending on the sector in queen.
There are also flights operated from either Entebbe International airport of from Kajjansi airfield to Bwindi Impenetrable national park.
