Rushaga Sector | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Rushaga sector is one of the four sectors found in Bwindi impenetrable national park which acts as a tourist destination for gorilla trekking. This sector is located in the southern part of the park and other three including Ruhija in the east, Nkuringo in the south and Buhoma in the north. However, Bwindi impenetrable national park is the most visited gorilla trekking safari destination in Africa because it harbors the highest population of endangered mountain gorillas which are equivalent to half of the world’s mountain gorillas. The park is an ideal place to visit.
Gorilla trekking in Rushaga sector
Rushaga sector is renowned as one of the most visited sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park due to fact that it harbors the biggest number of the habituation gorilla families that is Nshongi, Kahungye, Busingye, Bweza, Bikyingi, Mishaya, Mucunguzi and Rwigi.
Generally, gorilla trekking is an exciting activity which starts early in the morning after a briefing about dos and don’ts to be followed during trekking, the starting time is around 8:00am accompanied by the ranger guide who is well trained and can share information about mountain gorillas to the visitors. This is an activity done in tropical rainforest in search of the habituated gorilla families and once found trekkers are being given one hour to spend with them in their natural habitat. Note, each group of trekkers must be divided into 8 individuals who are allowed to trek in one of habituated gorilla family.
Gorilla trekking in Rushaga sector takes about 2 to 7 hours depending on the location of the mountain gorillas in their natural inhabits. Once are found you will be given one hour to observe these endangered mountain gorillas on how they feed, play, groom their younger one, learn about their lifestyle, behaviours, habits, watch female gorillas nursing their young ones as you enjoy photo shoots, record great moments for your remembrance of this incredible experiences on your gorilla trekking safari in Uganda.
Rushaga sector is a home of 8 habituated gorilla families and about 64 gorilla permits available daily on sell. Therefore, visitors who are interested in trekking these great apes should book their gorilla trekking permits in advance before six months of your arrival on Uganda gorilla safari. Uganda’s gorilla trekking permit is sold at USD700 for foreign non-residents, USD600 for foreign residents and UGX 250,000 for East African citizens. The gorilla trekking permits in Rushaga sector can either be booked directly through ‘’UWA’’ Uganda Wildlife Authority or by help of a recognised tour operator, if you don’t mind you can book with us Achieve Global Safaris. We advise you to book your gorilla permits 3 to 6 months in advance in order to avoid disappointments at the last minute.
In Bwindi impenetrable national park, gorilla habituation experience can only be done in Rushanga sector. Gorilla habituation experience is a process where mountain gorillas are trained to get used to human presence and can be carried out by a team of trackers, researchers, park rangers among others. This is a process that takes for about 2 to 3 years to be completed. Gorilla habituation is an activity done early in the morning at around 7:30am and allows only 4 visitors to participate in this fabulous experience and four hours are given to them to stay face to face with these giants under habituation process.
There is only one family under habituation process in Rushaga sector meaning that only 4 gorilla permits available for gorilla habituation experience. A gorilla habituation permits costs USD1500 for foreign non-residents, USD1000 for foreign residents and UGX750,000 for East African citizens. Visitors who prefer to participate in gorilla habituation experience should book their permits in advance because they are more competitive and usually get sold out.
Why Travelers would visit Rushaga Sector
Rushaga sector can easily be accessible by the visitors from Kigali Rwanda which takes only 3 hours’ drive from Kigali to Rushaga sector via Cyanika border in Kisoro. Traveling from Kigali route makes transportation shorter in about 3 to 4 hours’ drive than traveling from Kampala to Rushaga that takes about 8 hours’ drive.
Rushaga sector inhabits the highest population of habituated gorilla families as compared to other sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park because other sectors offer 4 gorilla families while Rushaga sector has 8 gorilla families. Therefore, visitors interested in gorilla trekking in Rushaga sector have a chance of choosing any gorilla family they prefer to visit.
Rushaga sector is a premium safari destination in Uganda and entire Africa that offers gorilla habituation experience. Visitors who are interested in spending more hours with these great apes ‘’endangered mountain gorillas’’ book your trekking permit in Rushaga sector.
Best time to Visit Rushaga Sector
Rushaga sector can be visited throughout the year, though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February. These are the best months to access roads to Rushaga sector and gorilla trekking trail heads in the jungle compared to the rainy season when the gorilla trails are muddy and slippery which makes gorilla trekking difficult.
Where to stay in Rushaga sector
Rushaga sector has got a wide range of comfortable luxury, mid-range and budget accommodation facilities fully equipped with quality amenities and surrounded with beautiful view of the landscapes, scenery, birds among others. Accommodation facilities include Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Nshongi Camp, Wagtail Eco Safari Camp, Clouds Mountain Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Bwindi Jungle Lodge, Mutanda Lake Resort many more.
Apart from gorilla trekking which is the commonly done activity in Rushaga sector, there are other activities a traveller can participate in, such as Community tour, forest walk, bird watching many others.
Accessibility to Rushaga Sector
Rushaga sector is situated in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park and can be easily accessed both by road and air transport means.
Road transport
Travellers using road transport will drive from Kampala as the main starting point of the journey passing via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale and then to Rushaga sector which lasts about 8 to 9 hours’ drive. This is the best way of transport to go rewarding with great views of the Virunga Mountains, countryside, meeting the local people on their farms as they wave to you among others.
You can as well access the park by public means though not recommended. You will board a bus from Kampala to Kibale and then hire a private taxi to the park headquarters.
Air transport
Travelers can fly from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro airstrip by Aerolink which operate scheduled and chartered flights daily. You will land to Kisoro airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road.
Book now your life time experience ‘’gorilla trekking’’ on your safari in Uganda the pearl of Africa.
