Rushaga sector

Rushaga is one of the four gorilla tracking sectors in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. through this sector, tourists get a chance to explore the African wilderness and come to close encounters with these great gentle apes in their natural habitat.

Rushaga sector is a unique sector of the park that offers both the gorilla tracking experience and the gorilla habituation experience. It is in the southern part of the park and is home to eight gorilla families namely, Nsongi, Bweza, Mukyunguzi, Kahungye, Mishaya, Rwigi, Bikingi, and Busingye.

 Things to do in Rushaga

 Gorilla tracking

This is a strenuous but amazing expedition that involves traversing the park jungles for 1-6 hours in search of these great apes. The time of encounter depends on the location of the gorillas as they always wander in their home as they search for food.

The trekking process begins with a briefing at the park headquarters where trekkers are grouped in 8 and assigned to a different gorilla family. During the trek, participants in the activity will be able to spot different plant species, beautiful butterflies bird species, and other primate species.  when you find the mountain gorillas, you will be allowed to spend one festive hour with the gorillas as you learn their behaviour, watch them feeding, the silverback guarding his family and the adult females taking care and breastfeeding the young ones. You will be allowed to take flash-less photos for memories of the great expedition.

You should note that for one to go tracking gorillas in Rushaga sector, he/she should obtain a gorilla tracking permit that is issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority at $800 for foreign residents, $700 for foreign non-residents,  and 300,000UGX for East African residents.

Gorilla habituation experience.

This is another captivating activity that makes Rushaga a unique sector for having an encounter with the gentle giant apes in their natural habitat. It’s a lifetime dream for many adventure lovers as it provides a longer stay with the gorillas. The sector has only two gorilla families open for habituation experience.  Gorilla habituation has been going on for several years but opening it for public participation is still limited.

In this activity, a group of only 4 members (tourists) is allowed to join a group of researchers and experienced rangers to follow and locate a specific gorilla family in the park jungles. It requires enough physical fitness as the terrain is very steep and the pathways are not clearly defined due to the dense vegetation. Trekkers are advised to hire potters to help them carry their luggage. The gorilla habituation experience allows the participants to spend a maximum of 4 hours excluding the time used for trekking to find the gorillas.

Why you should go for gorilla habituation

In this special activity, you will study how the gorillas react to human presence, the researchers will in-depth explain to you the behavior of the gorillas, how and what they feed on, how they care for each other, observe the dominant silverback guarding his family and the females taking care of the young ones. You will be allowed to take photos and videos and by the end of the four hours, you will feel that it is a great landmark and a wonderful lifetime experience.

With a need to spend more time with the gorillas, you need to obtain a gorilla habituation permit which costs $1500 for non-foreign residents, $1000 for foreign residents, and UGX 750.000  for East African residents.

Since the habituation process involves few people, trekkers are advised to book permits in advance as they are limited to only 8 permits per day and in only one sector of the park.

Guided Nature walks

Nature walks are an interesting moment through which tourists explore the park on foot with the leadership of trained park guides and armed game rangers. This experience brings you closer to different plant species, birds, and animals. During the walk, the game guides provide a detailed explanation of the various plant species and even the conservation measures used to maintain the ecology of the area.

 Bird Watching

Rushaga is one of the best places to do birding activities as it is part of the Bwindi National Park which is home to over 350 bird species, migratory and those endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley. This activity is usually done in the morning or evening hours with the help of experienced bird guides. Tourists involved in this activity are encouraged to move with cameras and binoculars to catch better sights of the different species.  some of the bird species that can be spotted in the area include the African Wood owl, Black bee-eater, green tinker bird, bar-tailed trogon, African green broadbill, Mountain yellow warbler, and grey cuckoo shrike among others.

Batwa Cultural visit

This is an interesting encounter that takes you to the homesteads of the Bakiga/ Batwa pygmies who used to live in the forest before it was reserved for wildlife conservation. On this visit, you will learn about their amazing culture that involves hunting, gathering fruits, and visiting the herbal medicine man. enjoy listening to their wonderful stories, songs, and dances. At the end if your visit, you can buy some of their beautiful craftwork as a way of donating to them.

Best time to visit Rushaga sector

Visiting Rushaga sector for different activities can be best done in the dry season in June, July, August, September, December, January, and February.  This is because the tracking trails are always drier and easier to trek through.  However, this does not guarantee that the months are completely dry because the park is composed of a dense tropical rainforest where rainfall is expected to fall at any time. trekkers should carry the necessary trekking gear.

The rainy season is so very conducive for tourists interested in birding activities. Many migratory and Albertine Rift Valley endemic birds are easily spotted, and the walking trails are well-defined thus easing the activity.

 How to access Rushaga sector

Rushaga sector in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be reached using both road and air transport.

When you use road transport, travel from Kampala or Entebbe and drive along Masaka-Mbarara road to Kabale then connect to Rushaga. it takes 8-9 hours.

From Rwanda, drive from Kigali and cross two Uganda Via Cyanika border. Drive to Kisoro and then connect to Rushaga and it takes 4-5 hours.

If you opt for air transport, fly from Entebbe International Airport or Kigali International Airport to the Kisoro airstrip. From Kisoro, drive for 2 hours to Rushaga.

 Where to stay in Rushaga

Rushaga sector has a variety of accommodations that suit all travelers’ budgets from  upmarket to budget and some of them include;

Rushaga gorilla lodge

This is an excellent accommodation located in Bugambira close to the sector headquarters. The lodge provides free WIFI, affordable rooms, and visitors enjoy clear views of the forest park.

Bwindi Guest house

The accommodation offers a 24-hour front desk and room service, free Wi-Fi, and secure private parking. It also provides bikes for hire for tourists who wish to explore the surrounding homesteads.

Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

This is a mid-range accommodation within a 15-minute drive from Rushaga Park headquarters. The accommodation provides an eco-friendly environment with breathtaking views of the park. it also offers spacious cottages for a comfortable overnight before and after the gorilla trekking experience.

Other accommodations in Rushaga include Rush Gorilla Camp, Nshongi Camp, Rushaga Haven Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Mutanda Lake Resort, and Wagtail Safari Camp.

For travelers who wish to engage in the gorilla trekking expedition and other activities in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Active African Vacations is ever ready to organize for you both short- and long-term trips to the Rushaga sector tailored to other interesting places in the Pearl of Africa and the neighbouring countries.

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