Rushaga has become the best area for Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Rushaga – The Best Area for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda with more Gorilla Families
Rushaga is the Best Area for Gorilla Trekking – Where is the Best Spot in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for Gorilla Trekking? The answer is that Rushaga is the Best Area for Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. It is the only area for the one-of-a-kind Gorilla Habituation Experience of four hours with the Mountain Gorillas. Add to that Birding, Hiking, such as the Waterfall Hike, Village Visits, and Cultural interactive experiences, including hands-on craft-making.
Rushaga has the most Gorilla Families, and the nearby Nkuringo area that you can track in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The southern area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is also one of the park’s most scenic areas.
New Lodges have sprung up, given more choices in and around the South of Bwindi Forest and many things to do and see. (There is only one Luxury Lodge at present.)
Is Rushaga – The best Area for Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest? The Future holds much promise for the South of Bwindi Forest, particularly for Rushaga and Nkuringo. More and more Tour Operators, Visitors, and Tourists are also eyeing the Rushaga and Nkuringo areas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Some even state that the Rushaga – Nkuringo will overtake Uganda’s famous and original gorilla tracking area – Buhoma.
The Main Reason why Rushaga is so popular is accessibility. It is only a 4-hour drive from Kigali and permits are only 600 USD (700 USD after July 1, 2020) compared to Rwanda’s 1500 USD – for 1500 USD in Rushaga, you get 4 hours with a gorilla family compared to 1 hour in Rwanda for the same price – the choice is yours.
Rushaga – Best area for Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest:
Rushaga is the Best Area for Gorilla Trekking – The Buhoma Area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was Uganda’s first spot for gorilla treks. Rushaga and Nkuringo came along years later; most habituated gorilla trekking groups are now in the South of Bwindi Forest.
For many, Gorilla Trekking is the experience of a lifetime. Rushaga is the best place for a gorilla trek, with more permits for trekking than any other area in Bwindi Forest. Here you have a wide array of choices for length and toughness of tour.
The Rushaga area has a variety of terrain. There is a trail that will be just right for your fitness level.
Sedan Chairs are available with porters in cases of trekkers with a disability. You are carried in by a team of 12 rotating Porters who have not dropped anyone yet.
This is not a demeaning experience but just the opposite it provides the porters and their families a very nice income.
The Rushaga is the only area in Bwindi for the Gorilla Habituation Experience.
One group is habituated in the Rushaga area, and you can join the researchers, trackers, and others in spending four hours with a gorilla family, add the hike to the group and back out again. You have a full-day activity that will stay with you for a long time.
Permits for the Gorilla Habituation Experience are 1,500 USD. The number of permits is limited to 4 permits for a group of gorillas being habituated in the park’s Rushaga area.
It takes a bit more planning as to when to do the activity because of the limited permits available.
The Gorilla Habituation Experience is not to be missed, available only in Uganda and only in the Rushaga area of the park at the same price as Rwanda’s 1-hour with a Gorilla Family.
Getting to the Rushaga Area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Drive to Rushaga from Kigali-Rwanda:
Your 3-Day Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari begins as we leave your hotel in Kigali at 6:30 am or the Kigali Airport for your moderately priced Safari. The drive time to Rushaga is about 4 hours, depending on Border Crossing.
Visa for Uganda is $50, or the East African Visa is $100 and covers entry to Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. Both visas must be obtained online. In addition, you will need a Yellow Fever certificate for entry into Uganda.
Usually, the border crossing is about 30 to 45 minutes, and you are in Uganda heading for the ancient Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Officials on both sides will try to ease the border crossing for Tourists.
Any inconvenience fade in the light of the shorter drive time you have before you. Please note that it takes nine to ten hours from Entebbe or Kampala to reach the Rushaga area.
The Route you are on from Kigali to Bwindi is one of the most scenic drives in East Africa through the rolling, terraced hills of Rwanda and Uganda.
Fly from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro – 90-minute scenic flight:
We will pick you up at your hotel in Entebbe at around 6:15 am for your 7:00 am departure with AeroLink Airline to Kisoro. Your flight time is 90 minutes, with a brief stopover at the Kihihi Airstrip.
In Kisoro, you are met by your driver-guide, who will take you to your Lodge. This is the quickest and most convenient way to reach the Rushaga area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The Drive-Time from Kisoro to the Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge is 45 minutes.
There is a 15 kg weight restriction for your flight. Excess baggage costs $6 additional payment, and you can leave extra luggage with us. To save on the weight of your bag, we suggest that you wear your gorilla wear for your flight, including the rain jacket and hiking boots.
The benefit of a fly-In Safari is that you can spend a few nights in Queen Elizabeth Park and/or include Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest on the return flight.
Lodging in the Rushaga and Nkuringo Area:
The options for accommodation in the Rushaga – Nkuringo area have increased over the years, with the exclusive Clouds Mountain Lodge topping the list. Other upmarket choices include Gorilla Safari Lodge and Chameleon Hill Lodge overlooking Lake Mutanda.
Moderate Choices include Gand Mutanda Lake Resort. There is also the newer Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge overlooking Lake Mulehe and the VirungaVolcano chain.
Budget – Moderate Lodging is also available at the Travellers Rest Hotel in the town of Kisoro.
Other Budget options can be arranged in the town of Rubuguri, which is near Rushaga and Nkuringo.
Read more about Lodging Choices here.
Hiking Trails in and around the Rushaga Areas of Bwindi Forest:
Hiking Trails abound in South Bwindi Forest, such as the Kapata Trail, an easy 3-hour trail where you combine nature, local history, and culture.
The Six-Hour 360-degree trail is a bit more challenging – the views will make up for it as you can look into the Congo, Rwanda, and surrounding Uganda.
There are also the Famous Trails through Bwindi Forest that either begin or end in Kisoro and include canoeing across Lake Mutanda.
Hiking in and near Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is becoming the choice of many Trekkers.
Cultural Activities in the Rushaga – Nkuringo Areas:
The Uganda Gorilla Trekking Advantages:
- Two Gorilla Parks with different Habitats: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with its Ridges and Valleys and Mgahinga Gorilla Park, where you trek Gorillas on the sides of the Virunga Volcanoes.
- More Mountain Gorillas: Uganda is home to nearly half of the endangered Mountain Gorillas.
- More Habituated Mountain Gorilla Families: Uganda has twice as many Habituated Gorilla Families (used to the presence of humans) open for visitation as does Rwanda.
- More Gorilla Trekking Permits: Uganda offers nearly twice the number of permits daily as Rwanda.
- $700 Gorilla Permit Price: A permit in Uganda is $800 less than in Rwanda, where a permit costs $1,500.
- Gorilla Safaris at a significantly lower price: A Gorilla Trekking Safari will often cost you half the price in Uganda of what a similar safari will cost in Rwanda.
- Private Gorilla Trekking at a significantly lower cost: A private Gorilla Trek in Uganda will cost you $5,600, whereas, in Rwanda, it will cost you $15,000.
- Lower Accommodation Cost: Uganda’s Midrange, Luxury, and Exclusive Lodge rates are considerably lower. There is a wide array of losing choices at a lower cost without a compromise in the quality of rooms or services.
- Gorilla Habituation Experience: Uganda is the only Gorilla Destination that offers the one-of-a-kind Gorilla Habituation
Experience, where you spend four hours with a gorilla family, and there are a maximum of four participants. The permit cost is for the Gorilla Habituation Experience.
- Safe-Secure Guerrilla-Free Trekking: Uganda is the only Mountain Gorilla Destination with no guerrilla activities in the last 20 years, offering safe and secure Gorilla Safaris at an affordable price.
- Uganda is the Best Primate Destination: Uganda is not only the best Gorilla Trekking Destination but the best Chimpanzee Trekking destination with sure sightings, unlike other Chimpanzee Trekking locations. Additionally, it is the best Golden Monkey destination with Golden Monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla Park.
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Not only is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Additionally, CNN Travel chose the Park as the most beautiful place in 2019 and one of the Best Hiking Trails in the world, and Lonely Planet chose it as one of the most unusual Honeymoon Destinations in the world.
- Uganda gives you more Safari Options and Choices: Chimpanzees. Golden Monkeys, the Big-5, Snowcapped Rwenzori Mountains, Five Savannah Parks, Adrenaline Pumping Adventures on the Nile, Hiking, Africa as you imagined, but only better.
Add-Ons to your Gorilla Trekking in Rushaga Area:- Gorilla Habituation Experience: This takes place in the Rushaga area, and you spend up to four hours with a gorilla Family and only four participants. Read more:
- Golden Monkey Trekking: This activity takes place in Mgahing Gorilla Park and is easily take on to your safari. Read more here:
- Volcano Climbing: There are three volcanoes in Mgahinga Gorilla Park. Each climb is a one day climb. Read more here:
- Relax and Chill out along Lake Mutanda after the Gorilla Trek. Read more here:
- Add a second Gorilla Trek in Mgahinga Gorilla Park: Trek on the sides of the volcanoes instead of in an ancient Afro-Montane Rainforest.
- Add a few days in Queen Elizabeth Park: See the tree-climbing lions and the big elephant herds, and partake in the Lion Tracking Research Experience. Read more here:
- Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Foret: Here, you will find the best sure sighting of Chimpanzees. Read more here:
