Gorilla trekking is the top tourist activity in Uganda. Daily Gorilla trekking is done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park situated in South Western Uganda. The two major parks have Gorilla trekking centers/ Gorilla starting centers as mentioned below:
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Buhoma trekking center is situated in the northern part of Bwindi, it’s the most visited center of all sectors in the park. Buhoma can be accessed from kabala town and the Kihihi airstrip making it the best part of Bwindi to visit at all times.
Buhoma sector is the oldest gorilla trekking center with the Mubare Gorilla family which was habituated in 1992 just a year after the establishment of Bwindi forest into a national park. The sector is close to Queen Elizabeth national park and can be accessed via the Ishasha sector a famous home for the tree-climbing lions.
Some of the Gorilla families in the Buhoma sector include: The Mubare family habituated in 1992, Habinyanja habituated in 1997 and Rushegura habituated in 2000 all available for trekking. The sector is also famous for being surrounded by luxury lodges, which provide excellent food and sleeping services to travelers. Once you visit the Buhoma sector, choose to stay in Mahogany Springs, Bwindi forest lodge, and Buhoma Lodge among others.
Apart from Gorilla trekking, tourists can enjoy community tours and socialize with the Batwa and Bakiga communities who reside at the edge of the forest, hiking trails which include the Munyaga trail, Waterfall trail, Rushura Trail, River lvi trail, and Muzabajiro loop trail among others. Other activities include birding and cultural tours among others.
Nkuringo Gorilla Tracking Centre
Nkuringo Gorilla trekking center is home to the Nkuringo families available for trekking. At times, the Bushaho Gorilla family crosses from Rushaga to the Nkuringo sector and is located at higher altitudes which makes it strenuous to hike to see the gorillas.
The sector is therefore recommended for young travelers and the physically fit that can manage strenuous hikes. Interestingly the summit of the sector provides travelers with clear and close views of the Virunga volcanoes in Uganda and Rwanda which make it a district worth visiting.
There is a variety of accommodations in the Nkuringo sector including clouds mountain gorilla lodge for luxury, Nkuringo safari lode for budget, and Nkuringo gorilla camp for mid-range.
Rushaga Gorilla Trekking Sector
Rushaga sector is situated in southern Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, the sector keeps 5 gorilla families which makes it best for gorilla trekking. Rushaga is easily accessed from Kisoro hence the nearest to connect from Kigali via the Chanika border.
Below are some of the habituated gorilla families Busingye, Bweza, Nshongi, Mishaya, and Kahungye all available for trekking. Also, gorilla habituation is done here and Bushaho and Bikyingi gorilla families are reserved for this activity. More still, Rushaga offers cultural visits to Batwa communities, forest walks, and bird watching among other activities.
Ruhija Gorilla Trekking Centre
It’s situated in the Eastern part of Bwindi forest national park and is home to the Kyaguriro family, the Bitukura family, and the Oruzogo family all available for trekking. Ruhija stands at 2,350 meters above sea level hence one of the coldest areas in Bwindi. For those interested in hiking, Ruhija offers the most strenuous and adventurous hiking trail to Rwamunyonyi Peak hence a not miss. While in Ruhija expect to encounter other animals like forest elephants and several monkey species, which make your stay in the area interesting.
Mgahinga National Park is another home to Mountain Gorillas. It’s situated in the Virunga region together with Volcanoes National Park and Virunga National Park. Currently, the park hosts only the Nyakagezi Gorilla group which moves freely in the region.
The Visitors’ Centre here is known as Ntebeko which serves as the starting point for nature walks, volcanoes hiking, golden monkey and gorilla trekking, and the short (4km) Batwa Trail.