Ruhija sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Ruhija sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Ruhija sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park : Ruhija sector is located in the eastern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park which is the best gorilla trekking destination in Africa. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park is also done in other sectors apart from Ruhija sector such as Nkuringo sector, Buhoma sector and Rushaga sector. Ruhija sector is a habitat of four habituated gorilla families namely Oruzogo, Mukiza, Kyaguriro and Bitukura.
Gorilla trekking in Ruhija sector
Gorilla trekking is an incredible and adventurous activity where visitors move into the forest in search of the habituated gorilla families and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Ruhija is one of the most visited gorilla sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park in that it harbors four gorilla families including
Oruzogo gorilla family, the gorilla group was open for trekking in 2012 and it’s comprised of 23 members including a dominant silverback.
Bitukura gorilla family, the gorilla family was named after a river where it was first sighted by the trackers. Bitukura is known as the peaceful gorilla family in Bwindi impenetrable forest and its comprised of 13 individuals including 4 silverbacks namely Ndahura the dominant silverback, Rukumu, Karamuzi and Rukara silverback.
Kyaguriro gorilla family, the gorilla group was first habituated in 1999 and reserved for research on gorilla tourism in the park but later it was opened for trekking by visitors. Kyaguriro gorilla group is comprised of 15 individuals with 2 silverbacks.
Mukiza gorilla family, Mukiza group is the new gorilla family available for trekking that was split from Kyaguriro family. The group is comprised of 10 individuals with 1 silverback which is the dominant leader of the group, 4 adult females, 4 infants and 1 sub adults.
Gorilla trekking in Ruhija sector starts in the morning with a briefing about the expectations, rules and regulations to be followed during trekking. After the briefing you will be grouped into 8 people to trek each habituated gorilla family and grouping is done depending on physical fitness, age, personal preferences among others. You will then start trekking in the jungle at around 8:00am with a park guide who will help you to track the gorillas to where they slept the previous night.
Gorilla trekking in Ruhuja sector takes about 2 to 6 hours hiking in the jungle depending on the location of the gorillas and once found you will be able to spend one hour with them in the natural presence taking photos, recording the moments, learning more about their habits, behaviors among others. visitors interested in trekking the mountain gorillas in Ruhija sector should first acquire a gorilla trekking permit which costs $600 for foreign non-residents, $500 for foreign residents and UGX 250,000 for East African citizens before 1st July 2020 because the permit was increased by $100 therefore starting with 1st July 2020 foreign non-residents will be paying $700 and $600 for foreign residents.
Gorilla trekking permits for Ruhija sector should be acquired 3 to 6 months in advance before the trekking date because they are competitive and usually get sold out especially during the peak season therefore to avoid disappointments it’s advisable to book in advance. Booking the gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park can either be acquire directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority or through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris.
Other activities in Ruhija sector
Bird watching, Bwindi impenetrable national park is a home of over 346 bird species which makes it one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. Birding in the park can be done in Ruhija sector where you will be able to sport bird species such as grey bush shrike, handsome francolin, yellow straked greenbul, Rwenzori batis, red faced woodland warbler, white tailed crested flycatcher, starred robin, dusky crimson wing, common bulbul among others.
Forest walk, Ruhija sector also offers the forest walk where visitors get an opportunity of exploring the forest on foot as they experience the cool breeze, quiet environment, breath fresh air, listen to sweet sounds of birds, have great view of the primates like the L’hoest monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, animals like bush pigs, elephants, duikers, clawless otter, golden cats, civet, rodents among others.
Community tour, visitors on a safari in Ruhija sector can also participate in community tours where they will visit the Batwa/pygmies who used to live in the forest many years ago. The Batwa were resettled outside the park when it was gazetted as a national park in 1991. During your community tour, you will have an encounter with the Batwa as you learn about their lifestyle when they lived in the forest, learn about their hunting and gathering skills, learn how to make art and craft among others.
Where to stay in Ruhija sector
Ruhija sector has a wide range of up-market, mid-range and budget accommodation where you can stay including Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort, Ruhija Gorilla Mist Camp, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, Bakiga Lodge, Trekkers Tavern, Ruhija Community Rest Camp, Gorilla Close up Lodge, Gift of Nature Lodge, Cuckoo Land Tented Lodge, Broadbill Forest Camp, Agandi Lodge among others. The lodges provide quality services and facilities such as tents, cottages, cabins with comfortable beds, en-suite bathrooms, restaurant which serves local and international meals, well stocked bar, fireplace, laundry services, free Wi-Fi in public areas, gardens for relaxation, located in a good place with spectacular views of the forest, birds, animals and offer activities like forest walk, bird watching, community tour among others.
When to visit Ruhija sector
Ruhija sector can be visited all year round though the best period is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season there is less rainfall in the park therefore gorilla trekking will be successful in that access roads to Ruhija sector and gorilla trekking trails in the jungle will be dry and passable compared to the rainy season in the months of March to May and October to November when there is heavy rainfall which makes the gorilla trekking trails and access roads to the park muddy and slippery.
How to get to Ruhija sector
Ruhija sector can be accessed by both road and air transport means.
Road transport, when travelling to Ruhija sector you will drive from Kampala via Mbarara, Kabale and then to Ruhija which takes about 8 hours’ drive. You can also use another route where you will drive from Kampala via Mbarara, Rukungiri, Kihihi, Butogota and then to Ruhija, from Butogota it takes about 2 hours’ drive to Ruhija therefore visitors are advised to use the Kabale route.
Ruhija sector can also be accessed from Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park in Uganda. When connecting from Queen Elizabeth national park, you will drive from Mweya via Ishasha sector where you will view the tree climbing lions and then continue to Ruhija sector.
Air transport, there are some domestic companies in Uganda like Aerolink which operate scheduled and chartered flights daily from Entebbe airport to Kihihi air strip and then connect by road to Ruhija sector because there is no direct flight to Ruhija sector. Flying is the best option for visitors who want to reach the park headquarters faster and those who do not like travelling long distance journeys.
For more information about Ruhija sector you can contact us and visitors interested in gorilla trekking safari in Ruhija sector can contact our experienced tour consultants for gorilla trekking packages in Bwindi impenetrable national park such as 3 days Bwindi gorilla trekking.
