Top 4 Safari Activities To Do In Rushaga After Gorilla Habituation Experience
Top 4 Safari Activities To Do In Rushaga After Gorilla Habituation Experience: Gorilla habituation is an exceptional activity where the wild mountain gorillas are trained to get used to human presence for trekking. Gorilla habituation experience is only carried out in rushaga sector which is located in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park. Continue reading this article to get acquainted with the top 4 safari activities to do in rushaga after gorilla habituation experience.
Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi impenetrable national park starts early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle with a team of researchers, park guides, rangers among others which takes a whole day. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, birds, colourful butterflies, different plant and tree species among others and once the gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend four hours with them in their natural habitat which gives you a chance to monitor their behaviours, watch them feed, breastfeed, engage in the naming process, take photos and record videos to show people back home.
Top 4 safari activities to do in rushaga sector after gorilla habituation experience
- Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is one of the popular activities in Bwindi impenetrable national park that tourists can engage in after gorilla habituation experience. Gorilla trekking starts with a briefing about the rules and regulations at the park headquarters where after you will be subdivided into groups of 8 people and allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek. Trekking of mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 2 hours to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. Once the gorilla family is located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with the mountain gorillas where you will be able to learn about their habits, take photos, watch them feed, play, rest, breastfeed, groom young ones, record the beautiful moments among others.
- Bird watching
Bwindi impenetrable national park is a home of over 360 recorded bird species including Albertine rift endemics, forest birds, migratory birds among others which makes it a birding paradise. Bird watching in rushaga sector can either be done early in the morning or in the afternoon with the company of an experienced bird guide who will help you to spot different bird species including Handsome Francolin, Black Bee-eater, Giant Kingfisher, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Dwarf Honeyguide, African Harrier Hawk, Rwenzori Nightjar, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Shelly’s Greenbul, African Green Broadbill, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Dusky Twinspot, Collared Apalis, Strange Weaver, Archers Robin Chat, Grey Cuckoo Shrike among others.
- Nature walk/hiking
Nature walk/ hiking is an adventurous activity in Bwindi impenetrable national park where you will be able to explore the park on foot with the company of an experienced park guide and armed ranger guides. During the guided nature walk, you will follow different trails in the forest where you will get up-close and personal with different wildlife species including animals, butterflies, three horned chameleons, listen to sweet sounds of bird species, take stunning pictures of the beautiful scenery among others.
- Batwa cultural tour
Batwa cultural tour is another interesting activity in Bwindi impenetrable national park that tourists can engage in after gorilla habituation experience. During the batwa cultural tour, you will be able to interact with the Bakiga and Batwa people who used to live in Bwindi forest before it was gazetted into a national park, learn about their culture, way of living, visit their homesteads, learn how to make local beer from bananas, listen to their ancient stories, enjoy their traditional performance among others.
Best time to go for gorilla habituation experience
Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi impenetrable national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this period there is less rainfall in the park therefore trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes gorilla habituation easy compared to the rainy season when the trekking trails are muddy and slippery which make gorilla habituation experience difficult.
How to get to rushaga sector Bwindi impenetrable national park
Rushaga sector is located in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park and can be accessed by air transport means where you will book scheduled or charter domestic flights with Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe international airport to Kisoro airstrip and then connect to rushaga sector by road which takes about 2 hours’ drive.
Rushaga sector can also be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala or Entebbe via masaka, Mbarara, Kabale and then to the park headquarters which takes about 9 to 10 hours’ drive in a 4WD safari vehicle.
Rushaga sector can as well be accessed from Queen Elizabeth national park which takes about 6 hours’ drive and Kigali Rwanda where you will fly to Kigali international airport and then connect to the park headquarters through Cyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale which takes about 4 to 5 hours’ drive.
Where to stay during your gorilla habituation experience
There are a number of accommodation facilities in rushaga sector where you can stay during your gorilla habituation experience including Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Bweza Lodge, Gorilla Leisure Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Guest House, Nshongi Camp, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Bwindi Jungle Lodge, Wagtail Eco Safari Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Safari Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge among others.
Gorilla habituation is an extraordinary activity in Bwindi impenetrable national park that can be combined with wildlife viewing/ game drives, boat cruise, lion tracking experience, chimpanzee trekking, bird watching among others in Queen Elizabeth national park. For more information about the top safari activities to do in rushaga after gorilla habituation experience, you can reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for combined safari packages.
