Rushaga Vs Buhama: Gorilla trekking experience

Gorilla trekking is among the extra ordinary adventure that allow tourists to get close with one of the world largest apes (mountain gorillas) with in their natural habitat.  Uganda is among the few countries that still reside these gentle apes, housing half of the world’s total population of mountain gorillas.

Gorilla trekking in the pearl of Africa is mainly done within Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, a home to half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. However, you should note that the park is divided into four sectors. That is Buhoma, Nkuringo, Ruhijja and Rushaga.

In this article, we are going to delve into a detailed comparison between gorilla trekking in Buhoma and Rushaga so that you can select on your own which sector is best for you while planning gorilla trekking.

RUSHAGA.

This is one of Bwindi’s sectors where gorilla trekking is carried out. Nestled in the southern parts of Bwindi, lies Rushaga a home to over 8 gorilla families. They include Nshongi, Busingye, Mishaya and many more. Rushaga is the only region of Bwindi where gorilla habituation is carried out from. Gorilla Habituation is an experience that allows you to spend 4 hours with the gorillas while learning about them.

BUHOMA.

This is the most popular tracking sector in Bwindi as it was the first place to have habituated gorilla families in 1993 thus making it the oldest tracking sector. The region is situated in the northern parts of Bwindi national park with habituated gorilla families such as Mubare, Muyambi, Katwe, Rushegura and many more.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GORILLA TREKKING IN RUSHAGA COMPARED TO BUHOMA.

ACCESSIBILTY.

BUHOMA.

This is the most popular sector of Bwindi national park so in terms of accessibility Buhoma has better road networks compared to Rushaga thus making accessibility very easy.

Buhoma can be accessed using the Kisoro-Kabale Road. The journey is roughly a 6 to 7 hours from Kampala city.  The park can still be accessed from Entebbe International airport.

RUSHAGA.

This part of Bwindi sector can also still be accessed either from Entebbe or Kampala. The journey is approximately an 8 to 9 hours drive. This is the most accessible region especially when you are coming from Kigali, the journey is approximately a 3 to 4 hours drive through the Cyanika boarder.

GORILLA FAMILIES.

In terms of gorilla families, both Rushaga and Buhoma have a wide range of habituated gorilla families. Rushaga has many gorillas permits than Buhoma. Rushaga has over 7 habituated gorilla families among which include Nshongi, Kahungye, Bweza and many more.

Buhoma is the oldest gorilla trekking region with many famous and iconic gorilla families. These gorilla families include Mubare, Habimanya, Rushegura and many more. Gorilla trekking in Buhoma is taken to be easy since the trails are known to be less demanding.

GORILLA TREKKING EXPERIENCES.

In terms of which sector has the best gorilla trekking experience, the answer is that both sectors provide ultimate thrilling gorilla trekking experiences.

There is no big difference with gorilla trekking and chances of seeing gorillas in these sectors is 98%. The only thing that makes Rushaga more unique is that the sector allows gorilla Habituation.  You have 4 hours to spend with the gorillas as you learn more about them.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Comparing Rushaga and Buhoma in terms of accommodations is that both sector have a number of quality accommodations.  Rushaga is known to offer a variety of accommodation options ranging from budget, midrange and luxury. Some of the accommodations   in Rusahga include Rushaga Gorilla lodge, Lake Mutanda resort and many more.

However, tourists seeking to trek gorillas and stay in luxury accommodations Buhoma ranks as the best sector.  The sector is considered as a more developed area in terms of infrastructures especially luxury structures. Some of the lodgings in Buhoma include Buhoma lodge, silver back lodge and many more.

TERRAIN AND HIKING DIFFICULTY.

RUSHAGA.

This sector of Bwindi is composed of many varied and challenging terrains. It is surrounded by dense forests, steep hills and thick vegetation thus making trekking more physically demanding.

BUHOMA.

The terrain of Buhoma  is known to be dense and steep but while comparing it to Rughaga, Buhoma is very good. The hike tends to be less physically demanding and it has short hikes.

CROWDS AND VISITOR EXPERIENCE.

Buhoma

This was the first established gorilla trekking region in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and is among the popular regions of the park. This makes it receive a lot of tourists especially during the peak seasons. Buhoma is also highly developed in terms of infrastructure development with good transport routes and luxury lodges.

Rushaga.

The sector tends to be less crowded compared to Buhoma sector.  The region is developing slowly by slowly in terms of infrastructural development thus receiving little visitors.  For tourists interested in a less crowded area Rushaga is recommended since it receives less visitors’ numbers.

COST OF A GORILLA PERMIT IN UGANDA.

A gorilla permit is among the main key aspects to have before you embark on your gorilla trekking adventure. Both Rushaga and Buhoma offer the same cost of a gorilla trekking permit.

The cost of a gorilla permit in Uganda is $ 800 for foreign non residents. A gorilla permit can be accessed through booking with a trusted tour operator or book online through the Uganda wild life authority website.

BEST TIME FOR GORILLA TREKKING IN BOTH BUHOMA AND RUSHAGA.

Gorilla trekking is an all-year-round activity and it can be carried out at any time of the year. You should note that Bwindi impenetrable forest is a tropical forest implying that it can receive rainfall at any time of the year.

However, the best time for trekking gorillas in these sectors is generally the dry season (June to August, December to February). Note during the dry season the roads are less slippery thus easy movements with in the park and trekking at large. On the other hand, the park can still be visited with in the wet season (November, March and May) and still enjoy the experience with the gorillas. During the wet season, different accommodations tend to offer discounts on their accommodations.

popular gorilla safaris for Uganda and Rwanda