Situated in the western part of the vast Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the Ruhija gorilla sector is one of the four gorilla-tracking regions in Bwindi. Other gorilla-tracking regions include the Buhoma, Rushaga, and Nkuringo gorilla regions. While at Bwindi, visitors can track the endangered mountain gorillas in the tracking region of their choice. Bwindi gives the most unforgettable gorilla experience as it is home to almost half of the only remaining mountain gorillas in the wild.
There are about 500 individuals in the dense forests of Bwindi. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is in the southeastern region of Uganda, Kisoro District. Bwindi’s nature is truly breathtaking characterized by bamboo forests, volcanic landscapes, lush rain forests, misty mountains, dense foliage, and sparkling waterfalls which give life to the home of these gentle gorilla giants.
It could take you just 1-hour drive from the headquarters of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to the Ruhija gorilla sector. This part of the tracking region in the eastern region of the park is characterized by steep slopes and rugged terrain. This makes the tracking process quite challenging. However, the breathtaking scenery of this region and opportunities to explore the local cultures around that region outweigh the few bad experiences. Hence it gives the most heartwarming gorilla experience in the Ruhija gorilla sector.
Gorilla tracking in the Ruhija gorilla sector also involves walking on foot in search of the habituated mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. These stay in the different ecosystems of bamboo forests, misty mountains, lush rain forests, rolling hills, and volcanic landscapes. Comparing Ruhija to other gorilla tracking regions like Buhoma or Rushaga, it’s also important to note that few gorilla families are sheltered in Ruhija. These include the Kyaguriro, Oruzogo, Bitukura, and Ruhija gorilla families.
While visiting the Ruhija gorilla sector, visitors shall also be able to engage in several other thrilling tourism activities. These include bird watching at Mubwindi wetland where several bird species can be spotted. These include grey bush shrike, African green broad bill, Great blue Turaco, strange weaver, and Ruwenzori batis. Village and forest walks can also be conducted in the deep forests of Bwindi. It should also be noted that the drier months of the year like June, July, August, and September remain the best time for Ruhija and have the most unforgettable gorilla experience. Drier months are better since the tracking trails in the dense forests are accessible, and not slippery. Hence making gorilla tracking less challenging especially on the steep slopes while saving time for other tourism activities.
Gorilla tracking in wet rainy seasons can be stressful because the lush vegetation makes some tracking trails invisible. On the other hand, even the visible tracking trails are impassable. This is because they are all slippery making it hard to reach the destination.
How to get to the Ruhija gorilla tracking region by road?
While on Uganda gorilla safaris, one would take about 8-10 full hours by road from the country’s capital city of Kampala to Bwindi’s Ruhija in southwestern Uganda. It is about 420 kilometers from Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It takes about 30 kilometers from Kisoro town to the Ruhija gorilla sector. Visitors can take the Kampala – Mbarara highway to Kabale and then drive through Kisoro town. Visitors of gorilla tracking from Kigali in Rwanda can take the Kigali – Kabale highway also known as Kisoro road which will lead to the Katuna border.
After crossing the border, visitors can drive through Kabale town and take their left to the Kabale-Kisoro round where there’s a poster of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. From this point, visitors can drive through Kisoro town to the Ruhija gorilla tracking region.
Also, Ruhija’s proximity to the Buhoma gorilla sector in the north and Kabale town in the south has made its accessibility much easier.
It’s worth mentioning that the Buhoma gorilla sector is the most popular gorilla tracking region and the most visited of the four sectors of Bwindi. However, this is a blessing in disguise as it leaves ample space in Ruhija since it’s not very crowded giving visitors the most unforgettable gorilla experience.
