GORILLA TREKKING IN RUSHAGA OR BUHOMA GORILLA SECTORS? WHICH ONE IS BETTER?

While Buhoma sector is closer to other major national parks like Queen Elizabeth national park giving a chance to combine gorilla trekking and safari game drives, Rushaga sector ranks as the best gorilla trekking sector compared to Buhoma due to its great number of gorilla families which are well habituated for daily gorilla treks. It is also the only sector where gorilla habituation takes place.

About Rushaga and Buhoma gorilla sectors

Situated in the southern part of the vast Bwindi, Rushaga is home to about 8 gorilla families. These include Kahungye, Busingye, Mucunguzi Nshongi, and Mishaya group families among others. Buhoma on the other hand, is right in the north of the vast Bwindi and the most popular and visited gorilla tracking sector. It is also worth noting that it is only in the Rushaga gorilla tracking region that visitors can engage in the gorilla habituation process. This is where visitors get to spend quality time with the endangered mountain gorillas learning about their behaviorism, tolerance of human presence, traits, feeding habits, and more.

The Buhoma gorilla tracking region is the most popular tracking sector in Bwindi and the first of its kind to be habituated in the vast Bwindi. Buhoma was habituated in 1993 and is the oldest tracking sector. There are about 5 habituated gorilla families in Buhoma. These include Habinyanja, Muyambi, Mubare the oldest group, Rushegura, and the Katwe gorilla families. Although Buhoma carries pride as the most vibrant gorilla tracking region in Bwindi, Rushaga has more habituated gorilla families compared to Buhoma making it a perfect spot for guests in groups.

Accessibility\nature of roads between the two popular tracking regions

Buhoma gorilla tracking region is the most visited sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park making its accessibility much easier compared to that of Rushaga. One can even branch off the main Kisoro-Kabale Road right to the big signpost of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. That will lead them through their accommodation facilities while they track at Buhoma. Rushaga on the other hand can also be accessed off the Kabale-Kisoro highway at Muko junction.

It takes about 6-7 hours by road of about 180 kilometers from the capital city of Kampala to the Buhoma tracking region. There are also charter flights from Entebbe to Kisoro. Through Air transport, there’s no direct flight to these two gorilla tracking regions. Therefore, one can access the Buhoma gorilla tracking region via Kihihi Airstrip which takes about 1-2 hours to the tracking sector. One might also go for Kisoro Airstrip especially heading to Rushaga gorilla tracking region though Kihihi Airstrip remains the most convenient one. Gorilla tracking in Rushaga is quite challenging compared to Buhoma given its rugged terrain.

Accommodation facilities

While on Uganda gorilla tours in both Rushaga and Buhoma of Bwindi, the accommodation facilities in both sectors suit all budgets, midrange, and luxurious visitors. Buhoma has the highest number of luxurious lodges making it a perfect paradise for big spenders. Most of these are well situated in the deep forests enabling visitors to have the most spectacular views of Bwindi wilderness, mountain gorillas, and other wildlife including buffaloes, elephants, and more. Some of the luxurious lodges in the Buhoma gorilla sector include Gorilla Forest Camp and Buhoma Lodge. There are also mid-range lodges and budget lodges in Buhoma to enable accommodation for all. These include Silverback Lodge, Buhoma community rest camp, and Buhoma community campsite.

Rushaga gorilla tracking sector has also various accommodation facilities with exceptional service to give the guest the best experience while at Rushaga. Luxury lodges at the Rushaga gorilla tracking region include Gorilla Safari Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Safari Lodge, Rushaga Community Rest Camp, Nshongi Camp, and Rushaga community campsite in the midrange and budget lodges respectively.

Weather and temperatures

The vast gorilla-tracking regions of Bwindi are open for thrilling tourism activity throughout the whole year. However, weather tends to vary depending on the period of the year. There is no doubt that the best time to visit both the Rushaga and Buhoma gorilla tracking regions is the dry season of the year. This is because of the easy accessibility of the tracking trails.

It’s during the rainy season of months like October that gorilla tracking is made challenging. June, July, August, and September remain the perfect times for favorable weather and temperature while at Bwindi. Rushaga is also known for rigged terrains making it stressful to track from this region, especially during the wet season.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.

If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.

The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.

The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.

The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.

I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.
Game drive security is assured.
Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.
The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.
It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.
I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.
My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.
I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.

GORILLA TREKKING IN RUSHAGA OR BUHOMA GORILLA SECTORS? WHICH ONE IS BETTER?

10 Days Best of Uganda Safari – Primates, Wildlife & Leisure Tour

7 DAYS UGANDA WILDLIFE SAFARI ADVENTURE

6 Days Gorilla & Chimpanzee Safari in Uganda

5 Days Gorilla Trekking & Wildlife Tour In Uganda

3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour in Uganda

2 Days Bwindi gorilla trek from Kigali