The 4 gorilla trekking sectors of Bwindi National Park exist in the North, South, south east and East. It is from these 4 sectors also popularly known as trail-heads / gorilla regions where gorilla trekking usually begins after visitors have been allocated a habituated gorilla group. These sectors/regions are distinct on their own, each having different access road, management, elevation and trekking experience.
The 331 sq.km extensive Bwindi Impenetrable National Park comprises of the following regions/sectors; Ruhija, Nkuringo, Buhoma and Rushaga. The 4 regions host up to 20 habituated gorilla families and trekking any of these groups offers a different, unique experience. In total, Bwindi National Park is a home to about half of the world’s 1063 mountain gorillas.
Accessing Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
Set in the southwest, Bwindi can be accessed by holidaymakers by road or by air. By road, getting to Bwindi N/Park can take you 8-10 hours from Kampala and 3-4 hours’ drive when you start from Kigali – Rwanda.
By air, flights set off from Entebbe Airport/Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro or Kihihi airstrip/Savanna airstrip.
Buhoma sector.
Buhoma sector/trail-head/region is of no doubt one of the most preferred gorilla trekking sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This is situated in the Northern part and consists of 4 habituated gorilla group families.
While on Buhoma gorilla trekking, the groups to track include Mubare group-the oldest of all the habituated families in Bwindi, Rushegura, Habinyaja and Katwe group.
Other than trekking mountain gorillas, there is also possibility for visitors in Buhoma to participate in hiking through trails such as River Ivi, Muzabairo loop trail, waterfall trail, Rushura and Munyanga trails, bird watching, biking and Batwa culture experience. Interestingly, Buhoma region comes with many lodging options for holidaymakers to retire for the night. They include Silverback Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp, Buhoma Community Rest Camp and so many others.
It is easier to access Buhoma region by road if you set off from Kampala-Mbarara to Ntugamo to Rukungiri and access it via Kihihi-Butogota.
Buhoma sector is also close to Kihihi Airstrip hence making it easier for travelers to reach it via air. Even visitors on game view in Queen Elizabeth N/Park can easily access Buhoma region via Ishasha area which is a popular sector for tracking the rare tree climbing lions.
Ruhija sector.
Found in the Eastern part of Bwindi National Park, Ruhija region lies at elevation of 2,350m. It is incredibly an amazing region to consider for mountain gorilla trekking experience. This eastern sector hosts 4 habituated group families including Kyaguriro, Oruzogo, Mukiza and Bitukura.
While on a gorilla safari in Ruhija, some of the notable lodges to consider for overnight stay include Ruhija Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Mist Camp, Bakiga Lodge and Gift of Nature Lodge.
Nkuringo region.
Nkuringo sector lies on the higher elevation, an area that requires visitors to be physically fit to trek mountain gorillas. This particular sector is in the southern part of Bwindi and it is a host to Nkuringo group, Christmas and Bushaho gorilla families. The available lodging choices in and around Nkuringo include Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Backpackers Lodge and Lake Mutanda Resort.
Rushaga sector.
Rushaga sector is a remarkable region of Bwindi with 9 habituated groups / families. This is set in the southern part of Bwindi and the available groups to explore while on a gorilla tour in this region include Mishaya, Kahungye, Bikingi, Bweza, Busingye, Nshongi, Mucunguzi, Kutu and Rwigi. Visiting Rushaga can be done while on normal gorilla trekking safari or gorilla habituation experience.
The lodges to consider for accommodation include Gorilla Valley Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Clouds Mountain Lodge, Gorilla Haven Lodge and so many more.
Within Rushaga, there is more than gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experience for holidaymakers to engage in. You can also add on your gorilla trip activities like birding, cultural experiences and forest walks.
When to visit Bwindi Impenetrable national park?
Bwindi National Park welcomes every traveler any time of the year. But the dry season is always the best if you are to explore 4 sectors of Bwindi, which range from June, July, August, September, December, January and February.
