Fly to Kisoro and visit the mountain gorillas of Nkuringo
Fly to Kisoro and visit the mountain gorillas of Nkuringo: Nkuringo is a gorilla sector in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in the southern part of Uganda. The Nkuringo sector is situated in the southern part of Bwindi neighboring Rushaga Sector. Nkuringo is one of the habitats of mountain gorillas in Bwindi’s impenetrable forest national park.
The Nkuringo sector has about three mountain gorilla families that are open for trekking activities every day. Eight people accompanied by armed ranger guides trek each family, so 24 people can trek the mountain gorillas of Nkuringo on a given day. Tourists must have valid gorilla permits to trek any of the three mountain gorilla families.
Nkuringo sector in the southern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is quickly accessed using air transport. Flights take 2 to 2 hours and a half to reach Kisoro airstrip which is the closest to the sector. From Kisoro airstrip to any of the lodges around Nkuringo sector takes a few minutes.
Flights to Nkuringo sector of Bwindi
All tourists that are intending to have a flying safari to Nkuringo sector must use Kisoro airstrip which is the closest to the sector. Flights can be scheduled or chattered from Aerolink Uganda, Bar Aviation Uganda, and Kampala Executive Aviation. Flights to Kisoro airstrip start from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip taking about 2 hours.
Tourists who fly to Kisoro airstrip later use road transport to access the lodges taking a few minutes. Flying for gorilla safaris to Nkuringo sectors saves tourists from the long journey from Entebbe/Kampala that takes 9 to 10 hours. Tourists who are interested in having flights to Kisoro airstrip on their gorilla safaris to Nkuringo are advised to book their tickets in advance, especially during the high season.
Gorilla trekking in Nkuringo
Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park so far has 3 mountain gorilla families, one for gorilla trekking. The gorilla families of Nkuringo sector has Christmas, Nkuringo, and Bushaho. On the day of gorilla trekking, tourists wake up very early in the morning and head to the sector headquarters for a briefing from the rangers.
A maximum of 8 people treks a mountain gorilla family in Nkuringo and all trekkers for the day are taught the rules and regulations of the activity. Armed ranger guides must lead the groups in the jungle to search for where the mountain gorillas could be so that they spend 1 hour with them.
The search for mountain gorillas in the Nkuringo sector goes through a number of trails depending on the gorilla family location. As tourists search for where their family would be, they meet a number of forest animals, bird species, and unique vegetation covers. It takes 2 to 5 hours to locate the mountain gorillas of Nkuringo which is the most hilly area in the park.
The moment the mountain gorillas are located, trekkers are given 1 hour to be around the mountain gorillas. Each of the trekkers is allowed to ask the ranger guides as many questions as they want Trekkers will be able to learn about the gorilla habits, watch them carry out daily activities, take photos, and record videos for future memories.
What is the cost of gorilla trekking in Nkuringo?
To trek mountain gorillas of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in any sector, tourists must have gorilla trekking permits. These are documents issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to allow tourists to visit mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. A gorilla permit costs $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 Rest of Africa, and UGX300,000 citizens of East African member states.
Best time for a flying safari to Nkuringo sector
Tourists can fly to Nkuringo sector at any time of the year however the best period is the dry seasons. June to September and December to February are the best times for they have good weather that is characterized by little rainfall and plenty of sunshine. The weather is perfect for flights to and from the park and the roads connecting to the lodges from the airstrip are in perfect condition.
Tourists who fly to Kisoro airstrip to trek mountain gorillas of Nkuringo in the dry season find the perfect weather. The trekking trails are dry and easier to walk through which allows trekkers to locate the mountain gorillas on time. The vegetation inside the jungle is short and scattered allowing trekkers to see mountain gorillas very clearly and also capture the best images.
Tourists may still fly to Kisoro airstrip to trek mountain gorillas Nkuringo sector in the rainy season for the park is always open all throughout the year. March to May and October to November come with heavy rainfall and little sunshine. The weather is not so good but activities can still be carried out in the park. Trekking trails are muddy and slippery, and vegetation is short with unclear views of mountain gorillas.
