Things to do in Rushaga after gorilla habituation
Things to do in Rushaga after gorilla habituation: Rushaga is one of the sectors of the famous Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park a home to endangered mountain gorillas. Bwindi is Uganda’s national park in the southwestern part of the country harboring mountain gorillas in its thick impenetrable forest. This park receives the highest number of tourists because travelers love meeting animals said to be close relatives to human beings in their natural habitats.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a 321 sq. km piece of land divided into 4 trekking sectors. Rushaga is one of the sectors of this park where tourists can see mountain gorillas. Rushaga is unique from other sectors because it has the highest number of mountain gorilla families and one of them is open for habituation.
Bikingi mountain gorilla family in Rushaga is the only family currently open for gorilla habituation. A four hours safari to Bwindi, tourists are allowed to trek the members of Bikingi and spend a maximum of 4 hours around them. Tourists are allowed to be part of the activities that make the mountain gorillas get used to the human presence around them.
On a gorilla habituation safari to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, there is a lot tourists can do after the activity. Rushaga is home to fully habituated mountain gorillas that are open for gorilla trekking, over 350 bird species that can be seen during birding activities, Batwa pygmies that live around the park, and waterfalls that can be seen during nature walks.
Things to do in Rushaga after gorilla habituation
Gorilla trekking
Rushaga sector of Bwindi has the highest number of mountain gorilla families in the whole park. Most of them are open for gorilla trekking activities and therefore tourists who would want to get another experience with the mountain gorillas can go gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking in Rushaga sector is a one hour activity with the mountain gorillas allowing trekkers to learn about the gorilla habits, take photos, and record videos for future memories.
Gorilla trekking in Rushaga sector starts early in the morning at the sector headquarters. This is where tourists gather for a briefing from the park authorities who teach the rules and regulations of trekking. During the briefing, tourists are entertained by the local people through dance and drama. Once the briefing is done, trekkers prepare to go search for the apes in the jungle.
At the briefing center, tourists are grouped not exceeding 8 people and given armed ranger guides to lead them into the jungle. In the jungle, tourists use different trails to search for where the mountain gorillas could be. The search takes 2 to 5 hours and once located trekkers get an opportunity of being around the apes for 1 hour.
Bird watching
More than 350 bird species live in the impenetrable forest of Bwindi which makes it one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. On a gorilla habituation safari to Rushaga sector in Bwindi, tourists who are interested in bird watching can do the activity if they have more days in the park. Well-trained guides are always available to help birders search for unique species within the park.
Birding is always done using different nature walk trails leading to the best birding spots where birders can see a number of bird species. Birders are likely to spot bird species such as Great blue turaco, stripe breasted tit, little green sunbird, ross’s turaco, black bee-eater, red-faced woodland warbler, tambourine dove, grey-chested Kakamega, Rwenzori apalis, red-tailed greenbul, regal sunbird, bar-tailed trogon, African emerald cuckoo, grauer’s broadbill.
Purple-breasted sunbird, shelley’s crimsonwing, grey cuckoo shrike, chapin’s flycatcher, velvet mantled drongo, western citril, African emerald cuckoo, slender-billed starling, red-headed malimbe, klaas’s cuckoo, sooty falcon, black billed turaco, fine banded woodpecker, white-headed wood hoopoe, and many colored bushshrike to mention but a few.
Batwa community visits
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park was home to the Batwa pygmies before being gazetted into a national park. These were evicted when the park got gazetted and they had to stay around the park boundaries. Tourists on a gorilla habituation safari in Rushaga can always visit any of the Batwa communities living near the park.
Batwa community visits around Rushaga take tourists to homes of the Batwa pygmies where they meet and interact with the locals. The elderly tell stories of how they lived and survived in the jungle. It’s from these stories that tourists will learn about how they used to make fire, and how they killed animals for meat. They do have a group of traditional dancers who entertain tourists through dances and drama.
Nature walks
Nature walks are the best way tourists can explore the Rushaga sector of Bwindi on foot. The sector has a lot of tourist attractions which tourists can get close to when they take part in the nature walk activities. During nature walks, tourists get to see animals, birds, butterflies, water sources, and vegetation cover among others.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is home to over 120 mammals making it the second place with the highest mammals after Queen Elizabeth National Park. During nature walks, tourists are able to see animals such as forest elephants, giant forest hogs, side-stripped jackals, monkeys, and chimpanzees among others. Birders get to spot some of the bird species recorded in the park.
When to visit Rushaga sector of Bwindi
Tourists can visit Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park at any time of the year however the best time is the dry season. June to September and December to February are the dry season months when tourists should visit Rushaga. These months have little or no rainfall and plenty of sunshine which favors most of the park activities.
During the dry season, the trekking trails are dry and easier to pass through, the vegetation stays short with clear views of the different attractions within the jungle and lastly, the roads leading to the sector are in good condition. There is also a rainy season in Rushaga and tourists can still use to visit the park for gorilla habituation safaris.
The rainy season within Rushaga sector happens from March to May and October to November a period when the park receives a lot of rainfall and little sunshine. During the rainy season, tourists find the trekking trails muddy and slippery which affects their movements through the jungle and when vegetation is tall there are unclear views of attractions.
Accommodation on a gorilla habituation safari in Rushaga
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has a lot of accommodation facilities in each of its sectors where tourists can stay. On a gorilla habituation safari to the park, tourists have a lot of accommodation facilities ranging from budget to mid-range to luxury where they can stay. Lodges include Gorilla Leisure Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Four Gorilla Lodge, and Gorilla Valley Lodge to mention but a few.
