Habituated gorilla families and gorilla trekking permits for Buhoma sector

Buhoma sector located in the northern side of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is one of the places to meet mountain gorilla families. Gorilla trekking is the most done activity in this sector the fact that it harbors some of the mountain gorilla families in Bwindi. Buhoma sector has 5 habituated mountain gorilla families among which include the oldest Mubare family which was habituated in 1991 and open for trekking in 1993.

Trekking any of the 5 habituated mountain gorilla families in Buhoma sector requires one to have a gorilla trekking permit and this can be got from a trusted tour operator or Uganda Wildlife Authority. The sector having 5 habituated mountain gorilla families means that only 40 trekking permits are available every day for trekkers in this sector. Buhoma sector can be visited any day of the year for mountain gorilla trekking and other tourism activities and it can be accessed within 1 day from Kampala/ Entebbe using air transport or road transport.

Mountain gorilla families that are in Buhoma

Yes, there are 5 fully habituated mountain gorilla families in Buhoma sector of Rushengura gorilla family, Katwe gorilla family, Habinyanja gorilla family, Mubare gorilla family, and Muyambi gorilla family. What makes Buhoma famous and the most visited sector of the park is that gorilla trekking started here in 1992 with Mubare gorilla family.

Gorilla trekking permits in Buhoma sector

Since the gorilla families in Buhoma sector are 5, it means that there are 40 gorilla trekking permits since trekking is done by 8 people only. The gorilla permits are cards issued out by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to allow travelers to be around mountain gorillas and Buhoma sector is one of the places that harbor mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. Travelers intending to trek mountain gorillas specifically in Buhoma sector are advised to book their permits in advance e of 3-4 months to avoid inconveniences since the permits are few and so many people want to trek these apes more so in the dry season.

How to book a gorilla permit and trek mountain gorillas in Buhoma sector?

Travelers intending to trek mountain gorillas in Buhoma sector and ask stuck on how to book the gorilla permits can contact Africa Adventure Vacations limited. We do help tourists by booking them gorilla permits before they arrive in the country. All we do ask are the travel dates and once we get them, we check for the availability of the permits on the dates given with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Once the permits are available, we send you an email containing how you can pay us money for the permit, and once you have paid and we have received the money, we go further and book you a permit.

How much is spending 1 hour with mountain gorillas in Buhoma?

To spend time with mountain gorillas in Buhoma sector, you need to have a gorilla trekking permit and this is issued out by Uganda Wildlife Authority. The Uganda Wildlife Authority sells gorilla permits to persons above the age of 15 years at a fee of $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 foreign residents, and shs250,000 East African residents. The gorilla trekking permit allows a tourist to be around mountain gorillas for 1 hour and during this time, the trekkers are allowed to take photos, watch them do daily activities and you can ask the ranger as many questions as you want to know more about the habits of mountain gorillas.

Spending 1 hour with mountain gorillas in Buhoma sector

Mountain gorilla trekking in Buhoma sector is done by only those people with valid gorilla trekking permits. On the day of trekking, the trekkers are expected to be at the sector offices early in the morning for a briefing from the rangers who teach them about the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity. From here the trekkers are grouped not exceeding 8 and ranger guides lead them into the jungle to search for the assigned mountain gorilla family.

During the search, the trekkers get chances of meeting different park animals, birds, and vegetation types. On finding the mountain gorilla family, the trekkers get an opportunity to be around mountain gorillas for 1 hour, and during the one hour, they get to learn more about their habits, watch the animals do daily activities like hunting, breastfeeding, nesting, and you are allowed to take photos.

Accommodation on a gorilla safari in Buhoma sector

So many accommodation facilities have been constructed in Buhoma sector so travelers who are on a gorilla safari to this park don’t need to worry. The accommodation facilities in Buhoma range from budget to mid-range to luxury options and these include Buhoma Lodge, Trekkers Tavern, Engagi lodge, Jungle View Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Silverback Lodge, Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Bwindi View Lodge, Gorilla Conservation Camp, Lake Kitandara Bwindi Camp, Jungle View Lodge, Gorilla Resort, Mahogany Springs, and Volcanoes safaris Bwindi Lodge among others.

What is the best time to visit mountain gorillas in Buhoma sector?

Mountain gorilla trekking in Buhoma sector is done throughout the year but the best time for mountain gorilla trekking has always been the dry season. The dry season happens in June to September and December to February and these months are characterized by little or no rainfall with the vegetation in the park thin, the trekking trails less muddy and not slippery, and the roads leading to the park dry. Tourists intending to trek mountain gorillas in the Buhoma sector in the dry season are advised to book their permits in advance of 3-4 months to avoid disappointments.

Tourists can as well visit the Buhoma sector in the rainy season of October to November and March to May to get the benefits of huge discounts on accommodation facilities. During the rainy season, the weather is too much, the trekking trails are muddy and slippery, the roads to the sector are impassable but the trekking takes a few hours since the mountain gorillas live near the starting points due to plenty of food available in the park.

Getting to Buhoma sector for gorilla trekking 

Buhoma sector can be accessed by air transport from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport to Kihihi airstrip in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. The flights are conducted by Fly Uganda and AeroLink Uganda every day. To use flights to the Buhoma sector, you will need to inform your tour operator in advance so that they book for you a flight.

The sector of Buhoma can also be accessed using road transport from Kigali via Cyanika border or Katuna border taking only 4-5 hours. travelers in Kampala/Entebbe can access the Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park using Masaka – Mbarara – Kabale road and the journey takes 8-9 hours.

What to do with Africa Adventure Vacations?

Africa adventure vacations is a tour company based in Uganda licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board and a member of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators. Booking with Africa adventure vacations provides you safety and confidence during your safari courtesy of well-trained safari driver guides who are well conversant with all routes and tourism destinations in Africa. You can book with us any of the activities you want to do in Africa such as mountain gorilla trekking in Rushaga sector, mountain gorilla habituation, Chimpanzee trekking and habituation, birding, golden monkey trekking, game drives, hiking, nature walks, and community tours among others. Booking can be done at any time of the year.