Nkuringo safari activities after seeing the endangered mountain gorillas

Nkuringo safari activities after seeing the endangered mountain gorillas? Nkuringo sector in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is one of the trekking sectors in the park that is located in the southern part. There are 3 habituated gorilla families in the Nkuringo sector that are open for travelers to trek at any time of the year.

The gorilla families in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park are led by a dominant silverback that controls all the group activities and at the same time is responsible for mating all the females. The gorilla families in the Nkuringo sector include the Nkuringo gorilla family which has 12 members, the Bushasho gorilla family with 9 members, and the Christmas gorilla family with 9 members.

To trek mountain gorillas in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, you will need to inform your tour operator to book you a gorilla permit for that sector. Those planning to travel in the dry season and want to specifically trek in this sector will have to book your gorilla trekking permit in advance of 3-4 months to avoid inconvenience since the permits are served on a first come first serve basis. The gorilla trekking permits for the Nkuringo sector are issued out by Uganda Wildlife Authority. Other Nkuringo safari activities after seeing the endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park are below;

Gorilla habituation in Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Nkuringo sector is one of the sides of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park that is lucky to be having mountain gorilla habituation. Mountain gorilla habituation in Nkuringo is done by a group of 4 trekkers who join the park teams to go search for the Bushaho gorilla family and be around it for a maximum of 4 hours as they get mountain gorillas to get used to human presence. To habituate the Bushaho gorilla family in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park you will need to be having a gorilla habituation permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority. The gorilla permit costs $1500 and anyone can book it directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority or use a tour operator to do it for them. If you are intending to visit Nkuringo and would want to do trekking and habituation on your safari you need to inform your tour operator to book for you 2 permits one for trekking and the other for habituation.

Batwa cultural experience after gorilla trekking in Nkuringo sector

Batwa cultural experience is carried out within the Batwa group of people who were initially having their homes in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park until the government decided to evict them out of the land to protect the remaining species of mountain gorillas. The Batwa cultural trail in the Nkuringo sector is led by people from the Batwa who take you around the forest to show you how they used to gather fruits, hunt animals, make fore, and much more. A visit to the Batwa group of people gives you an opportunity to get entertained by traditional dances, music, taste different local foods, and also listen to stories of long ago.

Birding spots in  Nkuringo

Birding is one of the safari activities a traveler can engage in after a successful gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is home to over 350 bird species that can be spotted in different birding spots among which include Nombe and Buniga forest that are located in the Nkuringo sector of the park. Some of the birds in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park include western green tinker bird, Grauer’s rush warbler, Angolan swallow, montane oriole, chestnut throated Apalis, African citral, African green broadbill, finely banded woodpecker, emerald cuckoo, western green tinker bird, Kivu ground thrush, short-tailed warbler, impressed African emerald, regal sunbird, shinning African blue, white-tailed blue fly, white-headed saw the wing, Shelley’s crimson wing, black bee-eater, montane oriole, and bar-tailed trogon among others.

Nature walks in Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has more to offer than just gorilla trekking and habituation. After a successful gorilla trekking activity, one can decide to the fascinating nature walks around the sector. There are different trails that are used during the nature walks in the Nkuringo sector and this gives you an opportunity of spotting different bird species in the park, trees, animals, and water sources.

Lodges and Hotels in Nkuringo sector

There are so many accommodation facilities in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park where travelers can stay while on a safari to the park. The accommodation facilities in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park range from budget to mid-range to luxury options and these include Nkuringo Gorilla Safari Lodge, Bwindi Back Packer’s Lodge, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Safari Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Heights Lodge, and Crested Crane Bwindi lodge among others.

Best time to visit Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

After finding out Nkuringo safari activities to do after seeing the endangered mountain gorillas; you need to know the best time to visit the park. Nkuringo sector in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park can be visited at any time of the year but the best time is the drier months of June to September and December to February. During the dry months, there is little or no rainfall, the vegetation in the Nkuringo sector is thin, the trekking trails are not muddy and less slippery and the roads leading to the park are passable.

Nkuringo sector can also be visited in the rainy season of October to November and March to May but during this season there is plenty of rainfall meaning that the trekking trails are muddy and slippery, the vegetation is thick which means that you won’t be seeing animals and taking them pictures clearly and the roads leading to the park are impassable.

Getting to Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park can be accessed by road transport through Kampala – Masaka – Mbarara – Kabale road taking you about 8 – 9 hours’ drive. From Kabale, you will branch off to the Nkuringo sector taking you a few hours. From Kigali city, the Nkuringo sector can be accessed by travelers using the Katuna border or Cyanika border to the park taking only 4-5 hours.

By air transport, the Nkuringo sector can be accessed by taking chattered flights from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airstrip to Kisoro airstrip taking you only 2 hours. From the Kisoro airstrip, you can drive for a short distance to the sector of the park.