Safari Activities in Nkuringo after gorilla habituation experience

Looking for safari activities in Nkuringo after gorilla habituation experience? Nkuringo sector is one of the 4 sectors that Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has got where tourists do gorilla habituation from. Gorilla habituation in the whole world is done in Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. The gorilla habituation is done in the Bushaho gorilla family giving tourists an opportunity to be around mountain gorillas for a maximum of 4 hours as they make them used to human presence, learn habits as they take photos, and record videos. The habituation process is done by a group of 4 trekkers accompanied by rangers, researchers, and conservationists but all this starts with a briefing at the park headquarters after which all these head out into the jungle to search for these gentle apes. after locating the assigned mountain gorillas, the trekkers are given 4 hours around the mountain gorillas.

Apart from mountain gorilla habituation, there are other safari activities that can be done in the Nkuringo sector as explain below;

Gorilla trekking

The main activity done in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is gorilla trekking.  Trekking gorillas in the Nkuringo sector is done by a person above the age of 15 years and all the people must have valid gorilla trekking permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority. Gorilla trekking in Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is done among 3 gorilla families namely Bushaho gorilla family, Christmas gorilla family, and Nkuringo gorilla family. Gorilla trekking starts with a briefing at the park headquarters after which trekkers are grouped into 8 and led to the jungle to search for eth mountain gorillas. On finding the mountain gorillas, the trekkers are given a maximum of 1 hour to be around mountain gorillas as they learn about their habits and take photos.

Batwa cultural experience

Batwa cultural experience is one of the activities that is done in the Nkuringo sector in the southern sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. the Batwa experience is led by the Batwa people who take you around the forests and their communities showing you how they used to hunt park animals using bows and arrows, gather fruits and honey, and how they used to get medicine from local herbs. A visit to the Batwa people also gives you an opportunity to explore their culture, traditional music, and drama as the local people entertain you, see some of their crafts, and also taste their local foods and drinks. The Batwa pygmies were initially forest dwellers who got evicted from the forest by the government when they wanted to gazette the parks and protect the remaining species of animals most especially the mountain gorillas.

Birding in Nkuringo sector

With over 350 bird species recorded in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, birding is one of the activities you shouldn’t miss out on while in the Nkuringo sector. Birding in the Nkuringo sector gives you an opportunity to see birds such as Olive-breasted greenbul, western green tinker bird, Grauer’s rush warbler, many-colored bush-shrike, Angolan swallow, montane oriole, chestnut throated Apalis, African citral, African green broadbill, finely banded woodpecker, emerald cuckoo, western green tinker bird, mountain wagtail, Kivu ground thrush, short-tailed warbler, Neumann’s warbler, impressed African emerald, regal sunbird, shinning African blue, cape wagtail, cinnamon-chested bee-eater, white-tailed blue fly, sooty falcon, white-headed saw the wing, Shelley’s crimson wing, black bee-eater, black-faced warbler, montane oriole, crested guinea fowl, and bar-tailed trogon among others.

Guided Nature walks

Nature walks in the Nkuringo sector are one of the activities you should engage in gorilla trekking exercise. The nature walks in Nkuringo are led by the Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger guide who takes you through different trails of the park with chances of spotting some of the park animals like chimpanzees, buffaloes, elephants, duikers, giant forest hogs, and different monkeys. There are also opportunities of spotting different bird species, trees, small rivers, waterfalls, and so much more. The nature walks in the Nkuringo sector are done at a fee of $30 foreign nonresidents, $15 foreign residents, and shs10,000 East African citizens.

Accommodation in Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

All the travelers who are to habituate mountain gorillas in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park must book accommodation in that sector to avoid disappointments like being late for briefing among others. The accommodation facilities in the Nkuringo sector in the southern side of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park range from luxury to mid-range to budget options and these include Nkuringo Gorilla Safari Lodge, Bwindi Back Packer’s Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla close up Lodge, Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Safari Lodge, Karunga camp, Gorilla Heights Lodge, and Crested Crane Bwindi lodge among others.

What is the best time to do safari activities in Nkuringo after gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park?

Nkuringo sector in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park can be visited at any time of the year for gorilla habituation but the best time is the dry season of June to September and December to February. During these months there is little or no rainfall, the vegetation is thin for clear views of animals, the trekking trails are not muddy and less slippery and the roads leading to the park are passable.

The sector can also be visited for habituation in the wet season of October to November and March to May but during this season there is plenty of rainfall which makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, the vegetation is thick which means you cannot animals clearly, taking pictures is difficult and the roads leading to the park are impassable. The advantage of habituating mountain gorillas in the rainy season is that the lodges give out huge difficulties and there are chances of finding discounted permits.

Getting to Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park for safari activities in Nkuringo after gorilla habituation experience

Nkuringo sector in the southern 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 continue to the Nkuringo sector taking a few hours. Travelers from Kigali city can get to the Nkuringo sector for gorilla habituation using the Katuna border in Kabale or Cyanika border in Kisoro taking only 4-5 hours.

Nkuringo sector can also be accessed by air transport from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airstrip to Kisoro airstrip taking you only 2 hours. From Kisoro, airstrip you can drive for a short distance to the sector of the park. Travelers who want to use this mode of transport are advised to inform their tour operators so that they book the flights in advance.