Things to do in Ruhija sector after gorilla trekking
Things to do in Ruhija sector after gorilla trekking; Ruhija sector is located in the eastern part and its one of the four sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park that harbors the endangered mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking is the major activity in Ruhija sector and it involves visitors moving on foot into the misty forests in search of the habituated mountain gorillas and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Ruhija sector is a home of four habituated gorilla namely Bitukura, Kyaguriro, Mukiza and Oruzogo which are available for trekking on a daily basis.
Gorilla trekking in Ruhija sector starts early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle with an experienced park guide who is conversant with gorilla trekking trails. Gorilla trekking in Ruhija sector takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the mountain gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species, birds among others and once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural environment which helps you to learn more about their behaviors, habits, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record the moments. There are other exciting activities in Ruhija sector to engage in after gorilla trekking including,
Things to do in Ruhija sector after gorilla trekking
Bird watching
Bird watching is one of the top things to do in Ruhija sector after gorilla trekking in that Ruhija is known for harboring different bird species. During bird watching, you will be accompanied by a well-trained bird guide and follow different trails where you will be able to spot different bird species like grey throated barbets, African green broadbill, dwarf honeyguide, red chested fluff tail, African shrike flycatcher, snowy crowned robin chat, African paradise flycatcher, kivu ground thrush, purple breasted sunbird, mountain masked apalis, archers robin chat, Shelley’s greenbul, ross’s turaco, Rwenzori batis, brown capped weaver bird, short tailed warbler, Shelley’s crimson wings, black bee-eater, African pygmy kingfisher, African goshawk, blue headed sunbird among others.
Batwa cultural tour
Batwa cultural tour is another amazing activity to engage in after gorilla trekking in Ruhija sector. During the Batwa cultural tour, you will be able to interact with the Batwa/ pygmies, learn about their culture, hunting and gathering skills, how they used to live in Bwindi forest before it was gazetted into a national park, visit the medicine men who cure different diseases with traditional herbs, listen to their ancient stories, participate in the traditional entertainments among others.
Nature walks
Nature walk is an adventurous activity in Ruhija sector that gives visitors an opportunity to explore the park on foot with the company of an armed park ranger and an experienced park guide who is conversant with hiking trails. During the guided nature walk, you will follow different trails like Mubwindi swamp trail, bamboo trail where you will be able to view different primates like l’hoest monkeys, bird species, view animals like forest elephants, colorful butterflies, listen to sweet sounds of bird species, enjoy the beautiful scenery, waterfalls, caves among others.
Mountain biking/ cycling
Mountain biking is an exciting activity that visitors can engage in after gorilla trekking in Ruhija sector. During mountain biking activity which is carried out around the park, you will be allocated a well-trained guide and then start cycling following well maintained trails, visit the local villages, farmlands, view the local people, bird species among others.
Best time to visit Ruhija sector
Ruhija sector can be visited anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this period there is less or little rainfall in the park therefore trekking trails and access roads to the park will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy compared to the wet/ rainy season when the trails are muddy and slippery which make trekking difficult.
How to get to Ruhija sector
It is located in the eastern part of Bwindi impenetrable and can be accessed by road transport means whereby you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale and then to the park headquarters which takes about 8 to 9 hours’ drive.
Ruhija sector can also be accessed by air transport means whereby you will book scheduled or charter flights with bar aviation Uganda or Aero link Uganda limited from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kihihi airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road.
Where to stay during your safari in Ruhija sector
Ruhija sector has a number of accommodation facilities where you can stay during your safari. The accommodations range from budget, midrange and luxury including Ruhija gorilla safari lodge, Bakiga lodge, broadbill forest camp, gorilla mist camp, trekkers tavern cottages, gift of nature lodge, Ruhija gorilla friends resort and campsite, Ruhija community rest camp among others.
