Nkuringo sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is situated in the southern part of the park.
It is one of the sectors regularly visited by clients who take on gorilla trekking Uganda from Kigali tours.
The other sectors are Rushaga sector, Buhoma sector, and Ruhija sector.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda, harboring half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.
Mountain gorillas are a subspecies of the eastern gorilla found in Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in Congo.
Trekking these great apes is a must on your travel list when coming to Africa. Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda charge different prices for gorilla permits, costing $1500 in Rwanda, $700 in Uganda, and $400 in Congo.
One of the reasons you should visit gorillas is that they are man’s close relatives, sharing over 98% DNA.
Nkuringo Gorilla Families
Gorilla families to trek in Nkuringo sector of Bwindi include:
- Nkuringo Gorilla Family. Nkuringo gorilla family was the first group to be habituated in Bwindi National Park and to be visited by visitors in 1998, and the family is also one of the lucky families that received twins in 2004. The family was known to roam outside the park in the locals’ farmlands, which led to the displacement of the local people and an outbreak of scabies in the family thereafter. Nkuringo gorilla family was dominated by Rafiki (now deceased) with 12 members, the family was composed of 19 members at the time of habituation, and the group is one of the most interesting to trek in Bwindi, known for their playful behaviors.
- Bushaho Gorilla Family. Bushaho gorilla family was formed as a result of the disappearance of some members in the Nkuringo gorilla family. After following up, the silverback Bahati, who was a former member of the Nkuringo gorilla family, was found leading a group with some members of Nkuringo and unhabituated gorillas. The name Bushaho was derived from a Topo name from their home range where they were first spotted. The family is composed of 8 members with 1 silverback, 1 blackback, 1 sub-adult, 1 infant, 1 juvenile, and 3 adult females.
- Christmas Gorilla Family. The habituation of the Christmas gorilla family is one of the recent developments in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. This process has increased the number of available gorilla permits in the Nkuringo sector from 16 to 24 permits per day.
Gorilla Habituation
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the only place that offers gorilla habituation experience in the world.
Gorilla habituation is the process of making gorillas get used to human presence so that they can be trekked after a period of two years.
During gorilla habituation, tourists will join researchers in habituation for 4 hours, and the cost is only $1,500 per person, with only a group of 4 people participating in the activity per day.
Gorilla habituation is carried out from the Rushaga sector, just 30 minutes away from Nkuringo.
Compliments to your Nkuringo Gorilla Tours
Bwindi Forest is not only home to mountain gorillas but also other wildlife such as forest elephants, duikers, and bushbucks, with other primates like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and many others.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to over 300 species of birds, with some of them endemic to the Albertine region.
Examples of some of the birds in Bwindi include black-faced rufous warbler, mountain yellow warbler, fine banded woodpecker, short-tailed warbler, montane oriole, dusky crimson wing, regal sunbird, Ruwenzori batis, purple-breasted sunbird, Chaplin’s flycatcher, strange weaver, strip-breasted tit, African wood owl, handsome francolin, bar-tailed trogon, and yellow-streaked greenbul, to mention a few.
Nkuringo sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has various walking trails established within the forest, with each leading to a scenic destination.
The nature walks are an ideal way to explore the forest, and bird lovers should not forget to carry binoculars to spot some bird species.
Tourists will also see lots of wildlife and various butterfly species during nature walks.
The Batwa trail in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers an authentic cultural experience for visitors.
The Batwa people were the original people of Bwindi forest who co-existed with mountain gorillas for over 500,000 years before they were displaced.
They depended on the forest for food, shelter, and medicine and survived through fruit gathering and hunting.
The Batwa today live on the edge of the forest, working in Bakiga farms, but their forest techniques have not been forgotten as they take you through the forest, showing hunting skills, how to make fire, visiting a traditional healer who shows you how they use different herbs to heal various diseases, and lastly, enjoying local food of the Batwa with entertainment from the ancient forest traditional dancers.
Where to Stay
There are various accommodations in Bwindi National Park, but where to sleep will depend on the tourist’s budget and the area where the permit was obtained from.
Lodges in Nkuringo sector include Nkuringo gorilla campsite, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Nshongi camp, and Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, among the rest.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be visited all year round, but the best time is during the dry months of June to September and December through February when the weather is convenient.
Getting There
Nkuringo sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be reached in 10-11 hours from Kampala by road, and 5 hours from Kigali, Rwanda.
Tourists can also fly to the park through Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airfield.
While visiting Nkuringo for gorilla trekking, tourists should pack items like good hiking boots, warm clothes, hats, sunscreens, sunglasses, insect repellents, garden gloves, energy snacks, and drinking water.
