Rushaga gorilla trekking takes place in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, located in the southwest of Uganda.
Rushaga is one of the four sectors in Bwindi where tourists can trek mountain gorillas and it is popular for having the most amount of gorilla permits per day.
Other gorilla trekking sectors in Bwindi include Buhoma, Ruhija, and Nkuringo.
Rushaga Gorilla Families
Here are some of the gorilla families you may meet during your Rushaga gorilla trekking adventure:
- Busingye Gorilla Family: This family broke away in 2012. It has 9 members, including 5 blackbacks, 3 infants, and 1 silverback. The name “Busingye” means “peace” in the local language. The silverback, Busingye, is known for being calm but also fights other groups to take more females into his group.
- Nshongi Gorilla Family: This family is named after the “Omushongi Gwoboki” river, which has a honey-like color. The group was opened for trekking in 2009 and had 36 members, led by Nshongi. Nshongi took over leadership after the death of his father, Mishaya. Later, the group split, and some members left to form new families.
- Kahungye Gorilla Family: This family was named after a hill in Rushaga where it was first seen. It became available for trekking in 2011 with 27 individuals. After Busingye left with some members to form a new family, Kahungye was left with 17 members. The group is led by the silverback Rumanzi, with two other silverbacks, Rwigi and Ruhamuka.
- Bweza Gorilla Family: This group is led by Bweza, who left the Mishaya gorilla family with six members. The split happened after Mishaya had already left the Nshongi family with ten members in 2010. Bweza’s group opened for trekking in 2012 and now has 9 members, still under the leadership of Bweza.
- Mishaya Gorilla Family: Mishaya formed his own group after breaking away from the Nshongi family. Today, this group has 7 members and is led by the silverback Mishaya. Trekkers in Rushaga often enjoy meeting this group.
Where to Stay
There are many accommodation options in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for different budgets and trekking locations.
If you are trekking in Rushaga, some good lodges include Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, and Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge.
Best Time to Visit
Bwindi can be visited at any time of the year, but the best months are during the dry seasons from June to September and December to February when there is less rain.
Rushaga is about 4 hours from Kigali and 9 to 10 hours from Kampala by road.
Tourists can also choose to fly from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Kisoro Airstrip or Kihihi Airstrip. The flight takes about 1 to 2 hours.
