The Ruhija Sector is set in the eastern part of Africa’s most wanted national park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is famous for harboring half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, with over 500 individual mountain gorillas still existing in this tropical forest. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is in the southwestern part of Uganda; reaching Bwindi Impenetrable Forest may take approximately 8 to 9 hours to drive from Entebbe or Kampala. Alternatively, travelers can travel by charter flight that can take 1 hour and 30 minutes from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip and land at Kihihi Airstrip, which is the nearest to the park.

 

Ruhija sector protects over four mountain gorilla families, namely the Oruzogo gorilla family, the Kyaguliro gorilla family, and the Bitukura gorilla family. The Ruhija sector has two habituated mountain gorilla families, and only 16 mountain gorilla trekking permits are issued each day for gorilla trekking in the Ruhija region. The Kyaguliro gorilla family has sold 32 mountain gorilla trekking permits to travelers.

 

The Kyaguliro gorilla family is reserved for research purposes in the Ruhija sector and only four travelers are permitted to join researchers instead of the eight travelers who participate in the regular mountain gorilla trekking like other gorilla families. As a result, the Kyaguliro gorilla family can only be visited with formal permission from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the government agency in charge of managing all protected areas in Uganda.

 

The Ruhija sector offers few mountain gorilla families compared to the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which can be fully congested with tourists. Note that the Ruhija sector offers more ecotourism encounters due to its attractive location.

 

The Ruhija sector is set between the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable in the north and Kabale Town to the south, making this sector easily accessible from both parts of the park. From the Ruhija sector, it can be easy to connect to Queen Elizabeth National Park, which covers over 218 kilometers. This can allow most travelers to combine mountain gorilla trekking and game viewing which can be done within the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National park for spotting the rare tree climbing lions. 

 

The Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is positioned just a few meters from the crater. Lake Bunyonyi is a beautiful place to relax after a mountain gorilla trekking encounter. Enjoy the cool, fresh weather there and the rewarding view of the hills and the 29 islands. Lake Bunyonyi is a perfect place for canoe rides and visiting the local communities, like the Batwa culture.

 

Why travelers should visit the Ruhija sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park?

Mountain gorilla trekking safaris in the Bwindi impenetrable forest national park are done in four different mountain gorilla trekking regions of the park: Buhoma sector, Nkuringo sector, Rushaga sector, and Ruhija sector. The Ruhija sector is a unique activity in each of the four sectors  

Below are some of the unique reasons why the Ruhija sector should be considered while visiting Bwindi's impenetrable forest as a tourism destination.

 

Primate walk: The Ruhija sector offers a fascinating tourist activity mostly done here, where travelers are given a chance to enjoy a primate walk in a lush, evergreen natural environment and be able to view other small primates such as the black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, and red-tailed monkeys, among others.

 

mountain gorilla trekking experience? 

These great apes are the main reason most travelers prefer to visit the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park hosts more than 19 mountain gorilla families where travelers can trek while on their Uganda mountain gorilla trekking safari. Ruhija region of Bwindi alone offers four gorilla families: the Bitukura mountain gorilla family, the Oruzogo mountain gorilla family, the Kyaguliro mountain gorilla family, and the Mukiza gorilla family. These are the fully habituated mountain gorilla families where tourists can trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest's Ruhija sector. Only 8 travelers are permitted to participate in the gorilla trekking experience, but the right age for travelers should be 15 years of age. There are 32 gorilla trekking permits available that are sold to travelers on a daily basis in the Ruhija region of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. We advise travelers to book the gorilla trekking permit early with the help of their trusted tour operators. A mountain gorilla trekking permit in Uganda costs $ 700 per person for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and 250,000 UGX for East African citizens. 

 

Bird watching in the Ruhija sector

The Ruhija sector is in the right location for bird watching, and in the Ruhija sector bird species include the starred robin, yellow-streaked greenbul, hornbills, and dusky crimson wing, among others. We advise travelers to carry some binoculars that will help them spot tiny bird species and those that are far in the sky. Bird-watching is done by an experienced guide.

 

Forest walks

This is also another rewarding and interesting activity done in Bwindi impenetrable on foot. where travelers can be able to view beautiful waterfalls, bird species, caves, abundant plant life, plant species, and a variety of animal species surviving in the forest, making the forest walk more enjoyable.

 

Visit the Batwa community of the Ruhija sector 

While in the Ruhija sector, never leave minus visiting the Batwa people because they offer a unique cultural experience where travelers can enjoy the amazing traditional songs, folk songs, dance as well as all the processes of collecting the wild honey, cooking with them, and enjoying more other things.