Gorilla trekking safaris with Mubare Group in Buhoma Region – Exclusive Mubaru Group Gorilla trekking permits – Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable National park – Gorilla trekking in Buhoma Region.
Gorilla trekking safaris with Mubare Group in Buhoma Region – The mubare gorilla family was the first gorilla family to be habituated in Bwindi’s impenetrable national park and is currently the oldest gorilla family found in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi.
The mubare gorilla family is one of the 18 mountain gorilla families that can be habituated in Bwindi’s impenetrable national park. This family was first habituated in 1993 when tourism was introduced to Bwindi.
The name Mubare was given after the mubare hills which are found in the deep Bwindi impenetrable forest national park where the mubare gorilla family was first sited by tourists. The family was led by the late Ruhondeza who died at the age of 50 years and the family comprised 18 members. With time and years, the family lost many members until 2012 when they were left with only 5 in the family after it was attacked and some females were taken away and other members relocated to other families.
Ruhondeza was succeeded by Kanyonyi who became the leader of the family. He expanded the family and increased it by 8 members.
Mubare Group Gorilla Permits and payment
Only 8 gorilla trekking permits a day are sold to visit the gorilla family and you are advised to book in advance to have an experience and spend one hour with the Mubare gorilla family as they carry out their day-to-day activities.
For one to book permits to trek the Mubare gorilla group, you can pay 100% in advance for each permit. Each gorilla permit costs per person USD700 for foreign non-residents, USD600 for foreign residents, and 250,000 Ugandan shillings for East African citizens. It is recommended that one book the gorilla permits 3 to 4 months before the gorilla safari date. This is done because permits usually sell out in advance during the peak season on a first come first serve basis.
How to access Buhoma Region of Bwindi
By road, one can access Buhoma through the main highway road from Entebbe/ Kampala which is approximately an 8-9 hours drive, passing through Kabale town and proceeding to Buhoma. The park can also be accessed from Kigali, Rwanda which is approximately a 4-5 hours drive. The sector can also be accessed via Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Ishasha sector.
By air, one can get to the Buhoma sector with Aero Link which is a domestic airline offering both scheduled and charter flights to Kihihi Airstrip from Entebbe and this is the fastest and less tiresome way to get there. It is approximately a 1-2 hour drive to a nearby lodge from Kihihi.
