Ruhija Sector of Bwindi

Mountain Gorillas are one of the main reasons and a highlight for a Gorilla trekking safari in Uganda. The Ruhija sector is a home to a total of four Gorilla families and it is located in the easterner part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Just like other Gorilla sectors and in other countries inhabiting Mountain Gorillas, there is a strict rule which allows only eight people in a group to trek a particular Mountain Gorilla family.

A Gorilla trekker is sometimes asked to select the best region he would wish to trek in the Mountain Gorilla as well this might depend on the availability of permits in the region on the dates of your choice.
Gorilla permits are at a cost of USD700 non-foreign residents, USD500 to foreign residents and East African residents at 250,000. There is an availability of potters who are available for help as you trek and at a cost. You will have packed lunch with you from the lodge since the duration for the trek is always not known since it can take you 30mins to three quarters of the day so it’s unpredictable. Remember these are wild animals they keep moving from one place to another in search for food and water so one needs to be physically fit in order to have a better hike.

There are a lot of things to encounter on your trek or in the forest and these include the following:

Batwa pygmies

These are the first people who lived in the forest as their habitat. They were evicted from the forest in 1991 when the tourism board was introduced to the National Park. Learn about their day to day activities, culture lifestyle, hunting, honey collection, use of herbal medicine, traditional lifestyle and many more.

Visit the community projects

In the Ruhija sector, one can choose to volunteer. This is based on projects that are owned by the local people in the areas of the community, learn on their day to day activities as they make hand crafts like baskets, beekeeping, these projects are established to help on the development of the community. The tourism fund is the source of employment for the local people yet some are farmers, porters and many more.
Tourists have chances to take part in the activities and during this time you will gain knowledge of the sector. This helps in improving the standards of living for the people in the community.
The local people enjoy wildlife conservation and sustainable development in Ruhija and Bwindi National Park.

Birding

Ruhija is the best spot for bird watching best favorable for bird lovers, the region is home to about 23 endemic bird species, these include Grey bush shrike, Yellow streaked green-bull, Hornbills, Dusky crimson, Yellow-eyed black flycatcher and many more.
Ruhija is recognized in the Important Bird Area for global conservation importance.
The trekkers are always recommended to bring binoculars for easy spotting of birds. The guides help one to spot birds and explain their unique features. Enjoy a forest walk through the nature trails of Bwindi forest. It’s an experience of its kind.

Accommodation

Ruhija is a very comfortable, safe and affordable price for accommodation; Ruhija has a number of lodges including Gorilla mist camp, Bakiga lodge, Trekkers Tavern lodges, Agandi lodges and many more. Amazing environment with sounds of the wildlife, birds especially at night, cold weather in Ruhija this is an attribute to the hilly terrain and dense forests in the region.
Warm water bottles are provided in each room at night this helps to keep you warm and away with freezing in the coldness.
Ruhija sector is worth a visit to have a face to face interaction with the endangered Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat.