Overview
Buhoma was the first sector to be habituated and one of the sectors in Bwindi national park located in the northern part. It has four gorilla families and bares the first oldest gorilla family which makes it one of the most visited sectors in Bwindi national park. The park has the second largest number of gorillas of all the sectors in Buhoma and it comes after Rushaga sector giving travelers the confidence of seeing gorillas on their treks since there is 98% of seeing them. This makes it a luxury destination which explains why permits to trek in Buhoma sector sell out very first compared to other sectors. This heritage site for trekking mountain gorillas gives a chance to 8 people trekking each gorilla group at a time allowing guests a spectacular view of the forest canopy and the Bwindi Park.
Securing permits.
Gorilla permits here are limited and they usually get booked early therefore, booking your permit in time is the first thing every traveler should be. Before departure, make sure that you secured your permit for trekking. Buhoma sector has four gorilla families which implies that there are just 24 gorilla permits of the three groups which you are allowed to trek. These permits cost 600$ for foreign nonresidents, 500$ for foreign residents and 250000 for east African residents.
Permits in Buhoma sector tend to sell out quickly because gorillas in Buhoma sector are easy to trek especially for travelers who fear heights, accessible because of the available daily flights to Kihihi air strip, the park is near Queen Elizabeth national park which attracts those who want to combine trekking with other activities in the nearby national parks and lastly, its endowed with beautiful luxury lodges which give tourists plenty of choices to choose where to stay.
Transportation facilities and how to get there.
Considering the distance from Entebbe international airport, using air chartered flights from Kajjansi air strip form Kampala to Kihihi airstrip which is next to Buhoma sector shortens the long hour drive of 9 hours to Bwindi from Kampala. Since this is a luxury tour, the best you can choose for an easy comfortable and quickest way is air.
However, using road transport will give you a chance to break off at different points and view different wonders of the pearl of Africa. In a 4×4 land cruiser comfortable enough to allow you travel for long hours, you could stop in Queen Elizabeth national park and continue later to Bwindi. Using Entebbe-Kampala, it’s about 8-9 hours’ drive to Buhoma and 5 hours’ drive from Kigali to Buhoma.
Luxury accommodation.
Given that Buhoma sector is the only home to Bwindi’s only two lodges, accommodation here is the best. After a day’s trek, put your feet up and relax taking advantage of the deep comfort of your lodge and the bright uninterrupted services and views of the forest around your luxury accommodation in Buhoma. Classy lodges in Buhoma like engage lodge, Bwindi volcanoes lodge, gorilla forest camp, mahogany springs lodge, clouds mountain gorilla lodge and Buhoma lodge can be considered in case you want those in the sector.
Best time to go trekking.
Bwindi lies under the tropics which implies that it receives rainfall all year around. This makes trekking possible all year around. However, there are drier months of the year of June, July, January, august, September and February. This is when there is little or no rainfall received in the park. The slopes are usually dry. Additionally, the vegetation cover is not thick enough to distract you from seeing animals.
The other time of the year is during the wet season, although the trails are slippery and so are the slope. The vegetation cover too is thick to see clearly but the gorillas are more visible during this time. They hardly move in search for food since food is readily available. This implies that your treks are short and there are discounts on accommodation facilities.
What to pack?
- Light and long sleeved clothes
- Water proof hiking boots
- Camera
- Binoculars
- Gardening gloves
- Rain coat in case it rains
- Torch
- Sun screen, hat and sun glasses to protect you from direct sunrays
Recommendation
Pamoja tours and travel company being one of the most trusted tour operators is ready to help in every way we can when you book with us. We work on the following;
- organize every kind of safari
- secure your gorilla trekking permits
- transport you to and from
- book accommodation
Contact us for any details about booking a luxury gorilla trekking safari.
