Rubuguri Village Walk In Bwindi Forest Park

Rubuguri Village Walk In Bwindi Forest Park; The Rubuguri Village Walk is located in the Southern part of Bwindi Forest Park, sandwiched between the Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors of the national park, on the lower plains of Bwindi Impenetrable. Rubuguri Village is home to a sizable population and is encircled by rolling hills. The village can only be reached by road. Rubuguri is a city in the Kisoro District of Kirundo Sub County. Kihihi, Rubanda, Kabale, Kanungu, Kambuga, Cyahafi, and Rubale are the cities encircling it.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is situated in the Kanungu District of Southwest Uganda, near the Rift Albertine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo borders. Bwindi is made up of 321 square kilometers of afro-montane and lowland forests. The primary attraction of this park is its 400+ mountain gorillas, who inhabit it in their natural habitat. In addition, around 300 tree species, 120 mammal species, 11 primate species, 200 butterfly species, and 360 bird species may be found in Bwindi.

A stroll through Rubuguri Village in the Bwindi Forest Park is an additional activity in Bwindi that may be done in addition to gorilla trekking. On the Rubuguri village walk, you will encounter the residents as you make your way to their traditional homesteads, which are surrounded by verdant marshes, undulating hills, and sheer cliff sides. The Rubuguri Village Walk is managed by the Nkuringo Cultural Center (NCC). Because the Rubuguri village walk entails passing by homesteads, visitors will engage in everyday activities like as farming, tending to and feeding animals, touring gardens and plantations, and housekeeping tasks including cooking and food preparation. Sometimes visitors can even have dinner with the residents.

On the Rubuguri village walk, visitors will come across amiable, accepting residents who will foster a warm and inviting environment for the visitors. This will consequently create opportunities for engagement and allow guests to discover more about the inhabitants’ past and contemporary lifestyles. By spending time with the locals, tourists will gain more knowledge about their culture and conduct.

The Rubuguri Village Walk offers its visitors the chance to take in the customs of the residents, who greet them with music and dances. The prehistoric way of life of the natives will be described to you through folklore, myths, and riddles. When residents and visitors have direct conversations, this occurs.

The Batwa were the first people to live in the forest and then move beyond the park. During the village trip, visitors will meet the Batwa people, who will share stories about their way of living in the forest. Traditional dances and music will be performed, along with other events like demonstrating one’s prowess in fruit and game collection, crafting, and honey harvesting, meeting the blacksmith, and visiting herbalists who employ local plants. As a result, because they get to participate while receiving instruction, tourists will learn a lot. studying and learning about the practices, cultures, and way of life of the Batwa people.

An integral component of the journey is walking through the village of Rubuguri and seeing the local schools. This means visiting locations such as St. Peter’s Primary School, where guests are made to feel very welcome and have a great time interacting with the teachers and pupils. This is communicated through the traditional songs and dances of the Bakiga, a Kikiga dance that entails leaping high and stamping the ground.

Visitors can view some of the local artists’ and craftsmen’s work, which includes making a range of products like baskets, bags, houses, and mats, along the Rubuguri Village Walk in Bwindi Forest Park. Visitors will be able to take part in their creation as they will be taught how to make them. Additionally, the crafts will be purchased by tourists, which will help the local economy. Taking a trip through Rubuguri village offers breathtaking vistas of terraced hills, verdant marshes, and typical African homesteads.

Which time is best for the Rubuguri village walk?

Walking in the village of Rubuguri is possible throughout the year, no matter the time of day. However, there is a favorable time to do it: in December, January, February, June, July, August, and September. These are the “dry months” or seasons; as a rainforest, these are the months when the park receives little to no precipitation. Travel is also made easy by the scant vegetation and the clear, handy, and passable roads and trails at this time of year. On the other hand, during the frequently rainy months of March, May, October, and November, one may opt to take a stroll in the Rubuguri village. It should be mentioned that the park’s pathways and roads are dangerous, muddy, slick, and damp at this time of year. Hiking becomes challenging as a result.

The Rubuguri village walk’s highlights

Visiting the people’ traditional homesteads
Conversations between visitors and residents
Investigating and learning about the natives’ customs and cultures
Visiting nearby schools and various initiatives
Observing the various sights while on the trek.

Tips for planning a tour to Rubuguri village

Both mental and physical well-being are desirable. This is accurate since it necessitates a lengthy walk.
Put on long sleeves, a sweater or t-shirt, long pants, and sturdy hiking boots that are lightweight enough to be carried easily while strolling in order to stay warm.
Consider how long you intend to remain. For this to happen, the best time of year must be determined.
The essentials, such as enough food, snacks, water, sunscreen, bug repellent, caps, sunglasses, and a camera, should be packed in a water-resistant backpack.
Consider hiring a porter to assist you with carrying your heavy luggage if you have a lot of stuff.
Make bookings with or engage with the top tour operators, such Achieve Global Safaris, for assistance with the tour’s specifics.

Additional events that take place in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Trekking with the orangutans is the park’s primary visitor attraction. There are more than 20 habituated gorilla families that are open for daily visits in the park’s sectors (the Buhoma region in the north has five gorilla families; the Ruhija sector in the east has four gorilla groups; the Rushaga sector has eight gorilla families; and the Nkuringo sector has three gorilla groups in the Southern part).

The following gorilla families are available for trekking in the different sectors:

The Rushegura Group, Mubare Group, Muyambi Group, Habinyanja Group, Katwe Gorilla, Nkuringo group, the Bushaho family, the Christmas group, the Bitukura group, the Oruzogo group, the Kyaguliro group, the Mukiza group, the Nshongi family, the Bikingi group, the Mishaya group, the Kahungye group, the Busingye family, the Bweza group, the Mucunguzi group, and the Rwigi group.

To trek these families, you must obtain a gorilla trekking permit, which costs 700 dollars for non-resident foreigners, 600 dollars for residents of other countries, and 250 000 shs. for citizens of East Africa. Each family requires a group of eight hikers per day, and visitors are only permitted to spend an hour with the gorillas.

Finding habituated gorillas requires walking, as part of the gorillas’ habituation process. The southern part of the park, which contains the Kutu gorilla family’s Rushaga sector and the Posho gorilla group’s Nkuringo sector, is where this activity is conducted. There are just eight habituation licenses available every day, and visits by groups of four individuals are the only way to interact with a particular gorilla family. The permit, which costs USD 1500 for foreign non-residents, USD 1000 for foreign residents, and Ugx 750,000 for nationals of East Africa, grants the visitor with the gorillas four hours of access.

Observing birds. In Bwindi, you can find a variety of birds in and around waterfall areas, swampy areas, and bamboo areas. These include African sooty flycatcher, African paradise flycatcher, African goshawk, African pygmy kingfisher, black bee eater, dwarf honeyguide, African green broadbill, black-billed turaco, Cassin’s grey flycatchers, African black ducks, great blue turaco, and handsome francolin. You may locate this by using the Kashasha River Trail, River Ivy Trail, Birding Trail, and Waterfall Trail.

Track primates. Eleven primates at Bwindi can be tracked, including chimpanzees, baboons, galagos, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and white and black colobus monkeys, in addition to the park’s primary attraction the mountain gorillas are inclusive.

Game viewing and wildlife viewing drives: These can be daytime or nighttime outings that entail learning about the park’s many hidden features, such as its different vegetation zones and fauna, which includes forest elephants, buffaloes, gorillas, side-striped jackals, clawless otters, civets, wild pigs, warthogs, giant forest hogs, and bush bucks. and the many kinds of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and trees. Additional pursuits consist of: Cruising on a boat

Cycling in the mountains

Nature walks in forests

Tours of local cultures and camping Places to stay in during the walk Depending on the class, there are many different options for lodging, ranging from upscale to mid-range to affordable. Nshongi Gorilla Camp, Ruhija Community Rest Camp, Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort, Mutanda Eco Community Center, Crested Crane Bwindi, Engagi Lodge, CPTH Gorilla Conservation Camp, Bwindi View Bandas, Bwindi Guest House, Bwindi Backpackers Lodge, Bwindi Forest Lodge, Buhoma Community Banda, and Broadbill Forest Camp are among the accommodations that fall within the budget range.

The following are some examples of accommodations in the Middle range: Gorillas Mist Camp, Gift of Nature, Eco Marvels Gorilla Resort, Lake Kitandara Bwindi Camp, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Lake Muhele Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Jungle Lodge, Buhoma Community Haven Lodge, Cuckoo Land Tented Lodge, and so on.

Among the Luxurious lodging options are Silverback Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Ichumbi Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Resort, Rushaga Gorilla Safari Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Buhoma Lodge, Bwindi Clouds Lodge, Chameleon Hills Lodge, Mahogany Springs, and Trekkers Tavern Cottages.