Fly to Kihihi and trek gorillas in Buhoma

Fly to Kihihi and trek gorillas in Buhoma: Flying to Kihihi to trek mountain gorillas in Buhoma takes you to the northern part of the park where you encounter mountain gorillas for 1 hour in their national park habitat. The safari is for luxury travelers who can afford flights from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport to Kihihi airstrip in the northern part of the country.

The flights to Kihihi airstrip are organized by a number of airline companies among which include Aerolink Uganda and Bar Aviation Uganda. To fly with these companies, you need to buy a ticket and this should be done in advance. To book the flights to Kihihi airstrip, you must get a local tour operator or contact the airline company direct.

You will have to contact them via email informing them about the dates of the month and year your safari is to happen and this information shall be used to check for the availability of the seats. Once the seats are available, you will be sent banking details and asked to send part of the money or full money for the ticket. Once the money has been received, your seat shall be booked and a scanned copy shall be sent to you.

Kihihi airstrip is located in the Buhoma region of Bwindi which is found in the northern side of the park. The region is home to a huge population of mountain gorillas and has the oldest gorilla family in the country named Mubare gorilla group. The gorilla family was habituated in 1991 and open for tourism purposes in 1993 making it the first family to be trekked in the world.

Buhoma region is home to gorilla families such as Mubare gorilla family, Katwe gorilla family, Muyambi gorilla family, Habinyanja gorilla family, and Rushengura gorilla family. The families in Buhoma region of Bwindi are open for trekking at any time of the year but to trek them you need to be 15 years old and must be having a gorilla permit.

The Buhoma gorilla permits can be got from Uganda Wildlife Authority or any trusted local tour operator. To book the gorilla permits for Buhoma region, you need to contact a local tour operator or the Uganda Wildlife Authority via email. You need to tell them about the days of the month and year you want to trek the gorillas and the region you need to trek which is Buhoma. They will use the information to check for the availability of the gorilla trekking permits and once they are available, you will be sent some banking details and the price of the permits. Once you have sent the money and they have received it, they will book the permits for you.

The Buhoma gorilla trekking permits cost $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 for citizens of East Africa.  Booking the Buhoma region permits should be done in advance of at least 3-4 months to avoid inconveniences or last-minute bookings since the permits are sold on a first come first serve basis. Travelers intending to visit Buhoma region in the high season must also book the permits in advance.

Fly to Kihihi and trek gorillas in Buhoma

Trekking gorillas in Buhoma region

The gorilla trekking activity in Buhoma region is done on gorilla families like Mubare gorilla family, Katwe gorilla family, Rushengura gorilla family, Muyambi gorilla family, and Habinyanja gorilla family. Each of the gorilla families in Buhoma region is trekked by a group of 8 people and these must have valid gorilla trekking permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority. The gorilla trekking activity starts very early in the morning at the sector offices. This is where trekkers gather and meet the park wardens that teach them about the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity. later groups not exceeding 8 people are made and armed ranger guides lead the trekkers throughout the whole trek. To locate a mountain gorilla family in Buhoma region can take 2-7 hours and the time taken depends on the location of the gorilla group and the speed of the trekkers. When the mountain gorilla family is located, the trekkers are given 1 hour to be around the gorillas and this gives them an opportunity to learn about the gorilla behaviors, watch them do daily activities, take photos and learn about their habits. Later, trekkers trek out of the jungle, meet their driver guides, and move to the sector offices where they collect their gorilla trekking certificates.

Other than trekking when you fly to Kihihi sector to visit Buhoma, travelers can take part in other sector activities such as nature walks where they explore the region on foot, community visits where they take a tour to the Batwa people that were the initial habitats in the park and then birding where they get a chance to see over 350 birds that have been recorded in the park such as African jacana, black bee-eater, regal sunbird, kivu ground thrush, crowned hornbill and much more.

What to pack for a flying safari to Kihihi in Buhoma region?

Luxury travelers intending to Fly to Kihihi and trek gorillas in Buhoma region should pack waterproof hiking shoes, cotton stocks, gardening gloves, a pair of gaiters, a light backpack, a camera, a pair of binoculars, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved pants, a rain jacket, a hat, sunscreen, sweater, sanitizer, facemask, insect repellents, drinking water bottle and energy-giving snacks among others.

When to fly to Kihihi and trek gorillas of Buhoma

Travelers can fly to Kihihi and trek gorillas of Buhoma region at any time of the year but there are months that are better than the rest. The dry months are the best to fly to Kihihi because the weather is good, there is little or no rainfall in the park which lives the trekking trails dry, the vegetation is short, thin, and scattered giving good views of the mountain gorillas and the roads connecting to the sector from the airstrip are in good conditions. During the dry season, the flights don’t delay because the weather conditions are good.

Travelers most especially those that love huge discounts can fly to Kihihi and visit Buhoma region in the rainy season of March to May and October to November. During this season, the flights are cheap and the accommodation facilities are at a discount to attract the few customers that are always visiting the park.  Travelers should note that in the rainy season, the trekking trails are muddy and slippery, the vegetation n is tall and thick with unclear views of the mountain gorillas and the roads leading to the park are in poor condition. Due to heavy rainfall, travelers should expect a delay in flights on some days when the weather is not so good.

Where to stay in Buhoma region

Buhoma region has a lot of accommodation facilities where travelers who would like to Fly to Kihihi and trek gorillas in Buhoma can stay and these are spread in the different areas of the region. Thea accommodation facilities do range from budget to mid-range to luxury options and where to stay depends on a traveler’s budget and choice. The accommodation facilities include Buhoma Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Engagi Lodge, Bwindi Forest Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Ride 4 women Guest House, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Haven Lodge, Buhoma Rest Camp, and Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge.