Gorilla Resort
Gorilla Resort is one of the mid-range accommodation facility in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. Gorilla Resort is found in Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national which happens to be the oldest region with the oldest gorilla family. Travelers staying at Gorilla Resort have five mountain gorilla families to trek and these are Rushengura, Muyambi, Mubare, Habinyanja, and Katwe. Gorilla trekking is the main reason as to why travelers stay at Gorilla Resort and it’s the most done activity here.
Gorilla Resort is located minutes away from the starting point of gorilla trekking in Buhoma sector. The lodge offers comfortable accommodation facilities in form of tents and cottages. The 8 self-contained tents at Gorilla Resort are built on an elevated wood platform with balconies hence offering fantastic views of Bwindi impenetrable forest. The camp was designed using African local materials to blend with the local surroundings.
At Gorilla Resort, there is the main building with a dining area, a bar with soft and hard drinks, a restaurant with delicious local and international foods that are prepared by professional chefs. They have a gift shop with African crafts sold at a fee and you could buy for yourself or people back home. The resort has a campfire where guests gather in cold evenings for warmth and stories from different people.
The camps are large enough with excellent facilities, comfortable long beds with furnished furniture, en suite bathrooms, mosquito nets, and private balconies on the cottages. The tents also have been constructed giving fantastic views of the Bwindi forest. Travelers that are interested in staying at Gorilla Resort during their safari in Bwindi impenetrable forest can inform their tour operator to book accommodation there.
Getting to Gorilla Resort
Gorilla Resort can be accessed by road or air in a single day. By road, you can get to Gorilla Resort camp from Kampala/Entebbe through Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, and Kisoro taking 9-10 hours to get there. Travelers from Kigali international airport can access Gorilla Resort using road transport through Katuna border in Kabale and Cyanika border in Kisoro taking 4-5 hours.
By air transport, there are chattered flights at Kajjansi airstrip and Entebbe international airport every day. To fly to Gorilla Resort camp, you need to inform your tour operator in advance or book with the airline company (Bar Aviation Uganda or Aerolink Uganda) to get you a seat. Flights take 1 hour and 45 minutes to land at Kihihi airstrip where you use road transport to connect to the lodge.
Activities to do from Gorilla Resort
Gorilla trekking: Gorilla families Mubare, Muyambi, Katwe, Rushengura, and Habinyanja are available for trekking in Buhoma region. The gorilla trekking activity starts at the sector offices where trekkers must be early in the morning. The park wardens do teach trekkers about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking, group trekkers not exceeding 8 people, and get armed ranger guides to lead the trek. The search for mountain gorilla families takes 2-7 hours and this depends on the speed of trekkers as well as the location of mountain gorillas. During the search, trekkers are able to meet different park mammals, primates, and birds. The moment the mountain gorilla family is spotted, trekkers are given one hour to be around them and this will give them an opportunity to see them do daily activities, take photos and learn about their habits.
Birding: Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is home to most of the 350 bord species that have been recorded in the park. With a help of a well-trained guide, you will be able to see birds like Common fiscal, tropical boubou, tiny sunbird, swamp flycatcher, tiny sunbird, grey apalis, banded prinia, white-eyed slaty flycatcher, grey-backed camaroptera, sooty boubou, marsh tchagra, pied crow, montane oriole, compact weaver, strange weaver, strange weaver, dusky twin spot, African fire finch, African citril streaky seed eater, oriole finch, magpie manikin, pin tailed whydah, strange weaver, compact weaver, splendid starling, common fiscal, varrable sunbird, tiny sunbird, and swamp flycatcher among others.
Nature walks: Nature walks are activities done by guests staying at Gorilla Resort Camp who love nature. Different trails are designed in Buhoma sector to enable travelers to access different areas of the park. Nature walk activities are guided by armed ranger guides and are done at a fee. The nature walks in Buhoma region give travelers an opportunity to see different park animals such as chimpanzees, bush pigs, duikers, elephants, giant forest hogs, buffaloes, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, and birds such as common fiscal, olive sunbird, swamp flycatcher, tiny sunbird, and great blue turaco among others.
Batwa community tour: Batwa cultural experience is done by travelers that love to know more about the African culture. The tour to Batwa communities starts with a simple nature walk around the forest where Batwa guides take you around the jungle showing you different stories of how they used to survive in the jungle on fruits, honey, and animals from small animals. They will show you how they used arrows and bows to kill animals, and how different plants were used to cure illnesses. You will visit their communities and interact with different people, watch them do daily activities, listen to their stories, visit traditional healers, and in the end, you will get entertained by traditional dancers.
Best time to stay at Gorilla Resort
Gorilla Resort welcomes visitors at any time of the year but since most of them are having safaris in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, the best time would be the dry season. The dry season occurs from June to September and December to February. It’s characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails stay dry, the vegetation is short and thin with good views of the wild animals and the roads leading to the park are in good condition.
Travelers visiting Bwindi during the rainy season can still stay at Gorilla Resort camp to enjoy huge discounts on the rooms. Travelers should note that the rainy season which occurs from March to May and October to November is characterized by too much rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, the vegetation is tall and thick with unclear views of the mountain gorillas and the roads leading to the park are passable.
