Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge: Located just 10 minutes’ walkway to Rushaga sector gate, Ichumbi is a luxury lodge for gorilla travelers to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge is one of the luxury lodges in Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. Sole travelers group travelers and family travelers are always welcome ta Ichumbi lodge at any time of the year.
Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge has 9 luxury cottages with each room having a desk, alarm clock, and shower with hot and cold drinks. The rooms are well furnished in an African style with each of the room having a private balcony where you can relax after gorilla trekking or in the evening. The lodges are set near the flower garden giving guests a refreshed environment with good views of the forest. There is a campfire at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge where guests gather during evening hours to get some warmth while listening to different stories from people.
Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge has free parking, free airport transfers, free breakfast, free high-speed internet, a gift shop, laundry service, ironing service, a shared TV area, a well-stocked bar with soft drinks, and a restaurant with chefs that prepare local and international dishes. Travelers that are planning to visit Uganda for gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park can book Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge. Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge is only used by travelers that are visiting the Rushaga region and you should book it after confirming the region you are going to trek.
Getting to Ichumbi lodge
Located in the southern region of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, Ichumbi lodge can be accessed by road transport from Kampala/Entebbe via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, and Kisoro which takes 9-10 hours. Alternatively, the lodge can be accessed using air transport from Kajjansi airstrip/Entebbe international airport to Kisoro airstrip where you connect to the lodge using road transport in just 2 hours. Ichumbi lodge can also be accessed from Kigali by crossing to Uganda using Cyanika border in Kisoro and Katuna border in Kabale.
Activities to do when staying at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Gorilla trekking
Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge is located near the briefing point of Rushaga sector making it a perfect place to stay when you are visiting Bwindi for gorilla trekking. Guests will find their breakfast ready in the morning take it and then meet their driver or walk to the sector offices. Here the park wardens will gather trekkers and teach them about the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity. Groups not exceeding 8 are made and armed ranger guides are assigned to each group to lead them in the jungle.

book yourself a double room at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

The ranger guides communicate with the trackers on which routes to use to locate the gorilla family faster. Trekkers must keep following the ranger guides until they meet the mountain gorilla family. The search for the gorilla family can take 2-7 hours of meeting different park animals, and birds. The moment the mountain gorilla family is found, trekkers are given 1 hour to be around the members, watch them do daily activities, take photos and learn about the gorilla habits.

Gorilla habituation

Gorilla habituation is one of the common activities done by travelers that are staying at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge. Bikingi gorilla family in Rushaga sector is one of the 2 gorilla families designed for habituation activities in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. To habituate mountain gorillas in Rushaga, you need to have a gorilla habituation permit and when you trek the gorilla family and locate it, you will be given 4 hours to be around the gorilla members where you will get an opportunity to be part of the activities that make these apes get used to human presence around them.

Birding

Guests staying at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge can join other birders and encounter a number of bird species that live in the Rushaga region of Bwindi. Bird watching activities can be done around the lodge or even the national park with a help of armed ranger guides who show you the right birding spots and also protect you from dangerous wild animals.
Bird lovers staying at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge have an opportunity to encounter birds such as grey crowned crane, common sand piper, olive pigeon, African jacana, great blue turaco, ross turaco, black crake, horus swift, narina tragon, black swift, black bee-eater, crowned hornbill, spot flanked barbet, crowned hornbill, lesser honey guide, olive woodpecker, grey throated barbet, white thighed hornbill, rock martin and cape wagtail among others.

Batwa community visit

Guests staying at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge can visit the Batwa community that live near the park boundaries. The Batwa used to live in the forest of Bwindi surviving on meat from small animals, fruits, and honey but when the government evicted them to protect the mountain gorillas, they decided to settle around the park boundaries. A visit to the Batwa community gives you an opportunity to learn about their culture, how they live their day-to-day life, taste their local foods, and get entertained by the traditional dancers.

Nature walks

Staying at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, you can have nature walks in your free time around the lodge and around the park with a help of an armed ranger guide. The nature walks are done to enable tourists to explore nature on foot and they do get opportunities of meeting different park animals such as bush pigs, buffaloes, duikers, elephants, giant forest hogs, birds, and different plant species.

Best time

The best time to stay at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge when you have a safari in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is the dry season. It happens from June to September and is characterized by little or no rainfall that keeps the trekking trails dry, the vegetation is short and thin with good views of the mountain gorillas and other park animals lastly, the roads leading to the park are in good condition.
Travelers especially budget ones can stay at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge on their safari to Bwindi in the rainy seasons of March to May and October to November to enjoy the huge discounts on accommodation. Travelers should however know that during the rainy season, there is plenty of rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, vegetation is tall and thick with unclear views of the park animals and the roads leading to the park and lodge are in poor condition.