Rubuguri Village Walk

Rubuguri Village Walk- Most people visiting Bwindi impenetrable forest national park focus mainly on gorilla trekking and forget a lot of other exciting activities such as visiting the local people and exploring the other parts of that park on a nature walk or using a bike.

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is a leading tourism destination for gorilla trekking in Africa with more than a half of the surviving mountain gorillas inhabiting in its thick forest and the other national parks where gorilla trekking can be done in Africa is Mgahinga national park in southwestern Uganda, volcanoes national park in northwestern Rwanda as well as Virunga national park in eastern DR Congo.

Rubuguri village walk in Bwindi forest national park

Rubuguri village walk can be done from the borders of Bwindi impenetrable forest as it’s found between gorilla sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo, the village can be accessed by rustic road with steep hillsides; the village is isolated with the warm welcoming of the local people. It is one of the village walks you can take while in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park as you join local people in their day-to-day activities in their traditional homesteads. The village walk also takes you to local schools such as St Peter’s primary school where pupils will entertain you with the Kikiga dance as you experience their dancing skills as they make the ground shake with joyful songs. The Rubuguri village walk is under the authority of the Nkuringo cultural center creating employment for the local people as income earned is used for supporting the local community.

The walk to Rubuguri village offers panoramic views of the rolling terraced hills, lush swamps, and the African traditional homesteads. You can take part in the weaving baskets, making handmade crafts, cooking, and tasting local foods among others.

You can buy handcrafts from a craft shop at wagtail eco safari camp and also take part in craft-making activities such as basket weaving. Tourists can get entertainment from the local people through traditional dances of the Batwa community who were the first people to live in the forest, they used to survive on hunting and fruit gathering. You can also enjoy traditional dances from the local people of Rubuguri village as they showcase their skills in African dance.

Gorilla trekking

One can’t visit Bwindi impenetrable forest national park for only Rubuguri village walk and miss out trekking endangered mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas stay high on the mountains of Bwindi impenetrable forest. They are closest relatives to human beings after chimpanzees and bonobos with 98% human DNA. Mountain gorilla trekking can be done in any of the four sectors of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and permits costs $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents as well as 250,000shs for East African citizens. When planning to combine Rubuguri village walk and gorilla trekking then you are advised to book gorilla trekking permits in advance of 3-4 months with the Uganda wildlife authority or any trusted tour operator.

Cost of gorilla permits in Bwindi

Mountain gorilla permits to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park of Uganda cost $700 for foreign non-residents and $600 foreign residents while gorilla habituation permits cost $1500. You are advised to book your gorilla permit 3-4 months in advance before arriving in the country especially during the peak season as they become scarcer and more available

Guided Nature walks

Apart from the Rubuguri village walk, there are a lot of other established trails within Bwindi impenetrable forest national park such as Ivy trail, Munyaga trail, Waterfall trail, Bamboo trail, Habinyanja trail, Kashasha trail, and so much more. You can have a walk around the ancient rainforest that can last for an hour or half a day. Nature-guided walks give you an opportunity to see what is really in the jungle and here you will see several primates, mammals, bird species, butterflies, and so much more. Those who don’t like moving for long hours can explore Bwindi impenetrable forest on mountain bikes.

Tips for planning a tour to Rubuguri in Bwindi national park

• Gorilla watching in Bwindi national park is s a very amazing experience but remember that trekking gorillas can make you tired, sweaty and hungry. There are some simple things you must put into consideration in order to enjoy the whole gorilla trekking experience right from the time you enter the forest to allocate gorillas. You should:
• You should make sure you are mentally okay and reasonably fit. When you are physically and mentally stable, moving through the hard terrain can be a walk over having your good hiking shoes.
• Keep yourself warm and well covered with hand gloves, long sleeved shirts and shorts. Long synthetic stockings will help you to keep your body temperature warm.
• Visiting Rubuguri village is done throughout the year but the dry season is the best time because the pathways are not muddy and slippery. The dry season is in the months of December and February and from June to September. The park can also be visited in the wet seasons which is October to November and March to April but the trails are muddy and slippery.
• Work with well-organized tour operators that will get you everything ready after booking such as good accommodation, buying permits as well as transport. A good tour operator will give you detailed information about the tour and thy will remove away the burden of getting everything done by yourself
• A well planned Rubuguri village walk comes with a good quality camera, packed food, binoculars, enough water, insect repellents an d waterproof backpack.
• In case of heavy luggage, you can hire porters because it might make you tired during the trekking activity
• It’s advisable you book your gorilla permits in advance for proper planning and to avoid disappointments.
• You should carry out yellow fever vaccination because it’s one of the requirements needed before entering any of the African countries.