THE WONDERS OF THE ISHASHA SECTOR
Ishasha Sector; Situated in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park, Ishasha is one of the few places known for tree climbing lions in Africa. Although some writers have come out to say that lions can be spotted anywhere in trees and consider this unexceptional, Ishasha outstands with a lion population that has adopted this behavior and individuals or prides are often seen relaxing on tree branches.
While game drives in the Kasenyi plains of Queen Elizabeth national park may offer a chance to spot lions, they are usually seen on the ground or anthills. Ishasha amazes tourists with clear views of the comfortably lazing lions on fig tree branches.
The tree climbing lions of Ishasha sectors are the major highlights while on the visit to the sector. The Lions are commonly spotted during the day as it starts to get hot. There are no scientific facts to explain the behavior the tree climbing lions, rather it is an adaptation as these cats try to escape the heat on the ground and tsetse flies in the tall grass.
Things to do in Ishasha sector
Game drives
Ishasha is a less visited sector because of its remoteness but rewarding in regards to game drives with highlights being the tree climbing lions. Expect a rough ride on the off-the beaten track, therefore a 4×4 safari vehicle is recommended.
Bush breakfast
One of the best places to have a bush breakfast in the parks of Uganda is the Ishasha sector. You will enjoy your meal with beautiful views of the vast plains. This is organized by your safari lodge.
Camp fire
Sitting down to share stories and life experiences is a cool thing but it is extraordinary when you do it around a camp fire in the wilderness. No unnecessary sounds to compete with, except the silence of nature. Nothing beats this tradition.
Nature walk
Exploring a nature reserve on foot gives you a closer feeling to the wildlife in the area. With an armed ranger to keep you safe, the guided nature walk is an ideal way to get up-close the wildlife.
Cultural visits
Meeting and interacting with local people at a destination is an insightful way to learn about their culture and lifestyle. The Bakiga who live around Ishasha have a unique culture with a cultural dance that involves energetically jumping and shaking the ground.
Best time to visit Ishasha sector
The best time to visit Ishasha is also the same for the main Queen Elizabeth national park; during the dry season from December to February and June to October. During this period of the year, the area receives little or no rainfall and therefore the roads are dry hence easy to drive far in search for wildlife.
Where to stay in Ishasha
Ishasha is located in a remote part of the park and therefore has few lodges the fact that it also has limited activities compared to the northern side of Queen Elizabeth national park. Some of the safari lodges around Ishasha are; Ishasha Wilderness Camp, The River Ishasha Lodge, Ishasha Jungle Lodge, Topi Lodge and Enjojo Lodge.
Other places to visit
Bwindi Impenetrable national park
There is nothing quite like seeing the tree climbing lions and the giant mountain gorillas on an African safari. This happens on a combined safari with wildlife and gorilla trekking with Muganzi Safaris will cater for your adventure and exploration thirst.
GORILLA TREKKING SECTORS IN BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
Gorilla Trekking Sectors in Bwindi Impenetrable national park; Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is one of Africa’s most popular safari activities and a memorable experience. The adventure takes you through the pristine tropical forest in search of the majestic mountain gorillas. A specific gorilla family is sought and visited by only one group of trekkers per day. Getting up-close to these endangered apes is a breathtaking moment that many refer to it as a “life changing experience”. Some people wonder if this is safe, and the answer is YES. It is very safe to meet these mountain gorillas since they have been habituated and made ready for tourism. On the other hand, the apes also have to be kept safe and this has been managed through the clearly stated rules and regulations of gorilla trekking.
Bwindi Forest national park has four major trailheads for gorilla trekking spread all over different locations. Travelers can be advised on which trailhead to opt for considering factors such as their route to Bwindi, other destinations on their gorilla safari and availability of gorilla permits.
Gorilla tracking trailheads in Bwindi are found in the following regions;
Buhoma sector
Buhoma is located in the northern side of Bwindi Impenetrable national park. It is found in Kanungu district and the first to access when driving from Queen Elizabeth national park. It has five habituated gorilla families namely; Muyambi, Katwe, Mubare, Rushegura and Habyinyanja gorilla families. Apart from gorilla trekking, you can also go bird watching, for community visits or Batwa cultural encounter.
Rushaga sector
Rushaga region is in the south of Bwindi Impenetrable national park. It is home to 8 habituated gorilla families namely; Mishaya, Nshogi, Bweza, Kahungye, Busingye, Rwigi, Mucunguzi and Busingye. The gorilla families are open for trekking all year through.
Rushaga sector can be easily accessed from Rwanda in a 5-6 hours drive other than the approximately 12 hours from Kampala. It is also currently the only sector where visitors can engage in the gorilla habituation experience.
Ruhija sector
With four (4) habituated gorilla families, Uganda Wildlife Authority offers 32 gorilla permits daily to trek in Ruhija sector. The sector is located in the southeastern part of Bwindi. Gorilla groups available for tourism include; Kyaguiro, Bitukura, Mukiza and Oruzogo. Other activities to do after tracking gorillas in Ruhija sector include going for the Batwa cultural encounter, visiting local community projects and bird watching.
Nkuringo sector
Nkuringo is a region in the southeast of Bwindi. Located on a higher altitude, Nkuringo is the best sector for travelers looking for a more difficult trek. It has three (3) habituated gorilla families namely Nkuringo, Bushaho and Christmas. Bushaho gorilla family is found of often crossing from Nkuringo sector to Rushaga side. These two sectors are close to each other and visitors can stay at one sector and trek gorillas in the other. It is common that visitors stay in Rushaga and go trekking in Nkuringo because of the limited number of lodges in Nkuringo sector. Other things to do in Nkuringo include bird watching, hiking and scenic viewing and visiting the Batwa and Bakiga communities.
Gorilla trekking in all these trekking sectors starts early morning at the park offices in each region. A maximum of 8 visitors is allowed to track one gorilla family per day and only one hour is allocated to stay with the apes. The trek can last for 1 -3 hours or more depending on the location of the gorilla family.
While hiking through Bwindi, you have an opportunity to see other residents of the forest such as monkeys and birds. Chimpanzees and elephants are also present but rarely seen.
While on a gorilla safari to Bwindi Impenetrable national park, neighboring safari destinations can be visited too; Queen Elizabeth national park for a wildlife safari, Mgahinga national park for golden monkey tracking and volcano hiking and Lake Bunyonyi and Mutanda for canoe riding, scenic viewing and a delightful relaxation.
What to do at Bigodi wetland sanctuary
While on your visit to the Kibale national park in western Uganda, A visit to Bigodi wetland sanctuary is worthwhile with intriguing attractions and activities to enjoy.
Bigodi Wetland Community Walk (BICOWA)
Bigodi Wetland Community Walk: Our visit to Bigodi wetland most times comes in as one of our added interesting activities to chimpanzee tracking safaris in Kibale National Park. The Bigodi Wetland community walk takes us through the beautiful and rich Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary which is located just about 6 kilometers from Kibale National Park.
The protection of Bigodi wetland and the community tours started as a way to uplift the status and lifestyle of indigenous communities living in Bigodi village and the surroundings. It started in 2016 when four people trained with the Kibale Association for Rural Environmental Development found a loop and unauthenticated community visits. They authenticated the visits through the provision of employment to the people of Bigodi as hosts and community guides to improve livelihoods. This means that every Bigodi community visitor directly supports the local people and encourages them to continue protecting both the wetland sanctuary and Kibale National Park and the wildlife therein.
Things to do while on the Bigodi Wetland sanctuary
Bigodi swamp walk
A local guide takes you through Bigodi swamp to explore the beauty of its wildlife including birds, primates and flora. It is one of the best places to see birds and additional species of primates after your chimp tracking adventure in Kibale forest.
Local food preparation
It is an interesting experience to test Ugandan local foods but is more fun to engage in its preparation. You will see how it is harvested from the garden and the entire cooking process. See how grains and other foods are grinded and sieved rather than using a blender or machines. It is a whole organic way of preparing food here.
Kaikusa Hill hike
The hike to the top of Kaikusa hill gives a chance to meet some of the groups of women who are benefiting from Bigodi swamp to improve their livelihoods. Following guidelines of the group and conservation, they are allowed to access specific areas of the swamp and harvest materials for weaving baskets. The beautiful pieces they make are nice for souvenirs.
Visit an herbal/ traditional healer
Decades ago in Africa, people relied on herbal medicine for treatment of most diseases, infections and other incidents including malaria and snake bites among others. Today, there are few people who still understand the way to use plants to make herbal medicine. One of the few known people is a man in Bigodi who can be visited while on a Bigodi Wetland Community Walk.
More to this, you can enjoy a coffee tour or see how banana beer is locally made and also have a taste of it. At Muganzi safaris, we take you to Bigodi for the community walk and suggest more activities to our clients if you wish to explore other nearby destinations like Queen Elizabeth National Park and Semuliki National Park.
Suggested tour packages with Bigodi Wetland Community Walk
5 Days Kibale safari
Tour highlights
- Chimp tracking
- Coffee tour Bigodi swamp walk
- Hike to Kaikusa Hill
6 Days Kibale chimps and Community tour
Tour highlights
- Chimp tracking
- Coffee tour
- Bigodi community tour
- Crater exploration
7 Days Chimps, Bigodi and Queen Elizabeth safari
Tour highlights
- Wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth national park
- Kazinga channel boat cruise
- Bigodi wetland community walk
- Visit Sempaya hotsprings in Semuliki National Park
If you have inquiries or wish to book for a Uganda safari contact our travel experts
