Description
The Albertine Gorilla Campsite is a comfortable budget safari lodge and is 10 meters away from Nkuringo where Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) offices are found. At Albertine Gorilla Campsite, accommodation is at its best and visitors are guaranteed of value for money. The Albertine Campsite is strategically set in the area where you can begin adventures in the Nkuringo region in the Southern end of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
The Albertine Gorilla Campsite has a range of amenities or facilities that make visitor stay memorable. The main amenities at Albertine Campsite include Wi-Fi, hot showers, flushing toilets, a restaurant for guests to get what to eat, cozy rooms, toiletries, and many more.
The restaurant has a professional chef and visitors are guaranteed of tasty food. Guests can find a range of fresh fruits usually served during breakfast and you can also have packed lunch. Packed lunch is offered to guests with plans to undertake long excursions in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Activities to Do
At the Albertine Gorilla Campsite, guests can engage in the number of safari activities. Some of the exciting things to expect to enjoy when having a night stay at the Albertine Campsite include gorilla trekking, birding, hiking, and community visit.
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is the leading primate adventure you should expect to engage in Bwindi when you have a night stay at the Albertine Gorilla Campsite. Due to its strategic location, visitors can connect to Nkuringo region to begin their trek to explore mountain gorillas. A normal gorilla trek takes about 2 to 6 hours which includes an hour for up close and personal encounter with a family of mountain gorillas.
In the Nkuringo sector, expect to track gorilla families like Nkuringo, Christmas, and Bushaho group. When you come across gorillas, a maximum of one hour will be enjoyed face-to-face with a family of these apes. Expect to learn more about the distinct behaviors of mountain gorillas, their feeding habits, and taking pictures.
Bird-watching
Birding tours opportunities are abundant and visitors get a chance to explore Bwindi’s diverse bird species which include the Albertine rift endemic species. A guided birding excursion comes with bird sightings such as the yellow-streaked greenbul, handsome francolin, Doherty bush shrike, black bee-eaters, red-throated alethe, Kivu ground thrush, brown-capped weavers, handsome francolin, grey cuckoo shrike, mountain oriole, red-faced woodland warblers, strange weaver birds, regal sunbird, and white-backed ducks.
Other birds in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest include Carruthers’s cisticola, Fraser’s eagle owl, Grauer’s warblers, Eastern mountain greenbul, cinnamon chested bee-eaters, black-billed turacos, bar-tailed trogon, dwarf honey guide, dusky crimson wing, Chapin’s flycatchers, red-chested fluff tail, Rwenzori nightjars, Rwenzori apalis, and purple-breasted sunbirds.
The Batwa cultural experience
The Batwa cultural experience is best done after you have trekked mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The guided cultural walk to the Batwa community lets visitors have an in-depth exploration about the Batwa and their ancient ways of life while in the forest. Expect to have inspirational stories told by the elderly Batwa people, the unique dances and music performances, as well as insight into the medicinal plants that the Batwa used to treat certain diseases.
Hiking
If you want a little bit of adventure then embarking on guided Nkuringo hike should be a must. The Nkuringo region features hiking trails like the Kashasha River trail which is 4-5 hours and connects Nkuringo to Buhoma. A hike through the Kashasha River trail involves crossing the Kashasha and Ivy Rivers.
The Ivy River trail –this trail takes a full day and links Buhoma and Nkuringo regions of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. As you navigate through this trail, expect to spot bush pigs, colorful butterflies, monkeys, and many bird species.
Additional trails to explore during the guided hiking expeditions in Mubwindi, Rushura hill, Muzabajiro, Bamboo, Munyaga waterfall, and others.
How to get to Albertine Gorilla Campsite
By Road:
Guests can depart from Entebbe or Kampala for Albertine Gorilla Campsite, about 8-9 hours’ drive. Access to the Albertine Campsite by road is perfectly done using a 4×4 safari vehicle. Visitors can also depart from Kigali via Katuna/Chanika border and connect up to this campsite. Using air travel, you can take about 2 hours from the Entebbe International Airport to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip.
