Description
Ruhondeza Lodge is a comfortable mid-range accommodation property worth considering for an overnight stay on a gorilla tour in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Ruhondeza offers budget-friendly accommodation services and comes with multiple amenities to make your stay comfortable and memorable.
Location
Ruhondeza Lodge is situated in the Buhoma sector –the Northern gorilla trekking region in Bwindi National Park. This mid-range accommodation choice features exclusive bandas with each guaranteeing guests spectacular views of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Ruhondeza is set in Buhoma village and is an ecologically friendly accommodation option. This lodge is set just close to the Buhoma gate of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It derives its name from the Ruhondeza silverback gorilla, also the leader of the Mubare gorilla group family.
Accommodation categories at Ruhondeza Lodge
The available cottages and suits at Ruhondeza Lodge and Campsite include Kanyonyi, Kisho, and Kawara cottages.
Kisho Cottage:
Kisho Cottage is a twin-room accommodation option with 2 beds. At Kisho Cottage, there are multiple amenities to expect including parking, bottled water, a balcony, Wi-Fi, a Tissue box, a water shower, a restaurant, and more.
Kanyonyi Cottage
Kanyonyi cottage is a double cottage and features amenities including a toilet, Wi-Fi, parking space, tissue box, bath towel & slippers, balcony, water shower, camping ground, massage services, gift shops, and bottled drinking water.
Kawara Cottage
Set in a lush area with spectacular views of the nearby vegetation. The key amenities at Kawara include a restaurant, bottled drinking water, parking, balcony, toilet, tissue box, Wi-Fi, shower, towels, slippers, and others.
Ruhondeza Lodge features scenic vegetation and is an ideal eco-friendly accommodation. The lodge is set directly overviewing the spectacular Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Southwestern Uganda. On a lucky day, visitors can have a chance to see gorillas as they freely roam around.
The bandas at Ruhondeza come with en suite amenities. The bandas are fitted with twin beds. Ruhondeza also offers classic camping experiences in its finest campsite where you can view the forest and mountains in the surroundings.
Safari Activities to do in and around Ruhondeza Lodge
Due to the strategic location of Ruhondeza Lodge and campsite, visitors have multiple safari activities to engage in Bwindi and surrounding areas. Top activities to enjoy when you have an overnight stay at Ruhondeza Lodge & Campsite include mountain gorilla tracking/trekking, birding, nature walks, community visits, and others.
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is one of the key primate adventures you should expect to engage in when you have an overnight stay in Ruhondeza Lodge. The nearest sector to visit for gorilla trekking from Ruhondeza is Buhoma. In the Buhoma sector, the gorilla families present for exploration include the Habinyanja group, the Rushegura gorilla family, the Mubare family, and the Katwe gorilla group.
A gorilla trek in the Buhoma region can run for 2-6 hours with visitors guaranteed 1 hour to enjoy up close and personal encounter with a group of mountain gorillas. The one hour with a family of mountain gorillas involves observing how these apes behave, their feeding habits, body gestures, taking photos, etc. During the gorilla trekking adventure, visitors are led by an experienced park ranger guide.
Birding
In case you are an enthusiastic birder, then don’t miss a birding excursion in the Buhoma sector when you have an overnight stay at the Ruhondeza Lodge. A guided bird-watching tour in Buhoma or any sector in Bwindi is best done with the lead of an experienced guide. The birds to expect to be spotted during the Buhoma birding expedition include Kivu ground thrush, regal sunbirds, black bee-eaters, blue-headed sunbirds, red-headed bluebill, short-tailed warblers, and bar-tailed trogon.
Additional birds include yellow-fronted canary, white-throated greenbul, African blue flycatchers, grey-crowned cranes, Ameson’s ant pecker, pink-footed puff back, barred long-tailed cuckoos, yellow-rumped tinker bird, Great blue turacos, Waller’s starling, and white-headed saw-wing.
Nature walks/hiking experiences.
Nature walks or hiking excursions through the Buhoma sector perfectly introduce nature enthusiasts to the different trails. Each of the nature walking trails has something special for visitors to experience or encounter including birds, flora, and some mammals. Visitors can opt for short or long hiking trails.
The key nature walking trails in the Buhoma sector include the Ivy River trail, Munyaga River, waterfall, Muzubijiro loop, and Rushura Hill trail.
Community visits
An addition of cultural/community visits, especially the Batwa cultural experience allows you to interact with the Batwa pygmies. The Batwa community visit enables you to have a deep understanding of the Batwa pygmies’ traditions, cultures, and practices.
Brief about Bwindi National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is found in Southwestern Uganda and is accessible within 8-9 hours’ drive starting from the heart of Kampala Capital. The 331 sq. km Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was gazetted in 1991 and presently, it protects a total of 220 species of mammals, 350 species of bird species, and multiple colorful butterflies. Bwindi features 4 major regions where tourists begin their adventures including Nkuringo, Buhoma, Ruhija, and Rushaga.
The 4 major sectors of Bwindi hold habituated gorilla families for visitors to explore. About 24 gorilla groups live in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest alone. Even if you are having an overnight stay at Ruhondeza Lodge, it is possible to connect to Buhoma to track one of the gorilla families. But to be permitted to visit mountain gorillas, you should have a valid gorilla permit and each permit is open for reservation at USD 800 per visitor for all foreign nonresidents. The foreign residents on the Uganda gorilla tour pay USD 700, then East African citizens including Ugandans are charged UGX 300,000 per person.