Picking the right Lodge for your Gorilla Trek – Bwindi Forest
The Gorilla Group you are tracking determines where you are staying in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Picking the right Lodge for your Gorilla Trek – Bwindi Forest. Don’t make the mistake picking a lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and then the Gorilla 
Group you are tracking is hours from the lodge you are staying at. It is a mistake that is often made by visitors and tourists who attempt to save money and book their own lodging, not realizing that there is no difference in price between booking yourself and a Tour Operator, but often they are booked and locked into the wrong location meaning hours of early morning travel instead of a short drive.
There are 4-Gorilla Trekking Starting points – in some cases, they are hours from each other making it impractical to stay at a lodge, however, your Gorilla Permits are for a group, hours from your lodge.
The mistake many visitors make is picking lodging in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest before they have the gorilla 
permits for a Gorilla Family Group in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Even as you explore various itineraries that include Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest you will see that many of those itineraries will show Buhoma Lodges and the Buhoma area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest has the most lodging choices but the reality is that there are only 3 gorilla groups that are habituated in the area for gorilla tracking in the area.
What most visitors, tourists, those researching a gorilla trek often do not realize is that there are four gorilla tracking starting points in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. There are habituated Gorilla Groups spread out through the forest that are accessed from those four starting points.
You could book a lodge in Buhoma and then have permits with the Nkuringo Gorilla Groups and spend half of the night getting to Nkuringo for the start of the Gorilla Trek the next morning. The good news is that if you use a reputable Safari Tour Operator in Uganda they will not let you make that mistake but tell you as to which lodge to use and get a good night’s rest instead of being on the road at the most ungodly hour of the night and early morning.
Below we have listed the different starting points – the Gorilla Groups tracked from there and lodges you could stay at – hopefully this is helpful in Picking the right Lodge for your Gorilla Trek – Bwindi Forest.
Buhoma Area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Habinyanja Group, Rushegura Group, Mubare Group
The above 3 Gorilla families are tracked out of Buhoma and you can stay at any Buhoma Lodge to track them. Lodges such as Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Buhoma Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Engagi Lodge, Buhoma Community Rest Camp and others.
Note: If you do not mind driving one hour before the Gorilla Trek and one hour afterward you can stay at accommodations in Buhoma and drive back and forth.
Ruhija Area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Oruzogo Group, Bitukura Group
The above two gorilla groups are tracked from the Ruhija entrance of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. You can stay at various lodges in the Ruhija area of the park. Lodges such Cuckooland Gorilla Safari Lodge, Bakiga Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge – some do not mind the hour drive from Buhoma to Ruhija and prefer to stay there due to lodging in some cases, activities in other cases.
Rushaga Area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Mishaya Group, Nshongi Group, Kahungye Group, Bweza Group, Busingye Group
All five of these groups can be tracked while staying in the Rushaga area at the Gorilla Safari Lodge or the budget, rustic Nshongi Camp. You can also stay in the Nkuringo area and drive to the Rushaga area in the morning. Recently 2 more groups that are splinter groups from existing groups, the Bweza and Busingye Group opened for gorilla tracking in the Rushaga area – this is unique since most lodges are in the Buhoma area and Rushaga has more limited lodging but now has 5 habituated gorilla groups. The Gorilla Habituation Experience also takes place in the Rushaga area of the park.
Nkuringo Area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Nkuringo Group
The above group can be tracked while staying in the Nkuringo area in lodges such as Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge and Nkuringo Gorilla Camp – you can also stay in the Rushaga area and drive to Nkuringo in the morning.
Picking the right Lodge for your Gorilla Trek – Bwindi Forest – The Solution:
We know Uganda, We know every lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and we know the drive – time or walking time from a lodge to the starting point of your Gorilla Trek.
Gorilla Trekking Safaris are what we do in Uganda and Rwanda and we can put together, the right, flawless itinerary with you in mind.
In some cases, it pays to have some extra drive time to the trek due to the scenic location of a lodge along Lake Mutanda where what you can do along the lake outweighs the morning drive of 45 minutes.
Safaris are what we do – Gorilla Safaris we specialize in.
Need more help in Picking the right Lodge for your Gorilla Trek – Bwindi Forest – Contact us
