Flying Safaris to Buhoma Region are getting very popular every other day! Flying is without doubt the best/fastest/quicker/easier way to get to Buhoma Region for your gorilla Safari. Driving to the Buhoma region can be annoyingly long – takes 9-10 hours from Entebbe.
Realm Africa Safaris™ a local gorilla tour operator based in Entebbe, Uganda specializes in organizing the most affordable, and memorable gorilla trekking Safaris in East Africa. Our gorilla trekking holidays can be organized as road trips or as Fly-in safaris. Of late, travelers are opting for fly-in safaris other than the traditional road trips. Flying Safaris to Buhoma Region
Why are Fly-in Safaris getting popular? Flying Safaris save travelers the long drives. For instance, Entebbe to Buhoma Region is approximately a 9-10 hours drive. But if you did opt to fly, Entebbe to Kihihi airport takes 1 hour 45 minutes. The road transfer from Kihihi to Buhoma is only 60 minutes.
Popular Flying Safaris to Buhoma Region (Northern Bwindi Imp. Forest NP) Flying Safaris to Buhoma Region
Things to Consider when Planning a Fly-in Safari to Buhoma Region
Among the most important things to consider when planning your fly-in gorilla safari to the Buhoma region are;
- Booking your Flights to Buhoma Region.
- Booking your gorilla trekking Permit.
- Booking your accommodation.
- Booking your road transfers to/from the airport, and also to the Gorilla trekking Location.
Booking your gorilla trekking Permit for Buhoma Region.
The first thing to consider when planning any gorilla trekking holiday is the Gorilla Permit. Flying Safaris to Buhoma Region
A gorilla permit/pass is an official document issued by a government (where gorillas can be found) allowing the bearer to legally track and see Gorillas henceforth the name ” Gorilla permit/Pass”.
In Uganda, a gorilla pass/permit is issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority – UWA after the applicant(s) meet the minimum requirements of being of age above 15 years (Read: Why is 15 the minimum age for gorilla trekking?), exhibiting good health without communicable diseases like flu & cough that can easily be passed onto the mountain gorillas and providing proof of having paid for the Permit.
Gorilla Permits in Uganda cost $700 per person to trek and spend 01-hour viewing, photographing, or filming a group of habituated mountain gorillas. ** Commercial gorilla filming & photography requires extra permits & permissions.
There are two (02) ways to reserve or book a gorilla tracking Permit in Uganda;
- You may opt to do it yourself by contacting either UWA via email.
- You may opt to ask us to book and arrange both the gorilla permits and the entire gorilla trekking trip for you.
Working with a local tour operator does save you the hassle of trying to figure out things.
Booking your gorilla Permit with Realm Africa Safaris™: First and foremost, anyone intending to take part in Gorilla Trekking Must be at least 15 years of age. Assuming you are of age, we will then need you to send us your proposed gorilla trekking dates. For instance, you may mention that you are interested in tracking gorillas on either 3rd or 4th December 2023 – we will then contact Uganda Wildlife Authority for them to advise on the availability of gorilla permits for the dates you proposed to us. We will then get back to you with a response from them regarding whether the permits are available or not. If not we, will request that you consider other dates.
Assuming there are permits available for the dates you requested, we will then request you to send us a scanned copy of your Passport (Bios page) and the money for the Gorilla Permits (See: Price Of Gorilla Permits in Uganda for 2022) We will right away send our permits reservation personnel to make the payments and also secure your gorilla trekking permit. After all, this is done, we will send you a scanned copy of your gorilla tracking permit.
Ensure your Passport meets the East African Passport Validity rule.
Booking your Flights to Buhoma Region.
Flights can make or break the effective planning of a fly-in Safari – you, therefore, need to ensure you pre-book and fully pay up for your flights
After your gorilla permit(s) are booked, fully paid and you have a Scanned copy from your local gorilla tour Operator, it’s now time to move fast and secure your flights to/from the Buhoma region. However, it is important for you to understand that there are no flights landing at buhoma but rather landing at Kihihi airport. Aerolink Uganda is the best company to consider when planning your flying Safari to Kihihi ( the best connection to Buhoma Region). They operate two (02) flights from Entebbe to Buhoma. The most popular flight out of Entebbe is the morning flight that departs Entebbe at 7:00 am and lands at Kihihi airport at 8:45 am.
The afternoon flight from Entebbe to Kihihi airport departs at 10:15 am and arrives at Kihihi at 11:25 am. No Matter the timings you choose, upon arrival at Kihihi you will need to take on a road transfer to get to Buhoma Region. This road transfer is through a distance of approximately 40km/25miles and might take about 60 minutes for you to get to your accommodation in Buhoma Region.
Booking your accommodation In the Buhoma Region.
The third thing to worry about when planning your Fly-in gorilla trekking holiday to Buhoma Region is where to stay. Buhoma Region offers quite a variety of accommodation options ranging from budget, mid-range to the high-end safari lodges & tented camps all located within close proximity of the Bwindi Forest National Park where the gorilla trekking takes place.
Some of our favorite places to stay in the Buhoma Region include;
- Gorilla Forest camp (Opulent High-end)
- Buhoma Lodge.
- Bwindi Lodge.
- Mahogany Springs.
- Engagi Lodge.
- Silverback Lodge.
- Ride for a Woman Guesthouse (Great Value charity)
Booking your road transfers to/from the airport, and also to the Gorilla trekking Location.
The final stage to planning a successful Flying Safari to Buhoma Region is to ensure you have the road transfers pre-booked and paid up. You’ll need to book a return road transfer, and also discuss with the driver/guide about him/her dropping and picking you up from the gorilla trekking location assigned to you on the actual day of your trek.
Learn more: Road transfer from Kihihi to Buhoma Region.
While all the above can be done directly with the service providers, we recommend that you work with a local tour operator to assist you through this bureaucratic planning. This is because, if you get one thing wrong, it does affect the smooth running of your entire trip. Local tour operators like Realm Africa Safaris™ only charge an affordable 10% service charge for getting all the hard work done for you.
Contact us now to start planning a hassle-free Flying Safari to Buhoma Region.
