Nkuringo Region is located in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park and is arguably the best place to go on a private gorilla trekking Holiday with fewer crowds. Nkuringo region has four (04) gorilla Families; Nkuringo, Bishaho, Christmas, and Posho – still undergoing habituation. Getting to Nkuringo from Entebbe
While the terrain in the Nkuringo region is steep and can be challenging to hike during a gorilla trek, the treks in this region are more private will fewer people trekking compared to the other sectors; Buhoma (overly crowded), Rushaga, and Ruhija.
Nkuringo Region boasts of some of the best lodging options with even a varied list for the budget traveller. The most popular upmarket options of accommodations in the Nkuringo region include; clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (our favourite & most affordable option), and the newly opened Gorilla heights Lodge. Backpackers, students or travellers on a tight budget can stay at Bwindi Backpackers Lodge located only 20 – 30 minutes drive to get to the UWA gorilla briefing point.
Getting to Nkuringo from Entebbe
There are two (02) ways of getting to the Nkuringo region from Entebbe; You may fly with Aerolink or fly Uganda to Kisoro airport and drive 1hr30minutes to get to your lodge. Alternatively, you could brave the long 9 -10 hour drive from Entebbe to Nkuringo Region. Let’s now explain the nitty-gritty involved in either one of the above ways of getting to Nkuringo from Entebbe.
-
Fly from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airfield (1hr30mns)
There are two (02) companies; Aerolink Uganda and Fly Uganda – operating domestic scheduled and chartered flights to Kisoro airport where your tour operator (Realm Africa Safaris™) will arrange a local guide to meet, greet and assist you with your luggage. Thereafter you and your guide will embark on a scenic drive meandering through the hills and crop fields to get to the Nkuringo region a journey that should take you about 1hr30minutes to cover. You will arrive at your accommodation, check-in and have lunch. You have the rest of the afternoon at leisure as you prepare for gorilla trekking the next morning.
Caution: Given that gorilla trekking can be a challenging activity, we recommend not getting so involved in very rigorous activities the day before your trek but rather focus on sparing yourself for the trek – we know the gorilla permit cost quite a bit and you, therefore, wouldn’t want to waste this by failing to make it to the gorillas because you unwisely run down your energies in some community trek. Please take our advice!
Fly-in Gorilla trekking Safaris to Nkuringo Region(Bwindi)
-
Drive from Entebbe to get to Nkuringo Region (9 – 10 hours on the road)
The journey from Entebbe to the Nkuringo region (Bwindi) is long. It takes 9 -10 hours and honestly could take longer with traffic. While other tour operators might convince you that it’s the best way to get to see the country, we ate Realm Africa Safaris™ it’s a long drive that might actually impact your overall enjoyment of your gorilla trekking holiday especially if you have a limited number of days to do a gorilla safari. Otherwise, if you have time, we would most definitely recommend breaking this long drive with a couple of days spent exploring the attractions en route. Some fantastic places to stop en-route include; Lake Mburo National Park ( 02 nights), Queen Elizabeth National Park (02 nights) or you could opt to Fly into Kigali and drive to Nkuringo in just only 5-hours.
Learn more about Getting to Nkuringo Region from Kigali.
