Reasons why you should trek Gorillas in Uganda: A layer of exotic experience that is difficult to equal in any safari in the globe is added by gorilla trekking, which takes place in a few large East and Central African jungle locales. Seeing a family of mountain gorillas unwinding in their lush jungle home is an incredible privilege and a memory you will carry with you forever. Because gorillas are a threatened species and trekking them is extremely restricted for tourists, seeing wild mountain gorillas is a once-in-a-lifetime safari experience.
Only three countries worldwide provide gorilla trekking experiences: Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These three countries are located in the most extreme environments, which are in the protected areas of small border reserves in central-eastern Africa, including the Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, and the Mgahinga and Bwindi impenetrable national parks in the southwest of Uganda.
The experience of seeing mountain gorillas is the same in all three nations. Mountain gorillas weigh between 136 and 220 kg and are between 4 and 6 feet tall. There are roughly 1,000 mountain gorillas, one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla, living in the bamboo forest and montane jungles of the volcanic mountain slopes of Central and East Africa at elevations of more than 2,200–4,300 meters above sea level. Uganda offers more advantages for gorilla trekking than the other two countries, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for tourists planning a trip to any of the three countries.
The number of mountain gorillas worldwide has increased to 1,063, with half of that number living in Uganda and the other half shared between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mountain gorilla trekking is conducted in Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Additionally situated on the Virunga Mountain ranges, Mgahinga National Park shares borders with the Virunga National Park in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Northwestern Rwanda. The Nyakagezi family, which consists of roughly 7–14 individuals for tourists to track, is the only gorilla family in Mgahinga National Park that is open for trekking.
Because they are all on the same Virunga Mountains, gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park offers visitors an experience that is very similar to that of trekking in Volcanoes National Park or Virunga National Park.
Despite the fact that this gorilla family is fascinating to see, fewer visitors get to see the Nyakagezi family because there is only one family and they are very mobile, which makes most tourists afraid of missing them. However, for the past two years, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has been able to closely monitor them, making them stable so they no longer cross into Rwanda or Congo.
However, the most habituated gorilla populations may be found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is actually the greatest place to do gorilla trekking out of the three locations. Given the location and population of the mountain gorillas, the gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has been split into four sectors, each of which contains more than four gorilla trekking groups.
These sectors include the nearby Kanungu district’s Buhoma and Ruhija sectors, as well as the nearby Kisoro district’s Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors. There are roughly 16 habituated gorilla families in each of the four sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Each gorilla family includes between 10 and 40 members of varied ages, with the oldest, the silverback, serving as the family’s head.
Because there are 17 separate families, including the one in Mgahinga National Park, each with a large number of members available to tourists each day, Uganda offers more opportunities for gorilla trekking than Rwanda and Congo due to the lack of traffic. In Uganda, gorilla trekking is also an exciting experience, particularly in the deep Bwindi forest.
The gorillas in their wide are accessible to at least eight people each day, and you may spend an hour with them while they play and eat—what a unique experience! It is recommended that you book your gorilla permits five months before your visit, as only a little over 100 tourists have the chance to go on a real trip to look for these mountain gorillas every day, especially during the busiest times of the year.
In contrast to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda provides tourists with gorilla habituation experiences in addition to gorilla trekking. Since the gorilla habituation experience only occurs in the Bwindi forest, visitors can also select it as one of the experiences offered by the impenetrable national park. The technique of training wild gorillas to become accustomed to humans when they visit them is known as “gorilla habituation.”
The gorilla habituation technique helps to acquaint wild gorillas with humans because they are typically timid and dangerous when agitated. The Uganda Wildlife Authority’s wildlife research program handles this procedure. For the duration of the gorilla habituation experience, only four visitors are permitted to accompany the researchers, who move with the animals from the time they get up until late at night when they return to their nests.
Additionally, they get to spend four hours with the semi-habituated gorillas. In addition to helping the gorillas become accustomed to human presence, this experience aims to observe how they behave, such as how they look out for and defend one another within their families. Since only Uganda offers this experience, Uganda stands apart from other travel destinations like Rwanda and Congo.
Although gorilla trekking is the same and provides a similar level of enjoyment in Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda, Uganda is a better gorilla trekking destination in terms of gorilla permit sales and accessibility. In contrast to Rwanda, which charges $1500 per person for gorilla permits for all nationalities, including Rwandan citizens, and Congo, which offers its gorilla trekking experience in packages, where the gorilla permit alone costs US$400 per person, Uganda offers gorilla permits for only US$800 per person for foreign non-residents, US$700 for foreign residents, and UGX 300,000 for East African citizens.
Even in the aftermath of the new global pandemic of the COVID-19 virus, Uganda remains one of the safest and most secure countries in Africa with favorable travel restrictions. Visitors must have a current Covid-19 test within 72 hours of their place of origin in order to enter Uganda; they are not subject to quarantine until they are determined to be infected, but they must also take a test for their next destination before departing Uganda.
Every year, a variety of people visit Uganda for a variety of purposes, including business and pleasure, and at the conclusion of their stay, they value the level of safety they experienced there. Additionally, Ugandans are thought to be the most hospitable and friendly people in their nation. As long as you are hosted by a specific tour company or friends and family, they will always assist guests in any way they can, and the children will always be happy to wave as you pass them.
In contrast to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced numerous threats and insecurity in the Virunga region, such as Ebola outbreaks and rebel attacks, which have reduced the amount of tourists traveling there for gorilla trekking.
Despite Uganda’s proximity to the Congo, these cases are uncommon there; when they are, they are handled expertly, and life in Uganda continues as usual. One of the most important things to think about while traveling abroad, particularly for tourism, is safety. Uganda is the ideal destination for both gorilla trekking and general tourist.
Seeing the mountain gorillas up close is an incredible experience, even though gorilla trekking in the jungle is enjoyable. This phenomenon is frequently observed in Uganda’s impenetrable national park, Bwindi. Since they have become accustomed to being around people, these mountain gorillas are more approachable to tourists.
Some of them frequently wander around the park, feeding from the bushes, particularly those on the eastern side of the Bwindi forest. Some of them even approach the park’s lodgings, giving you a close-up look at the primates while they are not in their natural habitat—the jungle. Despite this incredible up-close experience, visitors are always encouraged to remain composed and at ease when a gorilla approaches them, and above all, to heed the guidance given by your ranger guides.
Even though it takes roughly eight to nine hours to drive from Entebbe International Airport and Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, to both Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park—despite the fact that the drive is thrilling and adventurous, with views of the Uganda Equator and breathtaking scenery—there are other convenient ways to get to the park.
Aerolink Uganda Limited and Fly Uganda offer more affordable daily scheduled flights from Entebbe airport and Kajjasi airstrip to Bwindi impenetrable national park and Kisoro airstrip. Since these flights are typically connecting and only a daily one can be classified as either morning or afternoon, they take roughly two hours.
Additionally, travelers can go through Rwanda’s Kigali metropolis to reach Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You may drive from Kigali airport to the Bwindi Forest in the southwest of Uganda after flying in from Rwanda.
From there, you can cross the Katuna or Cyanika borders and have a great day. It just takes three to four hours to travel to the southern regions of Mgahinga and Bwindi national parks. After the trip, you may return to Kigali and take a plane.
At East Africa Gorilla Safaris, under All In Africa Safaris, we specialize in unforgettable gorilla trekking experiences and diverse wildlife safaris.
Our expertly guided tours provide intimate encounters with gorillas and rich African wildlife, ensuring an unparalleled adventure in the heart of East Africa.
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