Gorilla Trekking in Uganda : If you want to trek the gorillas in Africa, you have to choose from only three countries, which are Uganda, Rwanda and DRC. Uganda and Rwanda are homes to the black mountain gorillas while the DRC is home to the gray low land gorillas.
The mountain gorillas are among the endangered primate species with total population of just 800 gorillas in Africa. The reason to why you should Uganda over Rwanda for mountain gorilla trekking is because of the costs with Uganda being the cheapest pick than Rwanda. Uganda is therefore a top destination when it comes to trekking the mountain gorillas. Explore the Best of Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safaris with Explore Africa Safaris
When to go for gorilla trekking safari in Uganda?
Gorilla trekking is done on foot by hiking through mountains and hills to see the gorillas. This activity is challenging, hence need to be done during the dry months to make the hike easier. The dry months of Uganda are June to September and December. These months are usually crowded because trekking through the high and lows of mountains following the gorillas is easy since there is no mud. Keeping in mind that only 80 people are allowed to see the gorillas per day, booking in advance is very important when you are traveling in this period.
The January to February period receives relatively little rains compared to the March to April period. Fewer visitors reach Uganda for gorilla trekking, thus making the Uganda safari more affordable.
Destinations for gorilla trekking in Uganda
Uganda is home to two most sought destinations, where gorilla trekking is always done. These are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This is the most spectacular destination for gorilla trekking as compared to Mgahinga. The park is made up of dense forest hence dubbed as “impenetrable” by the locals. Bwindi is home to 11 habituated gorilla families, which can be trekked from four trail heads which are Nkuringo, Buhoma, Rushaga, and Ruhija, which differ in gorilla families and other features.
A group of eight people is allowed to see the gorillas and not above that. This ensure less disturbances to the gorillas and to increase the possibility of enjoying the sightings. Bwindi has an evergreen forest and wonderful landscape that you will enjoying viewing on your guided walk to the gorillas. The trek may begin as early as 7:30 a.m. in the morning or at 2:45 p.m. The trek takes no time to reach the gorillas because you will be led by Uganda Wildlife Authority guides who is in direct communication with the gorilla trackers.
The gorilla territory is in the southwestern hills with gentle slopes as well as the terraced volcanoes. You will hike through these slopes before you heard wanders of leaves, yes there they are.
Bwindi is situated in southwestern Uganda and borders Rwanda to the south and the DRC to the west. You can also combine your gorilla trekking safari with other activities in Bwindi National Park and the nearby destinations since most Ugandan parks are located in this region.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
After Bwindi, Mgahinga is another thrilling destination for gorilla trekking. It borders the Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda. Unlike Bwindi which has about 11 habituated gorilla families, Mgahinga has just one habituated gorilla family (the Nyakagazi group) whose members are five silverbacks, three young gorillas and two adult females.
Mgahinga gorilla trekking can be done best in the dry months, which are from June to September and December. Short rainy season is from January to February and is very affordable as it receives small number of visitors.
Mgahinga is not frequented by visitors like Bwindi. Therefore, for a more secluded gorilla trekking trip, you should choose Mgahinga over Bwindi National Park. In addition, several gorilla groups move from Rwanda to Mgahinga thus increasing the number of gorillas periodically.
Mgahinga has dazzling volcanoes which you can climb after your Uganda gorilla trekking safari. Most visitors like to combine the gorilla trekking experience from Bwindi with that of Mgahinga to create a memory.
Gorilla trekking permit
The gorilla trekking permits are cheaper in Uganda than in Rwanda. The gorilla trekking permit costs about $700 per person and is constant all year round. They cannot be discounted from one season to another as they used to be previously. You should note that the same charge applies to the two parks, Mgahinga and Bwindi.
Gorilla habituation permit
Gorilla habituation is a special program aimed at making gorilla human friendly so that they get used to humankind. This is done in Bwindi in the Rushaga Sector and its permit costs about $1500 per person if you want to watch the group.
Among the three countries which are the only remaining homes of the gorillas, Uganda is the best destination for trekking such rare primates. This is because of two reason: the first reason is because it is home to the uncommon mountain gorilla. Another reason is the cost of a gorilla trekking which is very small and affordable as compared to Rwanda. Therefore, for a rewarding gorilla trekking safari, choose Uganda and you won’t regret it.
