Uganda, DR. Congo and Rwanda in Africa are the best destinations and only three countries where you will find the last mountain gorillas in the wild. When planning your gorilla safari in Africa, you need to first know which country that can fit your budget. You need to know the costs that are standard, costs that cannot be negotiated but standard. This will help you to plan your best budget tour based on facts.
Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
In Uganda mountain gorillas are found in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. In these areas tracking takes place at 5 locations; Buhoma Ruhija, Rushaga, Nkuringo in Bwindi and Ntebeko in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. All locations combined give a total of over 18 gorilla groups, however the permit number are limited because only 8 people are allowed to visit a gorilla family per day for only one hour.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is undoubtedly the best point in the entire world to enjoy the ultimate gorilla experience. Bwindi Impenetrable is a World Heritage Site located south- western Uganda, a sanctuary for chimpanzees, bird species, and butterfly species but most famous for its mountain gorilla population, more than half of the world’s gorillas permanently live here.
Uganda’s dense forests are home to over half of the world’s 1004 or so mountain gorillas as of May 2018, the rest live in the neighboring Rwanda and the Democratic Republic if the Congo. As they do not survive in captivity, preservation of these fragile habitats is essential for their survival.
Accessibility to the Park
By road; Bwindi impenetrable National Park can be reached from Queen Elizabeth National Park to the north (2-3 hours), from Kabale to the south (1-2 hours), or from Kampala via Mbarara (6-8 hours). The roads meet at Butogota, 17km from the Buhoma entrance gate. A 4WD vehicle is necessary during the rainy season.
By Air; Guests can fly from Entebbe or Kampala (Kajjansi airfield) to the modern tarmac airstrip at Kisoro. Planes can also be chartered to the grass Kayonza or Savannah airstrips. Bwindi is well served by three airfields at Kayonza and Kihihi for the northern sector and Nyakabande in Kisoro for those going to track gorillas in the southern sector (Nkuringo, Nshongi and Mishaya).
Sectors for tracking mountain gorillas
There are 4 locations for trekking gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and these are Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo. The 4 locations have a total of about 18 families as of December 2018. Tracking permits need to be bought prior to tracking by booking directly with the reservations office at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Headquarters or through a reputable tour agent. Permits can be paid for up to two years in advance.
Number of people to track and how old
According to the number of people allowed trekking the gorillas, only 8 visitors are allowed to view the gorillas for one hour per day, participants must be aged 15 or over. And they will be accompanied by trained armed guides while with the gorillas.
The Gorilla Experience
Tracking commences every morning from the park headquarters at 8:00am. Your guide will then lead you along generally clear paths up into the forest, in radio communication with the trackers that stay with the group so that they can be located. The mountain gorillas cover large distances throughout the day and they rarely do stay in one area. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorilla’s habits and information from the previous day to locate the group’s whereabouts.
Climate
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is chilly in the morning and at night with average temperatures ranging from 77⁰C – 20⁰C. The coldest period in Bwindi is June and July, while wet seasons are March- May and September-November with total annual rainfall of up to 2390mm. Rains in March-May are short. They are heavier in September-November but can just be long hours of soft drizzle.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Covering an area of about 33.7 sq. kilometres, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located in the south-western park of Uganda bordering Congo and Rwanda. The Park is a habitat for man’s closest mountain gorillas which roam about the whole forest in search for food.
This Park is one of the few places in the world where the endangered mountain gorillas live and it attracts people from different countries to come to Uganda for gorilla safari tours.
Accessibility to the park
By road; Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can be accessed by use of a car from Kampala via Kabale to Kisoro. This journey takes about 8 hours.
By air; one can board a plane from Entebbe to Kisoro Airstrip which is near the park. This is the quickest mode of access and it takes about 1 hour. There are daily scheduled flights which must be booked long in advance with your local Uganda safari operator.
On a daily basis, the moment you visit the park, the welcoming atmosphere is an evidence of adventure filled of natural beauty. A day’ trek through the forests of Mgahinga with a well-trained guide explains the gorillas’ behaviors along the way is a lifetime experience.
Usually, gorilla trekking tour starts from Ntebeko entrance gate around 8:00am in the morning daily taking 2-4 hours. A visitor is expected to budget for his/her time well while with a gorilla family since the maximum time allowed to spend with them is one hour.
Gorilla Permit Price
You need to know the cost of a gorilla permit before booking your safari trip. A gorilla permit in Uganda costs US$800 USD per person, while Gorilla Habituation Experience costs US$1500 USD per person spending 01 and 4 hours with gorillas respectively.
Other places that provide an opportunity for gorilla trekking are Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda as well as Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo. So, before you decide to book a gorilla tour in Uganda, you need to convince yourself that you have made the right decision on where to trek these gorillas.
