Where to do Gorilla Trekking Safari tours in Uganda or Rwanda

Where should I go for Gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda, who can book a gorilla permits for me, and what is the best time to do gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda are the highly asked questions by most visitors.

Gorilla trekking generally starts with briefing early in the morning and later you are allocated a family to trek. During the briefing exercise, you get to know how you must behave while with the gorilla, how they might behave when they see you, other animals you might encounter during gorilla trekking, the time to take with the gorillas to mention but a few. Both Rwanda and Uganda have this same procedure.

You must know that gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda must take 3 days to enjoy the trip more. Although gorilla trekking has a provision for fly-in gorilla trekking experience, you cannot guarantee that you can fly the same day of trekking because of the weather conditions that keep changing each day. You must

overnight in the park where you are to do the gorilla trek and then overnight because the time of returning after gorilla tracking differs from 2 hours to over 8 hours

The price of the gorilla trekking permit is key factor to consider while choosing where to do your gorilla safari. In Uganda, a gorilla trekking permit is at $ 600 compared to Rwanda where the permit costs $ 750. This difference in cost also affected the total quotation for the entire safari but you may save some money on the amount of fuel to use driving from Kigali to Volcanoes National park since the way is not as fur as going to Bwindi forest where you take 9 to 10 hours on the bumpy road.

The best time to trek gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda depends on your preferred time for holiday because gorilla trekking is throughout the year. Gorilla tracking in April, May and November in Uganda offers you the chance of using discounted gorilla trekking permits costing $ 350. In Rwanda and Uganda, during this green season, you get discounted rates on the accommodations than other season when prices are very competitive.

Who to book gorilla trekking permits for you depends on what kind of safari you wish to do. Gorilla permits in Uganda are sold at Uganda Wildlife Authority and in Rwanda at ORTPN. You can individually book a gorilla trekking permit but this depends on how quick your money gets to the Uganda wildlife Authority account to confirm.  Through a Uganda Tour operator, you may also get to book gorilla tracking permit in time and you donot miss out because only 8 gorilla trekking permits are released per family per day.

4 days Gorilla Trekking Safari

4 day gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi forest National Park Uganda includes a night with the chimpanzees on Ngamba Island where orphaned and abandoned chimpanzees are reserved and rehabilitated. After seeing other primates in Bwindi forest, you may have to the chance of seeing chimpanzees.

Day 1: Drive to Bwindi Forest National Park

You driver guide will pick you from your overnight hotel and take you to Bwindi forest National Park. The drive is quite long but very scenic where you have the chance of seeing the undulating hills of Kigezi and Kisoro, arrive in the evening redy for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: GorillaTrekking in Bwindi Forest

This is the gorilla trekking day where you will have the chance of meeting the gorillas in there natural environment. Gorilla tracking requires you to have carried your lunch because the return time is not known. Move to the ranger station for briefing and hire a porter to give you extra support in case you are tires. You may have the chance of seeing animals like olive baboons, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey checked mangabey and so much more. When you get to find the gorillas, you will have just an hour with them. And return to the lodge.

 Day 3: Drive to Entebbe and Sail To Ngamba Island

After gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi Forest, drive back to Entebbe to catch up with your overnight on Ngamba Island. This is home to the surviving chimpanzees of the jungle harassment. These chimpanzees survive by the regular visit that clients give them. You may also overnight in Entebbe and rise up for an excursion to Ngamba Island.

 Day 4: Drive to Entebbe Airport

Early in the morning, you will head to the feeding area to participate in the feeding of the chimpanzees. Watch them as they struggle for food and the weak are left without food. Return to the land and catch up with your flight back home.

Uganda Gorilla Trekking tips

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is still Uganda’s the best safari that you ought not to leave without attending. Gorillas live in Bwindi forest National Park close to the border of Uganda and Rwanda. 10 gorilla trekking families are open for gorilla trekking in Uganda and you must book gorilla trekking permits in time to be part of the lucky 8 of the day. In 2015, you ought to follow the below tips to succeed 

Book a gorilla trekking permit

Upon confirming your gorilla trekking tour, you need to book your gorilla trekking permit. This is because, they are on a very high demand with and each day only 8 gorilla tracking permits are released for trekking per gorilla tracking family. Gorilla trekking permits are at a very high demand to the extent that those wishing to see the gorillas book at least 6 months in advance of travel. This also gives you ample time to shop the rightful gorilla tracking gears to pack for your safari.

Exercise for fitness

Gorilla trekking involves hiking some steep slopes and getting down the valleys to find the gorillas so you need some fitness to maneuver. This however should not worry you a lot because you can also book a porter to carry your baggage and give you a push while you trek to see the gorillas. For the handicapped, there are sedan chairs that you may hire for your gorilla trekking experience.

Pack your gorilla trekking gears

Get your suitcase ready for your gorilla tracking tour by packing items like trekking boots, trousers, warm clothes, garden gloves, hut, camera, insect repellant and so much more. You need to make your urgent preparations to save yourself from last minute panic.

Apply for a visa before travelling for gorilla trekking

Applying for a visa to Uganda before gorilla trekking is a great decision that saves you the time of applying for one upon arrival. This also saves you the trouble of waiting at immigration at Entebbe Airport. In case you are transiting straight to Bwindi forest on the same day, you may not delay your journey because this takes between 9 to 10 hours on a bumpy road that provides a true African massage.

Book accommodation for nights on a gorilla tracking safari

Accommodation is one of the key items that must be reserved upon confirming gorilla permits. Gorilla trekking permits are booked according to areas so you must book accommodation in the right area. Buhoma gorilla trekking area and Ruhija gorilla tracking area can share accommodation but you must remember that about an hour is taken to get from one top another. Nkuringo gorilla trekking area and Rushaga gorilla tracking area can also share accommodations but be careful to note the difference in time.

3 Must Activities On a Uganda Safari Tour

Gorilla Trekking Safari

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is key activity on a Uganda safari tour that you must not leave without visiting. Gorilla tracking starts with booking a gorilla trekking permit but this must be done as early as possible because only 8 gorilla permits are released per day per gorilla tracking group. Bwindi forest National Park is the largest home of mountain gorillas in Uganda and 10 gorilla tracking families are open for tracking. Gorilla permits can be booked from Uganda Wildlife Authority either directly or through a Uganda safari operator.

Gorilla trekking starts very early with briefing at the ranger station where you are told how to behave while with the gorillas, how to behave, how long to take while in there presence. You are given a ranger guide who takes you through the formalities of gorilla trekking starting from where the gorillas were last seen the previous evening. Gorilla trekking is done only once in the day and in case you miss out on briefing, are not allowed to join other trackers.

Game drives on a Uganda safari.

Uganda is endowed with a number of games like lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, water bucks, giraffes and so many others that live freely in the national Parks. Murchison Falls National park and Queen Elizabeth National park are endowed with a number of animals that you may spot during your game drives. In case you requested for a lunch cruise, Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks have this provision. In Murchison Falls, a launch cruise takes you to the thundering falls where the Nile squeezes through the narrow gorge to plunge down the 44meters high cliff. On the way, you get to see schools of hippos, crocodiles, elephant families and so much more. A launch cruise in queen Elizabeth National Park gives you a chance to sail on the Kazinga channel which is the link between Lake George and Lake Edward. A number of animals like elephants, buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles, birds both local and international can be spotted.

Chimpanzee tracking

Chimpanzees are known for being the closest cousin of humans in the animals kingdom. In Uganda, they live in Kibale National park, Kyambura gorge and Kaniyo Pabidi. Trekking chimpanzees requires that you book a chimpanzee tracking permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or a Uganda safari operator. A number of other primates like olive baboons, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey checked mangabey, can be seen on the way. This activity starts early in the morning with briefing and later you proceed into the forest. It has an evening session where you have to search for the chimpanzees following there path.

Why Gorilla tracking In Bwindi Forest Is hilarious safari

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi forest is not only a fitness testing hike but also a fun stimulating move. During other Uganda safari activities, you may rise up at any time and still participate but Gorilla trekking involves rising up very early to take your breakfast, carry packed lunch and special gorilla trekking gears like garden gloves, wear trekking boots, long sleeved shirt and trouser, insect repellants, hire a porter who will give you a push when stuck and so much more.

While you wait at the briefing station for briefing, you get to mingle with trekkers who booked different gorilla tracking safaris like luxury, midrange or budget. You are all briefed at the same point, only 8 of you are allocated gorilla trekking families to trek and start trekking gorillas at the same time.

Gorilla trekking require prior exercising to keep fit because as for Uganda, Bwindi forest where the mountain gorillas live is hillier and so at times the gorillas are found either at the bottom or up the hills which requires some energy.

On the way, you follow your ranger guide who will tell you more about the gorilla trekking activities point out more interesting animals, trees, birds and others that you may not have noticed. Carry on but in case you wish to ease yourself, you ask the ranger guide to dig a hole were you bury your waste.

Olive Baboons, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey tailed mangabey, are some of the interesting primates that you meet. As for birders, this is like a birders’ haven since Bwindi forest is home to almost half of Africa’s endemic birds. It’s a double opportunity. The gorillas are very canning animal, they usually send a spy to watch out for any intruders who want to disturb the group. You are highly requested to be very keen when walking. You get to hear them grumble at each other before seeing them

When you finally spot them, wait for the ranger guide to tell you to take photos after analyzing there behavior. This is because gorillas although known for being serene, they also get agitated by the conditions in the forest like if attacked by unhabituated family, they become very aggressive. Stand at a distance of about 7 meters from them and take there photographs, watch them as they play and mothers taking care of the little ones as the silverback watches on. You are allowed to stay with the mountain gorillas for just an hour and return to your lodge to rest.