How To Evoke a Deep Connection With Mountain Gorillas

Gorilla Trekking starts as early as about 8 am In Uganda Or Rwanda. You begin the day with briefing from a professional ranger guide who will tell you about the rules of the jungle. Missing out on this briefing may cost you this memorable adventure with the mountain gorillas therefore punctuality is very paramount.
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How To Book Gorilla Trekking Safari

Gorilla trekking per gorilla tracking family is for only 8 tourists as these gentle eyed apes are habituated to be in the presence of just that number. So together with other comrades, you start the journey into the thick montane rain forest. The ranger guide will follow the pace of the slowest trekker so that no one is lost in the jungle.

What To See In The Jungle While Trekking To find the mountain Gorillas

As you keep following the crisscrossed animal trails created by the usual trekkers, you may soon be bumped at by the enchanting olive baboons. As if giving you a welcome into the jungle, they may perform some mesmerizing acrobatics.

Other monkey types like black and white colobus, blue monkeys, ververt monkeys, grey cheecked mangabey cannot leave you bored as they will keep juggling and squealing to attract your attention.

Bwindi Forest is haven to the unique albertine endemics of which 23 of the 24 albertine endemics are residents in this forest. It is a birders’ top destination in Africa with more than 250 bird species that linger round the forest singing jungle hymns, whistle construct there nests.

Big butterflies make the forest colorful as they fly from one flower to another as if searching for the beauty queen of jungle flowers.  

What To Do When You Find the Mountain Gorillas

Mountain Gorillas are jungle experts in that you need to follow the trail where they were last seen the previous day. Your patience grants you a grand opportunity to stay at least 7 meters in the vicinity of these gentle eyed primates. You might have passed muddy terrain, slippery trails, hiked some rough volcanic surfaces but all this may not amount to the excitement you get when you finally meet the mountain gorillas.

Nothing prepares for this great first sight encounter of the mountain gorillas. On several occasions, some trekkers break into tears as getting this opportunity is a life time experience. It is like hitting a jackpot

While with the mountain gorillas, enjoy watching the day’s activity like mothers cuddling and feeding the infants, juveniles laugh and squal , as the mighty silver back command his autonomy and watches the entire family activity. Do not mess up with any member even if some times the mountain gorillas may come closer to you checking out on your camera. Try not to show that you area frightened as this is one of the ways these mountain gorillas become suspicious.

Normally habituated mountain gorillas ignore the presence of onlookers and do the day’s activities. They are accustomed to there presence so you may have all the photos you wish to take while on your gorilla trekking safari. Because of this great excitement, you may not realize how fast time may run while you watch the mountain gorillas. One precious hour will finally come to the end and you have to walk away quietly leaving nothing and carrying nothing from the jungle except memories.

Below Is An Itinerary For Gorilla Tracking Safari

 6 Day Gorilla Tracking And Chimpanzee Trekking Uganda

During this primate safari in Uganda, you will have the chance of meeting the mountain gorillas, chimpanzees who are the closest human cousins in the animal kingdom in there natural environment. Visit the rescued chimpanzees at Ngamba Chimpanzee Island.

 Day 1: Visit Chimpanzee Island at Ngamba

Early in the morning you will be driven to the Entebbe pier for briefing about your visit to Ngamba Island. This is home to rescued chimpanzees which cannot be returned to there communities. Some of these chimpanzees loose  track of the mothers, others are rescued from snares. They are taken care of at this island and you also take part in feeding them from the feeding platform.  Spend some moments with the chimpanzee.

 Return to the land for lunch and head to Uganda Wildlife Education center ( UWEC). This was the former Entebbe Zoo but at the moment, animals are kept in exhibits which are different from the cages. Enjoy a walk through the center learning more about the animals that Uganda harbors in its national parks. You may also take part in feeding them under the keeper for the day program in case you wish to be part of this. This is however prearranged and optional. Return to the hotel to relax.

Lake Victoria Serenah/ Protea hotel/ Lake Victoria Hotel/Boma Guest House

Day 2 Drive to Bwindi Forest National Park

Carry your safari baggage to  the car and drive to Bwind Forest national park. This national park is located in south Western part of Uganda. It is a thick natural forest with great canopy that you can ably see as you hike. As you drive to Bwindi forest through the Kigezi area, get shots of the green vegetation that covers the slopes of the highlands. Arrive in the evening and check-in to your lodge.  

Accommodation: Gorilla Forest Camp/ Engage Lodge/ Wag tail Lodge

Day 3: Gorilla trekking

Take early morning breakfast and carry your gorilla trekking gears and packed lunch, to the ranger station to join other trekkers. After briefing, you will be divided into groups of 8 trekkers and a ranger guide will lead you into the jungle. Enjoy the whistling birds, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus, grey tailed mangabey to mention but a few. When you finally get to meet them you are allowed to take there photos, but stand at a distance of 7 meters from there presence. Enjoy them playing and interacting with others. Return to the lodge and relax.

Day 4 Drive to Kibale National Park

Following your Gorilla Tracking Experience, drive to Kibale National Park. This forested park is home to Africa’s largest habituated chimpanzees. Scientifically, chimpanzees have about 98% human genes. Most apes are herbivores but due to circumstances, chimpanzees may eat meat at times. Numerous bird species are also residents in this park and other primates like the black and white colobus, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys to mention but a few. Check in to your lodge

Accommodation: Ndali lodge/ Primates lodge/ Chimps Nest Lodge

Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking

Get up early for breakfast and head to Kanyanchu ranger station for briefing. Later on in the company of a ranger guide, walk into the forest to search for the chimpanzee. Monkeys are the forest entertainers so shortly you will be welcomed by there enchanting moves, birds sing sweetly in the trees, butterflies also make the forest colorful.

Finally when you get closer to the chimps, you may hear them beating the tree trunks to alert there friend of your presence. Watch there unique life like feeding style, care taking for the infants if any, the restless juveniles and the power of the alpha male. Take pictures for memories and return to the lodge.

In case you are not so tired request for a trek to Bigodi sanctuary with a rich bird life. More monkeys species and butterflies are residents here. Enjoy the fresh swampy environments and take pictures. You may also visit the Bigodi Womens’ craft village which supports the work of the locals. Return to the lodge and relax.

Day 6: Drive To Entebbe

Having had fun with the mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys of various types drive back to catch up with your flight back home.

What To Note On Gorilla Trekking Safari

Gorilla Trekking requires packing gorilla trekking gears.

Some exercise prior to gorilla trekking will make the trek comfortable for you.

Booking a porter is one of the most direct ways of giving back to the community as they use this money to pay school fees for there children.

Mountain gorillas are about 96% human genes so any communicable disease may lead to there death so volunteer to stay behind in case you are infected so as to conserve for generations.