What is Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla Trekking is the practice of watching gorillas and following them in their natural environment. For the past twenty years, gorillas are usually watched for recreation but sometimes they are observed for scientific or educational purposes. This amazing experience is becoming a very popular recreational adventure and is among the top adventure activities in Africa. Many travelers ask a lot of questions about gorilla trekking. Here is a quick guide to gorilla tracking in Africa. Tracking Mountain Gorillas is one of the most unique things that you can do while traveling around Africa.
Gorillas are found in Eastern Africa on the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda. These questions endeavor to answer the different questions about gorilla trekking. For more discussions about this adventure, you can visit our blog.
When To Go Gorilla Trekking
Prices
How Much Is Gorilla Trekking?
Gorilla tracking is a thrilling lifetime experience you should take time to enjoy. The excitement attached to the first experience anyone gets setting eyes on a wild mountain gorilla is quite a difficult experience to describe. That magical one hour most tourists crave for that is spent with the gorillas does not come cheaply, but it is uncommon to find someone who regretted the financial outlay.
Mountain gorilla trekking is undoubtedly one of the most sought after adventures by trekkers in the world today. A trek to view a group of these tremendous creatures is one of the exhilarating experiences that come once in lifetime and only a few areas offer you such a rare encounter around the globe.
While mountain gorilla encounter make the main reason for most visitor travel in Africa, several questions have been raised concerning this adventure most of which still need to be addressed. Below is a list of frequently asked questions by travelers.
Where can I go for mountain gorilla trekking?
Many people ask about where to go Gorilla Trekking. Gorillas are only found in Africa and you can go to different countries where you can see the mountain gorillas in the wild. However not all countries that host mountain gorillas have developed gorilla tourism. The most popular countries for gorilla trekking are;
- Uganda – Here you can see the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park
- Rwanda – Here you can see the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park
- Congo – This country has both mountain gorillas and western lowland gorillas. The mountain gorillas can be visited in Virunga National Park while the western lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega,
- Central African Republic – Home to western lowland gorillas
- Gabon
Mountain Gorillas
While other wildlife species might be found in most destinations in Africa, for mountain gorillas, you have to visit only three countries which include Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In Uganda, you will pay a visit to Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park which are located in southwestern part of the country and in Rwanda you can visit Volcanoes National Park in the northwest and finally the Virunga National Park in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
In Uganda, ten families have been habituated in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, with only 8 people who can visit a given gorilla family per day, therefore making a total of 80 people tracking the mountain gorillas on any day at full capacity.
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
Rwanda also takes 80 persons per day at full capacity, with 8 families and 10 people per family. Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park has a slight edge over Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP because its gorillas are the most wholly habituated, and they are often found in bamboo than the dense forest which makes provides an advantage when taking photographs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I visit mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda?
Only persons above 15 years of age are allowed to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC. For gorilla encounters, simply contact us and we shall be there to help you book for you a gorilla permit. We can help you arrange transportation, guides and also get for you the lodge that you want to stay on while on safari.
What is best time to go for gorilla trekking?
Mountain gorilla trekking is an all year around experience. For those who are planning their safaris, you can travel to Uganda, Rwanda or DRC during the dry and wet season. The treks are best during the dry season as the gorilla habitat is kept dry and becomes easier for visitors to hike through the steep slopes and the thick forests in Uganda and Rwanda looking for a group of these impressive creatures while they are in their natural habitat. The dry season starts from June to September and from December to February. However, the wet season is also ideal for this adventure as it comes with plenty of food for gorillas to feed. This means that most of them can be kept within the foothills of the park and becomes easier for visitors to catch a glimpse of these beautiful primates. The wet season starts in the month of March, April, May and November.
What should I come with for the trek?
When planning for gorilla trek, avoid packing like you are packing for a picnic tour. Gorilla trekking is conducted in the tropical rain forest and terrain can be steep or muddy for you hike through. Among the items to pack include camera with no flashlight, long sleeved shirt or T-shirt (environmentally friendly especially green in color), day pack, bottle of water, snacks, waterproof hiking boots that are comfortable to you, trousers, insect repellents, first aid kit and many more.
Are permits required for gorilla trekking?
When it comes to gorilla trekking, a gorilla permit is a must to have. Only eight (8) tourists are allowed to go and trek one gorilla group. Make sure that you have booked your permit at least four months earlier as the competition for the permits tends to be stiff especially during the peak season from June to September and from December to February. Permits are obtainable in Uganda at $600 per visitor, $1500 in Rwanda and $400 for DR Congo. For gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, permits are obtainable at $1500 per visitor for foreign non residents, $1000 for foreign residents and shs.750000 for East Africans.
Where is the best place to go gorilla trekking?
Gorilla trekking in the three destinations is equally rewarding but the challenge is with the DRC where there political insecurity has affected most of the tourism activities. But gorilla trekking is still on going at Virunga National Park. Uganda features more habituated gorilla groups compared to the rest of destinations. There are about 12 groups that have been habituated for tourism purposes in Uganda and only 10 are found in Rwanda while 8 are in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Comparing Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Vs Rwanda
The main challenge faced by many tourists when it comes to tracking gorillas in Rwanda is certainly the price of the gorilla permit, which is a little more expensive as compared to a gorilla permit in Uganda.
However, many prefer Rwanda because of the ability to do the gorilla trek even in one day and fly back home the same day which is very impossible to do in Uganda. The drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park is about 2 hours, as the distance between is just 116 km.
On the other hand, the drive to Bwindi from Entebbe/Kampala is an 8 hour plus, due to the estimated distance of about 500 km. In this case, you will spend at least 3 days if you really wish to do your gorilla trek tour travelling to Bwindi from Kampala, another doing the gorilla trek, and the other driving back to Kampala/Entebbe. All this will be considered by your tour operator on handling your quotation regarding this tour package.
The long drive to Bwindi is quite tiresome but on the other hand very interesting with great sceneries all through like the Equator, Lake Mburo National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park with abundant wildlife for some lucky tourists, terraced mountains with flowing rivers, and a lot of rural Africa. This may however not be the case for the drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park. The drive is shorter and not so much to see, only the scenery of the Virunga mountains.
Quite a number of tourists do opt to fly over from Entebbe to any town near to Bwindi to be able track the gorillas in time without any hustle. You can arrange your flight from the airstrip to Bwindi, and back at an estimated cost of $550.
A lot more time and transport is spent to track the mountain gorillas in Uganda as compared to Rwanda although this cost is compensated for by a cheaper gorilla permit.
The roads to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are not so comfortable to drive on; you should expect a bumpy ride as a few sections are filled with pot holes, yet in the case of Rwanda; it is a more comfortable drive on smooth tarmac at least up to the Volcanoes National Park head office.
However, the roads from the Volcanoes National Park office to the gorilla trek section can only be accessed with a raised 4×4 vehicle.