When planning a gorilla trekking tour, look no further Uganda is the place to go. Gorilla tracking one of the most exciting activities to do. Mountain gorillas are listed as the most critically endangered species in the world by IUCN and they are only found within three countries, mostly in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Uganda is a habitat for the half population of the world’s Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park. The national parks are found in southwestern Uganda and they are the only best spots for the tourists to these magnificent creatures. Mountain gorilla safaris in Uganda are ranking in the world today. The hospitality of Ugandan, they have been ranked the most welcoming people in the world not forgetting the comfortable lodges and delicious food including local (traditional) and intercontinental dishes.
Uganda is a premier gorilla tour destination mainly because of the following
A high number of mountain gorillas
About 36 gorilla groups are in Bwindi National Park but only 15 and 1 in Mgahinga have been habituated for this lifetime experience making Uganda one of a must to visit destination for you. There are four main sectors in Bwindi National Park and they include Buhoma, Rushaga, Nkuringo and Ruhija sector. Gorilla trekking starts with an early morning briefing at 7:00 am and the actual gorilla trek begins at 8:00 am in your respective sectors. During the briefing, visitors are only assigned to one habituated group in groups of eight people per day. Only one hour is allowed for you to strike your imaginations with these Great Apes in their natural environment.
Trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has been eased with the modern technology as well as the park trackers who are always sent to the forest to ascertain the location of gorillas before the next group of visitors is sent to the field to track them. This eases the tracking activity for visitors who are not able to walk a long distance in search of the great apes. They will be taken direct to the gorilla location without searching for a long time.
Low-cost gorilla permits
Uganda’s gorilla permits are at a low cost compared to Rwanda, respective gorilla destinations have different costs for tourists to realize their dreams with these amazing primates in the wild. In Uganda, gorilla trekking permits cost $700 for foreign non – residents, $600 for foreign residents and shs300,000 for East African residents. In Rwanda, permits are sold at $1500 per person and in the DR Congo they can be purchased at $450 but it is the least visited area amongst all the three destinations since it is still recovering from insecurity.
Peace and Security
The Peace and security in Uganda have been prioritized, The Uganda tourism police in gorilla national parks assure travelers of their safety plus their properties on their gorilla safaris to Uganda. This police patrol across this national park and the adjacent communities to ensure there is no insecurity in the place at all. Similarly, Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park are very safe places while the community people adjacent to the parks are loving, kind and hospitable to stay and interact with.
Pre Gorilla Trekking Experience
The Pre-trekking experience also contributes to making Uganda a premier for gorilla tracking, gorilla national parks in Uganda (Bwindi and Mgahinga) are a whole day drive from Entebbe international airport. On the way to see mountain gorillas, travelers view beautiful sceneries, hospitable people and various attractions before meeting mountain gorillas. Travelers normally have a stopover at the Uganda equator and the Igongo cultural center for information about the Ankole culture. If you have enough time, you will branch off to Lake Mburo national park in Mbarara rewarding you with great views of wildlife such as Zebras, Uganda kobs and Buffalos among others. This pre-trekking experience makes Uganda the best destination for gorilla trekking.
Gorilla Habituation experience
Gorilla Habituation Experience is conducted where visitors enjoy all the 4 hours with the Great Apes. This experience is only done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Done only in Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, gorilla habituation is an exceptional experience travelers should not miss out. The activity is the training process in which wild gorillas are tamed and trained to get familiar with the presence of people lasting for 2-3 years. two gorilla families of Bushaho and Bikyingi are undergoing the habituation process both in Rushaga sector of Bwindi. However, gorilla habituation is quite expensive costing 1500usd for a single gorilla permit but the experience is worth the payment.
Wishing you a memorable gorilla tracking experience as you travel deep into the tropical rain forests of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park.
