Best Places and Times for Gorillas and Chimpanzees in Uganda
Here are the Best Places and times for Gorillas and Chimpanzees in Uganda. The Mountain gorilla and chimp tracking can be done all year round in Uganda because of the good seasons in the national parks of Kibale forest, Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga.
The dry season is between June to September, and December to the end of February. This is the period within which most people prefer to visit. The roads and jungle trails are dry. Therefore, hiking is not that difficult. It is, however, not easy to see the Gorillas or chimps. They are more active, searching for food, wandering to the upper slopes.
Rains come in March, April, May and November, and so most of the tourists don’t visit during that time. It is muddy and wet while tracking the chimps and mountain gorillas. However, because of the rains, there is plenty of food for the chimps and gorillas on the lower slopes, and it’s warmer.
These apes then stay on the lower slopes since food is widely available and temperatures are lower. Therefore, if you decide on tracking in the rainy season, you may not trek for long. You may find the gorillas or Chimps just after 30 minutes or one hour of trekking. This means by lunch time, you are back at the lodge to relax or do another activity like a community tour in the afternoon.
During the rainy season, for one to two hours in about 3 to 4 days of the week and for the rest of the day and week, the sun is shining. However, also in the dry season, there are some little showers experienced in the forested areas of Kibale, Bwindi and Mgahinga.
Many experiences have shown Best Places and times for Gorillas and Chimpanzees can be done throughout the year with not many problems. You will surely see these great apes and enjoy your trip!
Best places to trek Gorillas:
Best places for chimpanzees and other primates:
- Kibale Forest National Park
- Budongo forest
- Kyambura gorge
- Kalinzu forest
