What to Consider before Booking a Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari.
What to Consider before Booking a Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari. An excellent option for those looking for a remarkable primate encounter; Uganda is home to half the world’s population of mountain gorillas, with about 459 individuals in two national parks. In Uganda, approximately 160 gorilla permits are sold daily.
How much is a Gorilla tracking Permit?
Every traveller who wants to see or trek mountain gorillas in their natural habitat must have a valid gorilla tracking permit scheduled for the day they would like to trek the gentle giants in Uganda. A gorilla permit in Uganda costs USD 800 for foreign non-residents, USD 700 for foreign residents and USD 85 for East African residents. Effective 1 July 2020, gorilla tracking permits will cost USD 800 for foreign non-residents.
What to pack on your Gorilla Trek
This the most asked question for travelers intending to track mountain gorillas, Gorilla tracking is a unique adventure in the whole world – for one to trek, gentle giants, travelers are required to possess a valid passport, valid gorilla permit, hiking boots, long-sleeved shirt, waterproof trouser, sweater, gloves, headgear or a hat, sunglasses, good camera, snacks, packed lunch, drinking water, a walking stick, and binoculars, when these items are in hand with potential travelers, mark it as a successful gorilla trek and a memorable once in a lifetime experience you will leave to tell!
The Best time of the year to see Mountain Gorillas
The best time to visit mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat is June to September and December to February.
Forest trails in these months are drier, making Gorilla tracking encounters delectable and more facile compared to visiting in the wet months of March to May and September to November, when the weather is characterised by ponderous rainfall, making the forest trails bushy and slippery.
In Uganda, it is hard to say when it is going to rain or not, simply because the country is crossed by the Equator, thus experiencing an equatorial climate. Both Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are located in the Western Rift Valley, with good terrain for visitors who would see the gentle giants in their natural habitat. In conclusion, Gorillas in Uganda can be visited throughout the year.
Book your Gorilla Permit in advance.
One of the advantages of early booking is to make sure that you don’t miss tracking the giant mountain gorillas at either Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. You should book at least 3-6 months before the date that you want to track mountain gorillas.
The peak season of these parks is in June, July, August, December, January, and February. We recommend that you book with Wild Travel Safaris; we are an authorised tour company in Uganda for your tailor-made safari.
Physical Fitness
Gorilla tracking does not require so much physical fitness – your physical fitness level should not prevent you from a gorilla trek. An average level of fitness is okay for a traveller intending to see mountain gorillas. At Wild Travel Safaris, we provide our visitors with walking sticks.
Disabled travellers can opt to use sedan chairs where clients are carried by a team of 16 well-built, energetic men who know the terrain of either Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Pay Attention to Ranger Guides during Guides
For every traveler interested in Gorilla tracking or Gorilla Habituation in Uganda, upon reaching the sector’s headquarters our drive will take you to the briefing room, where you meet fellow travelers who are going to track mountain gorillas, briefing in Uganda usually starts at 8:00 am before you hit the Jungle to see our mighty cousins the Mountain Gorillas, we advise you to pay attention to Ranger Guides as they explain what you might see, what you should do and what you are supposed to do in the presence of the gentle giants.
Which is the shortest route to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?
This is the most asked question for every traveller who wants to see mountain gorillas in Uganda, for every traveller who would like to trek mountain gorillas in Uganda, the shortest distance to either Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is Kigali International Airport.
Usually, most visitors opt for a short drive time. Kigali International Airport is about 3 to 4 hours from Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, respectively.
How many Gorilla Permits are available in Uganda daily?
Half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas is in Uganda. There are two national parks in Uganda, namely Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. In Bwindi, there are four gorilla tracking sectors, namely Ruhija, Rushaga, Nkuringo and Buhoma, totalling up to 18 habituated gorilla families.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has only one gorilla sector with 2 gorilla families, namely the Hirwa gorilla family and the Nyakagezi gorilla family. Therefore, in Uganda alone sells 160 permits are sold daily.
How many hours will you spend with the Gentle Giants?
In Uganda, gorilla tracking starts at 8:00 am, usually before tracking mountain gorillas in their natural hab. On this expedition, you will gather with a group of other travellers who are going to track mountain gorillas at the briefing, where you will be briefed about what you will see, expect and what you shouldn’t do while in the park environs. When you track mountain gorillas in Uganda, you are allowed to spend 1 hour with the Gentle Giants.
These are what to consider before booking a Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari. In Uganda, we have two activities for travellers who love primates, one being Gorilla Tracking, and the other is Gorilla Habituation. This expedition allows visitors to be with the gentle giants for up to 4 hours.