Planning for a holiday away from the urban environment? Would you like a nature based holiday rated to be among the world’s best in Africa? Why not a safari into Uganda, Rwanda or Congo and meet the endangered mountain gorillas in the wild?
There are a few adventures that are comparable to meeting the wild gorilla face to face in the natural wild. Even those who have ever seen the gorillas in the zoo praise the gorilla treks in Uganda, Rwanda or Congo as something different that they have never experienced elsewhere else! Unlike Pandas, Orangutans, Chimpanzees, Mountain Gorillas’ cannot be found or visited in a zoo anywhere in the world, you can only find Mountain Gorillas in three countries in Africa; Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Did you know that there are a few mountain gorillas remaining in the world? There are about 880 mountain gorillas in the whole world and can be found only in three countries in East – Central Africa; Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. If you would like to see these gentle giants, just join a trip from one of the local tour operators and go gorilla tracking in the wild. This kind of adventure is a one in a lifetime unforgettable experience. The Mountain Gorillas attract people from around the world. They are the major reason that Safari Travelers come to Uganda and Uganda and venture into the renowned parks of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Mgahinga Gorilla Park and Volcanoes National Park. Though a few travelers have embraced the idea of getting to Congo, those who visit Congo the Virunga National park experience the unforgettable adventure of a lifetime!
Apart from gorilla tours, you can easily create a magical trip to as well include a visit to the rare chimpanzees in Kibale forest or Nyungwe Forest, game viewing in various national parks, mountain hiking and more! If you decide to see the gentle giants in Parc National des Volcanos in Rwanda, you cannot leave the country without taking a visit to the genocide memorial sites. If you decide to go to Virunga National Park in Congo, you should consider hiking the Nyiragongo Volcanoes and see some of the few active volcanoes in Africa.
The mountain gorillas have become celebrities when the Uganda Wildlife Authority introduced them to the world via their “Befriend a Gorilla” campaign. While local tour operators venture tourists to all the different national parks with gorillas depending on the tourists’ area of interest. About half of the mountain gorillas in the world can be found in Uganda in two spots – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. What people may not realize is that unlike seeing lions in the wilds of Uganda, or searching out Giraffes, Elephants, Warthogs, Crocodiles and Hippos, there are a limited number of visitors allowed to view and visit the Mountain Gorillas of Uganda.
Presently there are 8 groups that have been habituated and two have just been opened for visitation. (Habituation simply means that the Mountain Gorillas are used to Human Beings, a process that can take up to two years) There are over 30 Mountain Gorilla Groups in Uganda in total -both habituated ones and those who are not. Each Mountain Gorilla group can have a maximum of 8 visitors each day for a period of about one hour. Gorilla Groups vary in size from 6 to up to 30 in number.
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