Gorilla Trekking: Tips Shared by Experts

Tour highlights on a gorilla trekking safari.

• Best time to track mount gorillas
• What to pack
• How to access permits
• Getting there
• Where to spend a night.
• What to follow.
• What gorillas feed
  

Gorilla Trekking Experience in Uganda is one of the most popular tour activities that every visitor wish to take part in it. Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park inhabits over 400 gorilla individuals that are known to be half of the other gorillas in Rwanda and Congo. Bwindi and mgahinga lie in southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro district. Uganda wildlife Authority the government body  operates and protects the wildlife parks that are visited by tourists. However gorilla trekking safaris can also be carried out in Rwanda in volcano national park and Congo in virunga national park.

Best time to track mountain gorillas

Gorilla tracking in Bwindi and Mgahinga can be done at any time of the year but most visitors prefer in the peak season which is June, July, August, September, November, December and January. Although visitors who track in low season have high chances of getting a discount of mountain gorilla tracking permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority the government body unlike Rwanda where permits are expensive.

What to pack

• Hiking Boots. One of the most important items that should be included in your gorilla trekking gear is hiking boots.
• Garden Gloves which protects hands from being injured by the trees.
• Rain Jacket since Ugandan weather is unpredictable.
• Long Sleeved Shirts, Blouse and trouser.
• Energy Giving snacks that is water and food though it’s limited taking it when your with gorillas.
• Cameras and extra batteries but on a condition of removing flashlights.
• Hat and Sun Glasses to prevent you from too much sunshine
• Pair of Binoculars to help you spot birds and animals from a distance.

How to access permits

When planning a gorilla safari, there are two things a visitor should know the cost of the permit as well as the overall cost of this tour safari. Gorilla tracking permits are issued out by a government body which is Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). In Uganda, permits are cheaper than Rwanda at US$700 and 1500US Dollars respectfully. Although Congo has the cheapest price of gorilla tracking permits, it’s not safe for visitors due to political wars thus giving chance to Ugandan tourism which is safe and cheap.

Getting There

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be reached by flights or roads. From Kampala to Kisoro district by road takes over 8-10 hours driving. Due to the fact that it’s a long distance, it’s worth it because a lot of adventurous scenery are spotted like Equator along masaka-mbarara road and the driver can have a stopover for photos, shopping or for a cup of tea. Lake Mburo national park with Zebras and Uganda kobs, then in Kabale visitors are able to spot Lake Bunyonyi and mountainous areas. Flights are quick but with few spotting adventurous sceneries and is expensive to budgeted visitors.

Where to spend a night?

Choosing the best safari lodge or accommodation will depend on how much you can afford. Depending on the level of visitors, some lodges charge as high as, $ 500-900 while the budget ones can pocket as low as $ 50-70 for a double room. The services, food, location and so on matters a lot in most lodges.  Some luxury lodges include Gorilla Forest Camp, Mahogany Springs, Clouds Lodge and Buhoma Lodge Gahinga Lodge,. Budgeted lodges include Travellers Inn Kisoro Lake Chahafi Resort; mid-range options include Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge. 

What to follow on gorilla trekking

• Use cameras on a condition of removing flashlights which threatens the mountain gorillas.
• Children above 15 years of age are allowed to track mountain gorillas and elders are supported by stretcher chairs.
• Limited number is 8 members to track mountain gorillas in order to keep gorilla environment calm.
• Visitors are given one hour visit when they are with mountain gorillas.
• Visitors are told to keep a 7 meter distance when they are with mountain gorillas.
• Visitors who are ill aren’t allowed to track mountain gorillas to prevent gorillas from being attacked by the diseases

How Do Mountain Gorillas Feed?

These Mountain Gorillas may be seen in Mgahinga Gorilla Park; a stunning park and a component of the Virunga chain of towering volcanoes that extend into the DRC and Rwanda, and then in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park  which is located in south western part of Uganda in Kisoro district neighboring swiz of Africa.

These parks support 400 Population of Mountain Gorilla.  Bwindi Impenetrable national park is an ancient forest also called the “Place of Darkness” because of thick trees which harbors mountain gorillas.  The tree cover makes it very dark within this forest.  The forest’s altitudes are between 1,160m and 2,607m above sea level. The Bwindi plus Mgahinga each possess varying characteristics as well as similarities. The Bwindi isn’t an extinct volcanic region while the Mgahinga is.

Due to the fact that mgahinga park is on a high altitude, mountain gorillas move up and feed on some of the afro-montane vegetation. These great apes typically feed on fruits, leaves, roots, bamboo, flowers and shoots in the season. Researchers say that they eat in large quantities.

Most tour companies such as Africa Tours Adventure do arrange packages to all of these destinations in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. It also has professional guides and the service has no doubt. The company hires cars which are comfortable for long and short route driving at a cheap price and in case you need more information visit our website.