Category: Guides

Would you like to visit the gorillas in Africa? This practical guide is one of the most comprehensive resource that you can use to plan a memorable trip to see these great apes in East and Central Africa.

Introduction

To many travelers, a gorilla safari experience is one of the aspects that have raised a series of questions and some of which have not yet been answered. From time memorial, visitors get confused or misled by what they have read or heard and they end up asking questions like; which gorilla group is easier to trek? How is gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda conducted? What are the best destinations where one can go gorilla tracking? What are the easiest gorilla groups to visit -which one has the hardest or easiest gorilla families to track? The list is really endless and probably some of you have followed soot and at end of the day, you were left out with no direct answer.

Why Go Gorilla Trekking?

We can’t run from the fact that gorilla trekking is one of the world’s hunted natural travel experiences by trekkers to see, admire and take photos of the rare mountain gorillas in the thick rain forests in East Africa.

How Much Do Gorilla Permits Cost?

It is also right to say that gorilla trekking is costly and a breathtaking that any one can think of, since it comes with a series of astonishing and emotional experiences which are truly incomparable. We must also agree that, the critically endangered mountain gorillas live in the wilderness not the zoo and there is no guarantee for tourists to see them stationery in previous place where they tracked them from. Like any other primates or wildlife species in the wilderness, the rare mountain gorillas do move in search of food and unbearably territorial fights can also force them to leave their usual families. At the end of the day, trekkers come up with different views regarding mountain gorillas and their families during the trek.

The fact about mountain gorilla safaris should remain in our minds that, the gorilla permit is a must to hold and it costs US$700 in Uganda and US$1500 in Rwanda. As soon as you obtain a gorilla permit either in Uganda or Rwanda, you get more than 95% chance of viewing a family of the mountain gorillas in the wilderness and so long as you are physically fit to go for the trek, then count it achieved. Globally, the mountain gorillas are less than 1060 in number and they are only tracked in 3 countries (Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo).

To see a family of mountain gorillas at times requires tourists to spend long hours while hiking through higher elevations in Bwindi Forest National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda or visiting the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.

It all depends on the conditions of the destination, but in most cases tourists take few hours hiking and just within there they achieve their dreams with gorilla family. Immediately you get your gorilla group, then count your dream achieved especially that one (1) hour that you spend within the distance of 7 meter staring and exploring the daily behaviors of these spectacular creatures, mean while the tour guide will be readily available to interpret and explain to you some of the unique body gestures that are portrayed by mountain gorillas.

It is really more than cultivating exciting memories but also educational or learning moments for visitors! We all need these memories, but considerably, tourist’s interest, age and abilities are important factors if you are interested in gorilla trekking. Guides also use the same factors to help them allocate Habituated Gorilla Families to visitors for rewarding and classic trekking experiences.

Named the pearl of Africa by sir Winston Church, Uganda is indeed a natural beautiful tourist destination one must visit. Uganda is a land locked country located in East Africa and the source of the great river Nile the longest river on the planet. The country has a number of wildlife attractions that can be explored and enjoyed by tourists searching for true African wildlife adventure.

A drive from Kampala, Uganda’s main capital city towards the countryside introduces you to the true natural beauty of Uganda as you explore the major wildlife wonders the pearl has to offer. From Kampala to the source of river in Jinja, one goes through the magnificent Mabira forest one of the natural forests in Uganda. Bisected by the Kampala Jinja highway, Mabira forest is an eco tourism destination tourists should not miss visiting. The forest is a home to a number of wildlife species including over 300 bird species, primates like monkeys, baboons, mangabey, a number of butterflies and insects among others. Tourists visiting the Mabira forest reserve can engage in a number of adventure activities like forest walks as they view the different birds, primate tracking, birding and so much more.

Just after Mabira, you come across the great river at Jinja in its early stages where it forms a number of rapids that adventurous tourists capitalize on as they engage in white water rafting across the five different stages of the rapids including the most thrilling stage where the rafting boat is over turned by the great force of the waters of the Nile. White water rafting is not an activity for the fearful and weak hearted ones but much as its very freaky, its very enjoyable especially to the tourists interested in thriller. While in Jinja, one can also go a boat cruise to the source of river Nile, go for bungee jumping or even horseback riding.

Exploring Murchison falls national park offers yet another adventure with great scenic of the Murchison falls that forms a permanent rainbow. The falls can be toured while on a launch cruise that takes tourists to the bottom of the falls who later hike to the top for more clear views.

Being a home to over 75 mammal species and 450 birds, Murchison falls national park is one place in Uganda that offer great opportunity of viewing wildlife. While in this national park, one cannot miss seeing giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, Nile crocodiles, hippos, antelopes, baboons and many others. There are many other savanna national park in the country where one can view other wild animals while on game drives and boat cruises.

The mountain gorillas in the forests of Bwindi impenetrable and Mgahinga gorilla national parks are other natural wonders one should not miss while in Uganda. These great apes are highly endangered and the total population remaining on the planet is estimated at only 900. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has half of the mountain gorillas (450) with 12 habituated mountain gorilla families that are open to tourist’s visitation. Each mountain gorilla family is visited by a group of 8 tourists a day who trek through the forested in search the allocated mountain gorilla family, which they spend with an hour learning more about them and taking, photographs. Spending time with these great apes on a gorilla safari in their habitats is very remarkable and exciting and it’s truly an experience one should not miss while in Uganda.

All the wildlife experiences in Uganda can be enjoyed at any time of the year. What makes the wildlife experiences in Uganda are the very hospitable and welcoming people especially the guides who have enough knowledge and information about the major wildlife species and therefore always answer all the burning questions.