The Gorilla Trekking Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Book a gorilla trip to Uganda – Budget Gorilla trekking
Gorilla Trekking Experience in Bwindi; Perhaps your dream has always been to spend time with a group of mountain gorillas while in the wild but the unfortunate bit of it is that you are unsure of which destination to get to. If so, then Bwindi National Park has you covered up.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park lies suitably in southwestern Uganda and remarkably features one of the most pristine montane national parks in Africa. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is found in Southwestern Uganda, on the edge of the Albertine Rift and it’s shared by three different districts which are; Kisoro, Kanungu, and Kabale districts. The distance from Kampala, which takes 10 hours is approximately 534Km from the city. The Park is bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo.
With over 460 gorillas, Bwindi is home to almost half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. This true African jungle covers 33.000 hectares, with about 400 species of snakes, about 250 species of trees, 27 species of frogs, and over 250 species of butterflies, lizards, chameleons, geckos, chimpanzees, gorillas, and baboons. It straddles just the Albertine rift valley at the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This 331 square kilometers protected area boasts of its expansive tropical rain forest that makes it one of the most significant water catchment areas in the pearl of Africa.
Gorilla Trekking Experience in Bwindi
A visit to this spectacular wilderness area for a holiday gets you the best of Africa’s most experiential safari.
With the Gorilla Habituation experience, you get the best of ultimate primate adventures. Gorilla groups have been set aside for this specific experience. What is unique about this primate adventure is that it takes you the whole day to search/follow gorillas and it includes 4 hours of the magical encounter. To take part in this most thrilling adventure, you need $1500 for you to secure a permit. Generally, habituation takes a process of making gorillas get used to human presence and lasts for about 2 years before they are officially opened for gorilla trekking.
Gorilla tracking in Uganda is one of the most popular tour activities. More than half of all the mountain gorillas in existence live in Uganda in Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Best time to track mountain gorillas in Bwindi.
Trekking gorillas in Bwindi can be done any time of the year but most tourists prefer visiting from June to September and from December to February. Tourists who track mountain gorillas in the low seasons benefit from discounted gorilla tracking permits.
In Uganda, each gorilla permit goes for USD 700. Gorilla permits are a requirement for one to be able to track mountain gorillas and acquiring these permits is best done through your tour operator in Uganda or through Uganda Wildlife Authority.
A maximum of 8 people can trek a particular gorilla group per day. Other tour activities include; bird watching, guided forest walks, and Batwa cultural experience among others.
What to wear when tracking mountain gorillas.
Tourists are advised to come with walking boots good for hiking, extra layers of cloth for when it gets cold, A Rain Coat, and Gloves. Thick trousers and a long-sleeved top are also ideal for tracking.
Where to stay in Bwindi.
State-of-the-art safari lodges have over the years been set up in Bwindi to provide comfortable accommodation to tourists who visit Bwindi for Gorilla tracking. These lodges range from budget to high-end luxury facilities which means the lodges tourists stay at will depend on their ability to afford them or their preference. Safari lodges in Bwindi include; Buhoma Lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp, Mahogany Springs, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, and Silverback Lodge among others.
Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National park.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park can be accessed either by road from Kampala, Uganda’s capital, or by air from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip. Scheduled flights from Entebbe to either Kihihi or Kisoro take about 2 hours to get there whereas traveling by road takes up to 9 hours to reach Bwindi.
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