10 Things to consider before booking a gorilla safari to Uganda. Where should one get Gorilla permits to see Ugandan gorillas?
Given that a gorilla safari to Uganda is among the most costly travel experiences available in Africa, careful planning or booking is absolutely vital. Before scheduling a gorilla safari to Uganda to see the unique and elusive mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, today we review ten things to think about.
Mountain gorillas in Uganda.
Before making a gorilla safari reservation to Uganda, one needs first to find out where these mountain gorillas live. To be sure you make the correct decision, you need to be aware of the national parks with mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are natural residents of two national parks located in Uganda. All in southwest Uganda, these national parks include Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Mgahinga National Park.
Among the two national parks in Uganda, Mgahinga National Park has the rare mountain gorillas. Mgahinga resides in the Virunga mountains shared by the three nations of DR Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda.
With maybe fourteen individuals, there is just one mountain gorilla family known as Nyakagezi. The Nyakagezi gorilla family continues prowling Mgahinga National Park’s bamboo slopes. This family sometimes transfers to DR Congo or Rwanda; should that occur, the relevant governments assume responsibility for hiking.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Not shared with any nation, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in southwest Uganda. Like its name, Bwindi is a tropical and thick natural forest home to about 450 mountain gorillas in their native environment. Based on the 2018 mountain gorilla census, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park alone contains 50 mountain gorilla families, of whom 19 are habituated for gorilla trekking and experience.
Bwindi’s gorilla hiking areas
Knowing the many gorilla trekking areas in Bwindi will help you to plan and understand the features of every gorilla safari booked to the impenetrable National Park. Four gorilla trekking areas inside Bwindi Impenetrable National Park allow one to arrange gorilla permits to visit mountain gorillas. Buhoma lies in the north, Ruhija in the east, and Nkuringo and Rushaga in the south.
Three southwest Uganda districts share Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. While Nkuringo and Rushaga are in Kisoro district, Buhoma area is in Kanungu District, and Ruhija is in Rubanda District.
Every one of the four zones contains gorilla families. If you get gorilla permits for Ruhija, you will walk with mountain gorillas in the eastern section of Bwindi because Ruhija is situated in the eastern portion of the Rubanda district of the Impenetrable National Park.
Where should one get Gorilla permits to see Ugandan gorillas?
Before arranging gorilla safaris to Uganda, one most crucial factors to take into account is a gorilla permit. One hour in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga allows you access to mountain gorillas with a gorilla permit. Uganda Wildlife Authority grants and controls Uganda gorilla licenses.
Comprising all National Parks in Uganda, Uganda Wildlife Authority is a semi-autonomous entity. Its headquarters are in Uganda, where gorilla permits are booked. Whether you want to reserve your gorilla permit via a tour operator or directly, you will deal with UWA.
Booking your gorilla permit via Katland Safaris
One of the most reliable tour companies providing Uganda gorilla safaris to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park is Katland Safaris. On behalf of our guests who arrange all-inclusive safaris to see gorillas in the two designated national parks in Uganda, we book gorilla permits.
When you show interest in visiting Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park, we will require you to provide us with dates when you plan to go to Uganda for gorilla trekking. We shall get Uganda Wildlife Authority on the accessible gorilla permits from these dates.
Access to the UWA online booking system allows Katland Safaris to immediately verify whether they are on. We wait for you to complete payment. We may hold or reserve your gorilla permit in the system for two to three days. Once paid, we will pay and choose your gorilla permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The distribution of gorilla permits in Uganda
Depending on the areas with reference to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, gorilla licenses in Uganda are distributed. You get a gorilla permit covering a certain area. You only know this right before you book. Uganda Wildlife Authority will display the permits available in every area; it is up to you to choose a location from where to arrange gorilla permits.
Once the area is established, one may investigate further on gorilla families situated in that area so that on the day of gorilla trekking, he/she is able to request a gorilla family of their choosing. While you can only be given a gorilla family on the day of trekking, you know the area from booking. Please call us for more details.
When should I arrange my gorilla trip to see Mgahinga or Bwindi gorillas?
As was already said, gorilla trekking is among the most competitive tourist activities in Africa; gorilla permits usually sell out fast, most notably during June, July, August, September, December, January, and February of every year.
This is why we advise our customers to reserve their gorilla permits ahead of time to avoid losing them. One may reserve a gorilla permit four to five months or even a year ahead. For information on how to advance book your gorilla permit, kindly get in touch with Katland Safaris.
How does one get to Mgahinga or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
How one gets to one of the two national parks with mountain gorillas in Uganda should also be taken into account before scheduling a gorilla safari there. Should you not remain in Uganda, you may arrive at Entebbe or Kigali international airports and then make your way to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Reaching either Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park from Entebbe
From Entebbe International Airport, one may choose to travel eight to ten hours to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park. Uganda is entered here. Should you decide to drive, be sure you will witness a lot en route: royal drum makers, long-horned cow keepers, villages, pineapple gardens, rolling hills and plains, banana plantations, and tiny towns situated en route.
Flying from Entebbe International Airport to Mgahinga or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is your option. Those heading north from Mgahinga National Park or southern Bwindi will land at Kisoro Airstrip; those heading south from either point would land at Kihihi Airstrip. Your lodge will be reached from Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip via road.
Usually, transfers take 45 to one hour. To visit Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Katland Safaris plans both road tours and flying safaris. Kindly get in touch; we will respond appropriately.
Getting to Mgahinga Impenetrable National Park from Kigali
You might decide to travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and or Mgahinga National Park in Uganda after flying to Kigali International Airport. From Kigali to Bwindi and Mgahinga, the trip takes four to five hours with around thirty minutes spent at the border between Uganda and Rwanda.
With Rwanda and Kigali closer to Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park than to Entebbe, the only problem is that individuals arriving from Kigali will have to pass through another nation, so visas will be needed. The wonderful news is that one may visit any of the three nations of Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda hassle-free with one East African tourist visa.
Depending on the area you will be trekking gorillas in, you might decide to enter Uganda via the Katuna border or Kyanika. Operating moderately cost Uganda gorilla safaris from Kigali International Airport, Katland safaris. Although we have various packages posted on our website, we can customize your safari to fit both your budget and interests. Ask us more by getting in touch.
Finding lodging in Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park.
You book gorilla permits based on the area you are booking. Once the area is identified, you will choose the kind of lodge that is in that specific area. For instance, you will have to search buhoma for your overnight accommodation if you reserve gorilla permits to walk in Buhoma. Working with many lodges in every area of Bwindi, Katland Safaris is in a position to provide recommendations for the finest budget, standard, and luxury lodging. Additionally, book our Budget or Luxury safaris featured on your website.
Select a Tour Operator to manage all of your reservations on your behalf When Booking a gorilla safari to Uganda
Many travel companies in Uganda and Rwanda may plan a gorilla safari to Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The AUTO website lists known tour providers in Uganda; you, too, may do internet research to find the finest. One firm you can rely on to manage all your reservations is Katland Safaris.
Booking a gorilla safari to Uganda with Katland Safaris
Highly rated on TripAdvisor and safari reservations, we are full members of AUTO (Association of Uganda tour operators), registered and regulated by Uganda Tourism Board (UTB). Our personnel consists of young and experienced office and field workers driven by their work. Please get in touch with us for unforgettable safaris.
