Detailed Guide to Gorilla Trekking Gorilla Trekking Uganda – Budget Gorilla Trekking in East Africa – Uganda Rwanda Gorilla trekking.
Detailed Guide to Gorilla Trekking. Most mountain gorillas reside in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. This Park consists of almost half of the number of Mountain Gorillas believed to be remaining in the whole world.
It’s also believed that the remaining Chimps in the entire world Co-exist in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. For any interested person willing to visit Ugandan gorillas, you must pay for a gorilla trekking permit that goes for USD 700.00 per trek per person.
Mgahinga National Park; this park is found in the Virunga ranges shared between Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. This Park is also another place that is known for being a home of Ugandan gorillas.
Gorilla trekking experience:
For a person to have a wonderful, memorable, and unforgettable adventure they will have to endure all the efforts needed to reach Bwindi and trek through this wonderful natural forest. There are thirteen habituated gorilla groups for tourists to trek. And all these groups are found in different sectors such as Buhoma, Nkuringo, and others that are habituated in the Ruhija and Rushaga regions of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Each habituated Gorilla family is visited by a maximum number of four people. The habituation gorilla trekking permit goes for a cost of USD 1500.00 and Katland Safaris Ltd is your number one handler of all gorilla habituation experience.
BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
This reserve was gazette in 1942 and was later upgraded to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in 1992. Later in 1994, it was recognized as a World Heritage site. In Rukiga’s local language, BWINDI means Impenetrable. 327km of Bwindi has tangled vegetation draped over a deeply fissured landscape of steep, slippery valleys and high draughty ridges.
Bwindi’s impenetrable forest is Africa’s most ancient rainforest and for this, it’s a favorable home to the endangered Mountain Gorillas hence ranking it as the world’s premier Wild Life harbor.
Bwindi in most times it’s always cold mostly during the morning hours and also during the night, the annual average temperature of Bwindi range from 70C-200C. June and July are the coldest seasons in this area. This always calls for warm clothes and cold weather gear since Bwindi has up to 2390mm of rain every year. This is experienced between too-wet seasons that are to say Short Rains in March-May and Heavy Rains in September- November. Instead of short tropical deluges, rain in the areas of Bwindi often falls as long hours of soft drizzle.
A person planning to do gorilla trekking in Uganda will need to follow the guidelines issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (Rules and regulations of gorillas) as seen below;
DEPARTING FOR GORILLA TREKKING
In Uganda, a maximum of 8 tourists can visit a group of habituated mountain gorillas in a day. This is done to ensure minimal behavior disturbance to the gorillas and the risk of their exposure to human-borne diseases.
Make sure you wash your hands before your trekking exercise.
Detailed Guide to Gorilla Trekking
TRAILS TO GORILLAS
Please always keep your voices low. This will enable you to observe the great bird life and other wildlife in the forest.
DO NOT leave rubbish in the park. Whatever you bring into the forest should be taken back with you.
You will be taken to where the guide last saw the gorillas a day before. From there you will follow the trails to find them. Look out for the gorillas nesting sites along the way.
When approaching the gorillas the guide will tell you to get ready.
ONCE YOU MEET THE GORILLAS
A 7 meters distance should be revised to observe at all times from the gorillas. The further back you are, the more relaxed the group will be.
You might stay in a group when you are near the gorillas
Keep always down your voice all the time. However, it’s ok too as the guide questions.
Do not smoke, drink, or eat when you are near the gorillas. Eating or drinking inevitably will increase the risk of food /drink morsels/droplets falling, which could increase the risk of disease transmission.
A time the gorillas charge. Follow the guide’s example (crouch down slowly, do not look at the gorillas directly in the eyes, and wait for the animals to pass). Do not attempt to run away because that will increase the risk.
Flash photography is not permitted, when taking pictures move slowly and carefully.
Do not touch the gorillas, they are wild animals.
You must spend one hour with the gorillas. However, if the gorillas become agitated or nervous, the guide will finish the visit early.
After the visit keep your voice down until you are 200 meters away from the gorillas.
Detailed Guide to Gorilla Trekking
HEALTH RULES;
The fact is that mountain gorillas are so sensitive to human diseases. The following guidelines should be followed to minimize the risk your visit might cause to them.
Honor the limits put up on the number of visitors allowed with the gorillas each day. This minimizes the risk of disease transmission and stress to the group.
If you feeling somehow ill/ sick, or have any contagious disease, volunteer to stay behind. An alternative visit will be arranged for you or even your money will be refunded.
If you can’t hold sneezing or coughing, when you’re near the gorillas, please Endeavour to turn your head away from the gorillas and even cover your nose and mouth to reduce the spread of bacteria or viruses.
Always stay 21 feet/7 meters away from the gorillas. This helps in the prevention of human-borne diseases.
Endeavor not to leave rubbish behind or even food wrappers in the park. These can harbor diseases or other contaminants.
In case you need to go to the toilet while in between your trekking, ask the guide to dig you a hole with his panga. But make sure the hole is 30cm deep and fill it with soil when done.
WHAT TO GO WITH ON A GORILLA TREK?
Comfortable hiking shoes should be put on. These are suitable for steep muddy slopes.
Put on earplugs for those who feel uncomfortable with jungle sounds
Packed lunch and enough drinking water should be carried.
Rain gadgets, sunscreen lotions, a hat for UN predictable weather, and also an insect repellent.
Cameras and fully charged batteries should not be forgotten. Flashlights are not permitted.
Endeavor to contact Katland Safaris LTD for any information
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