Why Is Gorilla Trekking Cheaper in Uganda Compared to Rwanda
The primary cause is the present 800 USD cost of a gorilla permit in Uganda, which allows visitors to observe gorillas in Bwindi and Mghinga. At the same time, each hike in Rwanda costs $1500 USD. This is the reason why gorilla trekking in Uganda is less expensive than in other countries.
Rwanda has positioned itself as a luxury destination to draw elite travelers, which is another factor contributing to the higher cost of gorilla trekking in this country. Because of this, the majority of recently constructed lodges in the vicinity of Volcanoes National Park and all other parks in the nation are upscale establishments that charge over $800 per person per night.
Through expensive advertising efforts like Visit Rwanda on Arsenal football jerseys, Rwanda has a large budget for its tourism-related operations. Uganda, however, spends less money on global marketing initiatives.
The budgets and efforts made by the various governments are another factor contributing to the differences in gorilla trekking costs between Rwanda and Uganda. Rwanda spends a lot of money on aggressive self-promotion. As a result, it can draw tourists while increasing the cost of lodging and gorilla permits.
Instead, Uganda uses a meager budget to advertise its gorilla tourism and instead positions itself as a low-cost destination for gorilla trekking.
Where to go gorilla trekking The national parks in Rwanda and Uganda have a significant impact on how costly or inexpensive these two nations are. Rwandan gorilla trekking sites are located nearer the airport than elsewhere in the country. This is among the factors that make Rwanda more appealing to tourists than Uganda.
With 19 gorilla families now available for tourism, Uganda provides more opportunities for permits than Rwanda, which only has 15 gorilla families.
Compared to Rwanda, there are a lot more travel providers in Uganda. A gorilla trekking package is significantly less expensive due to rivalry among Ugandan tour companies, who all want to draw in the same customers by lowering their prices. In contrast, there aren’t many travel providers in Rwanda.
Compared to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, lodges in Kigali and Volcanoes National Park are significantly more costly. Because of this, a gorilla trekking package in Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is significantly less expensive overall than one in Rwanda.
Nevertheless, it is crucial to recognize that the cost of gorilla trekking varies in both nations based on the time of year and the services that are offered. For further information, don’t be afraid to get in touch with Katland Safaris.
It is also one of the ways Rwanda, which has limited financial resources, raises money to assist its wildlife conservation fund. Uganda may raise funds for its conservation efforts through a range of tourism-related activities.
For visitors traveling by car, the roads from Kigali airport to Volcanoes National Park are in better shape. Since the roads are completely tarmacked, the high cost of the safari must be used to offset the road construction costs. In order to compensate for the occasionally rough and slick roads between Entebbe Airport and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, gorilla trekking safari rates in Uganda have been somewhat reduced.
The region determines the price of the Uganda gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This is due to the wooded national park’s enormous size, which is around 327 square kilometers. In order to provide complete supervision, the Uganda Wildlife Authority made the decision to separate the park’s administrative responsibilities into several zones. Unfortunately, these places are far apart, and getting to them could require a lengthy trip.
In addition to gorilla trekking, Uganda offers many activities that allow visitors to experience the splendor of an African safari. Game drives, lunch excursions, chimpanzee trekking, a journey to the Nile River’s source, white water rafting, cultural encounters, religious sites, and much more are some of these activities. Lowering the price of the gorilla safari allows travelers to visit other exciting safari locations in Uganda.
Where in Uganda Can I Go Gorilla Trekking?
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
There are about half of the mountain gorillas in this large biosphere reserve. One of the refuges for wildlife is the forest, and one of the special natural attractions is the flora that survived the ice age more than 30,000 years ago.
More than 10 primate species, including chimpanzees, mountain gorillas, blue monkeys, L’Hoest’s, black and white colobus, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, and others, are thought to be present in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park at the moment.
There are currently over 350 different species of birds, 310 butterflies, over 51 reptiles, and more. The wide height variation of 1447 meters, which creates habitats ranging from lowland forest to 1160 meters, is responsible for the notable quantity of great forest residents. At at 2700 meters, it joins the Afromontane vegetation. It matters how long the forest has been there, even if it survived the ice age.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to more than half of the world’s mountain gorilla population. Approximately 18 gorilla families are now fully habituated and accessible to tourists. Several of these include the families of Rushegura, Mubale, Oruzogo, Bitukura, Nkuringo, and Bweza gorillas, among others.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
The southwest region of Uganda is home to the hilly Mgahinga National Park. With just one gorilla family—the Nyakagezi gorilla family—this is Uganda’s smallest national park. Even the gorilla permits for this family were sold when they became available because of their reputation for wandering into Rwanda. This gorilla family has been residing in Mgahinga National Park continuously lately, and permits are available in advance.
The southern slopes of three unique volcanoes—Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura, and Mountain Sabyinyo—are home to Mgahinga National Park. It takes eight hours to trek back to the summit of one of these mountains. There may be an opportunity to see the borders of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo when hiking in Gahinga National Park.
Because so few people visit the surrounding area, Mgahinga National Park still has pristine nature and breathtaking landscapes.
Which of Rwanda and Uganda Is the Greatest for Gorilla Trekking?
To determine how the gorilla trekking experiences in Rwanda and Uganda differ from one another, one must travel to both nations.
Other elements that might contribute to the differences between the two nations include
There are around 19 fully habituated gorilla families in Uganda that are available for tourists to see. In contrast, there are currently around 15 gorilla families in Rwanda that are accessible to tourists.
Gorilla licenses for Rwanda cost $1500 per person each hike. The Ugandan gorilla permit, on the other hand, costs $800 per person.
It takes around three hours to travel from Kigali Airport to Volcanoes National Park, and eight to nine hours to drive from Entebbe Airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park.
For a briefing that still requires work, the Volcanoes National Park briefing location is more organized than the Ugandan side. All of this is necessary to draw guests or reduce the price of the gorilla safari.
What Is Covered by Rwandan and Ugandan Gorilla Trekking Permit Prices?
For international visitors who are not residents of Uganda, the cost of a gorilla permit is $800 per person; for foreign residents, it is $700 per person; and for East African citizens, it is 300000shs.
The cost of a Rwandan gorilla trekking permit is $1000 for international residents and $1500 for foreign visitors.
The cost of permits for gorilla trekking includes
The fees for the Ranger guide
Every gorilla trekking trip is accompanied by a ranger guide who is familiar with the events that take place in the forest. He spends some time researching the mountain gorillas and provides a detailed explanation of what is occurring in the woods. Every visitor wants to follow a very informative ranger guide. Nobody wants a boring, ignorant guide, though.
Park fees are required of all visitors in order to fund the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s conservation efforts. This includes the price of gorilla permits.
Injured mountain gorillas are treated by gorilla doctors using the mountain gorilla pharmaceutical fund. When snares hurt them, for example, they should be helped. To determine the health state of the mountain gorillas, the gorilla physicians occasionally do regular general examinations. All of this needs money.
Habituation and Research on Gorillas
In order to establish new gorilla trekking families, mountain gorillas occasionally need to be habituated. Funding is needed for this procedure. Financial support is even necessary for certain researchers who venture into the field to learn more about the lives of mountain gorillas.
Local community assistance
Although the mountain gorillas occasionally wander into the neighborhood, the local population receives around 20% of the yearly revenues from the sale of gorilla licenses as compensation for the harm they do. They utilize money to fund community initiatives like building roads, water sources, hospitals, and much more.
How Secure Is Ugandan Gorilla Trekking?
Due to the ranger guides’ diligence in keeping an eye on the national parks, the gorilla trekking region in Uganda is safe. A team of ranger guides go into the forest every day to learn more about the mountain gorillas’ daily routines and their anticipated locations. They provide the relevant authorities this report.
In order to safeguard both the people and the mountain gorillas, the ranger guides collaborate with other Ugandan security agencies.
Additionally, you should consider your own safety by avoiding consuming food from the street, which can lead to food sickness. You might not be able to go gorilla trekking since it is not recommended for someone with a contagious disease to enter the jungle.
Never go into the forest without a ranger guide accompanying you. Some of them, like the deadly forest elephants, might not be good for you. Having someone who could frighten them away would be ideal. If you are by yourself, you may even become lost in the wilderness.
You could attract the wrong individuals if you count big quantities of money in public.
If you’re going gorilla trekking for the first time, you can get lost, so drive yourself. Due to inadequate labeling, using Google Maps in Uganda might not be possible.
To be in the proper position in this jungle, pack the appropriate gorilla trekking equipment, such as bug repellent and safari shoes. Additionally, there are a lot of biting nettles, so think about wearing anything that will protect your body from these surfaces.
Guidelines for Ugandan Gorilla Trekking.
Gorilla hiking is a mandatory for all trekkers, and all tourists are expected to wear masks. Additionally, as a precautionary step determined by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to stop the transmission of illnesses, make sure you clean your shoes.
When you find the mountain gorillas, stay in a close-knit hiking group. When you see mountain gorillas, stay away from them. Avoid causing them any agitation by others around them, since this might cause them to go into hiding.
In order to avoid frightening mountain gorillas, who are extremely sensitive to trespassers, or other forest inhabitants that may be enjoyable to interact with when gorilla trekking, it is recommended that you speak quietly or without raising your voice.
Because the mountain gorillas are extremely vulnerable to diseases like the flu, cholera, corona virus, ebola, etc., no one with a communicable disease is allowed to visit them.
Because mountain gorillas become frightened of unfamiliar situations in your presence, you should never use flash photography when photographing them.
Because littering changes the forest’s natural habitat, which is home to mountain gorillas, it is prohibited in the area.
Should you need to cough or sneeze, do so in your elbow or away from the mountain gorillas to prevent infecting them.
The mountain gorillas could be compelled to seize and consume it, so if you want to smoke or eat, stay at least 300 meters away from them. This is due to the fact that mountain gorillas are untamed creatures who need to eat.
Gorilla trekking has a 15-year-old age restriction. This is due to the fact that the best time to find mountain gorillas has not yet been determined. As a result, these kids might not be able to hike the hillsides where the mountain gorillas would be relaxing.
You can only spend an hour finding the mountain gorillas. To preserve memories of your encounter with the mountain gorillas, you must make good use of it.
It is prohibited to provoke mountain gorillas since doing so might disturb them and lead them to hide. Despite their calm exterior, they are emotional beings with mood swings.
To lessen the possibility of infecting the mountain gorillas, keep a distance of around 8 meters after you find them.
All fecal wastes must be buried around 30 cm deep if you plan to take calls. Request that the ranger guide excavate it and completely cover it thereafter. In order to avoid exhuming this trash, the mountain gorillas and other forest inhabitants may want to hide it.
Steer clear of spitting on plants that the mountain gorillas eat. Because it might taint the flora that mountain gorillas rely on for sustenance, this is prohibited. This is also unsanitary and repulsive to ordinary hikers.
