Why to do Uganda gorilla safaris starting in Kigali Rwanda
Recently, going gorilla trekking in Uganda via Kigali airport has become a popular safari activity. Because you may enter both Rwanda and Uganda with an East Africa visa, you can enjoy safari experiences in both countries.
You can enter two East African nations with the East African visa without having to reapply. In addition to being neighbors, Rwanda and Uganda are members of the East African community.
It takes five to six hours to drive from Kigali airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park, which crosses the Cyanika or Gatuna border.
It may take eight to nine hours to drive from Entebbe Airport to either Mgahinga National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Stopovers at national parks, such as Lake Mburo National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale National Park, and others, help reduce this travel.
Where in Uganda Can I Go Gorilla Trekking?
Impenetrable National Park in Bwindi
The 327 square kilometer Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southwest Uganda. With a substantial fauna and flora that includes about 51 reptiles, 88 months, 300 trees, 350 bird species, 10 monkey species, including mountain gorillas, and others, this refugia forest is thought to have existed for more than 30,000 years.
About 18 gorilla families reside in four regions of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Rushaga and Nkuringo, the Ruhija, and Buhoma. The southern portion of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is designated as a reserve for two gorilla habituation families.
To plan lodging for gorilla trekking or habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you must be aware of the location of your gorilla permit reservation. This will save you from having to drive late at night to get to a gorilla trekking briefing somewhere else.
In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you can reserve a variety of lodging options for a gorilla safari, including
Among these are Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Bwindi View Bandas, Clouds Lodge, Gorilla Forest Lodge, Engage Lodge, Nkuringo Safari Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Lodge, and Gorilla Safari Lodge.
Park in Mgahinga National
Mgahinga National Park is located in Uganda’s far southwest. Nyakagezi is the name of the only fully habituated mountain gorilla family in the park. In the past, this family of gorillas would migrate into Rwanda. This explains why pre-booking a gorilla permit for Mgahinga National Park was so difficult.
Mgahinga National Park is home to the mountain gorillas, who are available for reservations through the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
It is possible to trek the park’s three unique volcanoes, Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura, and Mountain Sabyinyo, every day. These feature a variety of lovely vegetation zones that are uncommon to see up close.
Other primates found in Mgahinga National Park include Olive Baboons, Vervet Monkeys, Golden Monkeys, Grey Cheeked Mangabeys, Blue Monkeys, and others.
Starting in Kigali, How to Reserve a Gorilla Permit in Uganda
Uganda’s gorilla permit sales and regulations are handled by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Your gorilla permit can be reserved via the Uganda Wildlife Authority or through a tour company such as katland Safaris.
Decide how many persons you want to travel with and the day you want to go gorilla trekking in Uganda. As you describe the wonderful sensations you had when you find the mountain gorillas, the more the better.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority listing must be checked by our safari adviser to see if gorilla permits are available.
The safari consultant will contact you once the answer is affirmative. Since there can only be a maximum of eight gorilla permits per gorilla family, we advise our clients to buy their permits as soon as possible. However, only 152 gorilla licenses are issued daily in Uganda.
You must submit personal information such as your full name as it appears on your passport, date of birth, nationality, and expiration date once your gorilla permit has been properly obtained. These serve as documentation, and some are included to your certificate upon completion of a habituation safari or gorilla trekking.
What Is The Price Of A Ugandan Gorilla Permit?
The cost of a Uganda gorilla permit is 300000 shs for East African residents, $700 for foreign residents, and $800 for foreign nonresidents each trek.
The optimum time to buy a gorilla permit is at least six months in advance because they sell out quickly, particularly during the busiest times of the year, which are June through September and December through January. Finding gorilla permits at the last minute at the busiest time of year is difficult.
Finding last-minute gorilla permits is more likely during the off-peak months of March through May and November, while it is not a given.
What Does the Price of a Uganda Gorilla Permit Include And What Does It Not?
The following is included in the price of a Uganda gorilla permit:
Park admission costs.
safety when trekking for gorillas.
charge for ranger guides.
fee for gorilla conservation.
assistance from the local community.
a certificate following a gorilla hike.
Transportation to the gorilla safari destination, gratuities, porter fees, snacks, a packed lunch, and any other personal belongings are all excluded from a gorilla permit.
Are Gorilla Permit Instalment Purchases Accepted in Uganda?
Although paying in full for your gorilla permit in Uganda is the ideal option, there are situations in which you may be able to pay in installments.
If you reserve your gorilla permit at least 90 days before to the day of trekking, the Uganda Wildlife Authority will allow you to pay 30% or 70% in installments. Before the 90-day gorilla trekking day, you must top up. To avoid being penalized, please top up your gorilla permit.
Due to their limited supply, gorilla permits in Uganda are offered on a first-come, first-served basis; yet, demand for them is high globally.
How Much Does a Rwandan-Uganda Gorilla Safari Cost?
The price of the gorilla safari is categorized as budget, midrange, and luxury. A gorilla permit, which costs $800 per person each trek, is necessary for each.
When calculating the cost of a gorilla safari, several elements are taken into account.
The number of participants in the gorilla safari and the price per person decrease as more sign up.
The cost of the gorilla safari goes up as the number of days increases.
Due to the increased demand for safaris, the gorilla safari packages are more expensive during the peak season.
In addition to gorilla trekking, other activities like wildlife drives and chimpanzee trekking are more expensive.
Is a Gorilla Safari in Uganda Worth the Price?
Although it may appear pricey, the Uganda safari through Rwanda is well worth the money. Some extinct primates thought to have existed during the time of the dinosaurs are the mountain gorillas.
Only the Virunga region, which includes Rwanda, D.R. Congo, and Uganda, is home to mountain gorillas worldwide. By the 1980s, mountain gorillas were in danger of going extinct, according to the population census. American primatologist Dian Fossey reported at the time that there were roughly 300 mountain gorillas. Because of this, mountain gorillas are now considered to be among the world’s most endangered animals, and one way to raise money to help their conservation is through gorilla trekking.
You support the local communities surrounding the mountain gorillas when you get a gorilla permit and go gorilla trekking. Twenty percent of the money made from gorilla safari sales is donated to the local community each year. They use these revenues to promote community projects like the establishment of schools and health facilities, rather than hunting the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Apart from gorilla trekking, what else can I do in Uganda?
Community Visits to Mgahinga National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Around Uganda’s gorilla trekking locations, you can discover more about the local way of life. Communities like the Buhoma hamlet can be toured while in Bwindi’s impenetrable National Park. You can visit a banana beer brewery, a traditional healer, and a blacksmith, among other places. You may witness the traditional healer, homestead, blacksmith, and other items when visiting the Nkuringo community.
The Batwa, who were forced to leave Mgahinga National Park for conservation, can be seen there.
A local Mutwa guide leads the Batwa route, showing you some of the activities that took place in the forest before to their eviction in the 1990s. In their performances, they demonstrate their wild life, gather fruits, make fire from wood, and harvest honey.
A visit to the Garama cave, which is located near the northern edge of the park and just below the plateau, is a must-do while in Batwa. After they raided the Bafumbira’s farmlands, this cave served as a hideaway.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Birdwatching
It’s fantastic to go birdwatching in Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Numerous birds, including endemics of the Albertine Rift, can be found here. Birds such as the Rocky Masked and Chestnut Throated Apalises, Western Green Tibkerbird, Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Batis, Rwenzori Hill, Collared Apalis, Cinnamon Chested Bee Eater, and others may be recognized.
To get the most out of your safari in Mgahinga National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you need a qualified and experienced birding guide.
Trekking with Chimpanzees
You can hike chimpanzees in Kibale National Park or Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park after gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. A chimpanzee hiking permit must be reserved through the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Given that chimpanzees include almost 98% human DNA, it is important to observe the guidelines for chimpanzee trekking.
It takes around four to five hours to drive from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park and then to Kibale National Park. It takes roughly six hours to go to Kibale National Park, so you can see the chimps either before or after gorilla trekking. The closest relatives of humans can be found in the animal kingdom.
Queen Elizabeth National Park Game Drives
You may be able to see a variety of species during an early morning or late afternoon game drive at Queen Elizabeth National Park, including topis, waterbucks, bushbucks, elephant herds, cape buffalo herds, and tree-climbing lions.
You can recognize many of the wild species that inhabit this wonderful park by following their trails.
Murchison Falls National Park Game Drive
Murchison Falls National Park, which is divided by the River Nile, offers game drives. Animals such as giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, oribi, lions, hartebeest, and others can be seen on the park’s northern borders. The best wildlife track with more opportunities for animal drama is Buligi.
In Queen Elizabeth National Park, begin your cruise.
As you take in the riverine fauna, the Kazinga Channel Queen Elizabeth National Park launch cruise is incredible. Numerous untamed creatures spend a portion of their day bathing and drinking by the channel banks. You might see lions, elephants, cape buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, and other wild creatures.
Look for the glistening ice-capped summit of the Rwenzori peaks, which serve as Queen Elizabeth National Park’s backdrop on a clear day.
Murchison Falls National Park Launch Trip
The most thrilling yet spectacular excursion in Murchison Falls National Park is sailing to the falls. Savor the freebies along the banks and refresh your thirst while observing the natural species that live by the river. The Nile River’s shoreline is also home to a variety of birds.
Watch the River Nile as it squirms through a small bend that is only 6 meters wide, then erupts with vigor and a foggy appearance.
Trekking Through Rwenzori
Hiking atop Mount Rwenzori for roughly seven days on the way back is a good way to evaluate your fitness. Savor the various flora zones that make up the fauna on this mountain’s slopes. Mountaineering on Rwenzori is an option, as is gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Go to Lake Bunyonyi
The deepest lake in Uganda, Lake Bunyonyi, is located in Western Uganda and is open for visits. Locally, the word “bunyonyi” means “small birds,” which is appropriate given the abundance of birds that call this lake home.
There are several islands in this lake that you can visit by boat to take in the beautiful surroundings. The punishment island, where girls who became pregnant outside of marriage were abandoned and drowned or killed while attempting to return to the mainland, is the most notable island.
You can swim in Lake Bunyonyi’s water since it is devoid of bilharzia. For some cool moments, zip-line across this lake.
