Why is Uganda best for gorilla trekking? When you talk about gorilla trekking, Uganda never misses on the top list of 3 gorilla safari destinations in Africa. True, Uganda is best for gorilla trekking for many reasons including pocket-friendly gorilla permits.
Gorilla trekking is mainly conducted in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In these three destinations, there exist fewer than 1063 mountain gorillas.
Trekking through the jungles before you find gorillas can take between 2 and 6 hours depending on how fast you can walk or the location of these apes. But what is most remarkable is that you are guaranteed an hour to enjoy face-to-face with a family of mountain gorillas in the wild.
When choosing a place to visit for gorilla trekking, you have every reason to include Uganda in your bucket list. Here are the top reasons why Uganda is best for gorilla trekking;
Why is Uganda Best for Gorilla Trekking?
Two gorilla safari destinations
Uganda alone has two places where mountain gorilla trekking is conducted which is not the case with Rwanda and Congo. The two gorilla parks avail visitors options to choose the best place for them to visit to spend a gorilla safari holiday. They include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Game Park.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park are found in Southwestern Uganda. These two protected areas all have habituated gorilla groups for tourists to visit to see mountain gorillas in the wild.
Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks account for the five gorilla sectors where gorilla treks begin from. They include 4 regions in Bwindi National Park alone; Ruhija, Buhoma, Rushaga and Nkuringo then Ntebeko sector in Mgahinga National Park. Each of these five regions feature fully habituated gorilla groups.
Gorilla groups to trek
The highest population of already habituated gorilla groups exists in Uganda alone which presents huge opportunity for most trekkers to engage in a gorilla trek compared to any other destination. Currently, the total number of habituated gorilla groups in Uganda stands at about 24 families with 23 of them all existing in Bwindi then one in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
The notable mountain gorilla families to expect to explore include Mubare –the first habituated gorilla group to open for gorilla trekking in Uganda. Other families include Nshongi, Nkuringo, Oruzogo, Christmas, Bweza, Kahungye, Habinyanja, Bitukura, Rushegura, Mishaya, Bikingi, Bushaho and Mukiza, etc. Each group is visited by a maximum of 8 (eight) guests.
The highest concentration of mountain gorillas live in Uganda
Out of the estimated 1063 mountain gorillas which survive on earth, about half of them exist in Uganda. These are inhabited in the two parks; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park.
Affordable gorilla permits
Compared to Rwanda, Uganda is the most affordable gorilla safari destination. This makes it pocket-friendly to majority of trekkers worldwide. A valid gorilla permit in Uganda only costs USD 800 per person compared to USD 1500 in Rwanda. In total, about 192 gorilla permits are always available for visitors to book for gorilla trekking in Uganda alone.
Safety
Uganda is the safest place to visit for gorilla safaris. Visitors can go and engage in a gorilla trek and return safely. Uganda as a country has a record of over 3 decades of prevailing peace and security making it not only a safe place for business, but an ideal destination for gorilla trekking/tourism in general.
Opportunity to combine gorilla trekking & other experiences
A gorilla trip in Uganda allows trekkers to have a combination of experiences besides normal gorilla trekking. You can combine game drives and boat cruise from different destinations such as Lake Mburo National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Game Park and Murchison Falls National Park.
Combining gorilla safaris with visits to some of these parks is a great opportunity for you to encounter the Big game mammals in the wild.
Within Bwindi National Park, there is a chance to include/combine mountain gorilla habituation experience. With gorilla habituation, you spend about the entire day in the jungles while you follow the semi-habituated group of mountain gorillas in order to make them to get used to human presence.
It can take about 2 years or more to make gorillas become comfortable with humans then they are opened officially for gorilla trekking. The gorilla habituation experience is only offered in Uganda’s Bwindi National Park.
Even en-route, you have a chance to enjoy multiple stopovers including the Equator crossing at Kayabwe which you can have prior reaching to Bwindi or Mgahinga.
Best weather for gorilla trekking
Unlike other foreign countries or most African destinations, Uganda enjoys the best weather conditions making it the best for gorilla trekking. Uganda experiences tropical kind of climatic conditions and its weather conditions are favorable all year round. The best period though to consider for gorilla trekking is the dry season. This is recorded from June to September and then December to February –this happens across the two parks; Bwindi and Mgahinga.
What to carry for Uganda gorilla trekking
On your packing list for gorilla trekking in Uganda, do not leave out any of the following items; a camera free of flashlight, insect repellent, a valid gorilla permit and waterproof hiking boots. You also require long trousers, long-sleeved shirts, a sweater, a rain jacket, insect repellents, toiletries, enough snacks and bottled drinking water. On actual gorilla trek, you also need a walking stick and this can be obtained while you are still at the park offices or lodge.
Travel tip
- Book a gorilla permit/gorilla safari in advance before the actual visit to Bwindi or Mgahinga to see mountain gorillas.
- Hire a porter to assist you with heavy luggage. The porters can be found at the park offices during briefing session. You can hire porter services at USD 15-20.
In summary, there is a long list of factors that make Uganda the best for gorilla trekking including affordable gorilla permits, multiple gorilla groups to explore, safe destination to visit, two gorilla safari parks to choose for your gorilla trekking and more.
