Best place for gorilla trekking (Uganda Rwanda or Democratic Republic of Congo) : Gorilla trekking is and extra ordinary activity that involves visitors moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated mountain gorillas and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking is one of the adventurous activities that attract big numbers of tourists and trekking is carried out in three African countries that is Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Where to go for gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking in Uganda
Uganda is one of the most visited gorilla destinations due to the fact that it harbors half of the world’s mountain gorilla population .Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done in two national parks namely Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park both located in southwestern region. Bwindi impenetrable national park is the best pace for gorilla trekking in that it harbors the highest number of mountain gorillas. Bwindi impenetrable national park is a home of over 21 habituated gorilla families which are found in four sectors namely Buhoma sector in the north, Rushaga sector in the south, Ruhija sector in the east and Nkuringo sector in the south and Mgahinga gorilla national park is a home of 1 habituated gorilla family Nyakagezi and all the gorilla families are available for trekking daily.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is only done in volcanoes national park which is located in the northwestern part of the country in Musanze village bordering with Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda and Virunga national park in Congo. Volcanoes national park is the second best destination for gorilla trekking after Bwindi impenetrable national park and it’s a home of over 10 habituated gorilla families which are open for trekking on a daily basis.
Gorilla trekking in Congo
Congo is another destination that offers the interesting gorilla trekking adventure which is done in two national parks namely Virunga national park which harbors the mountain gorillas and Kahuzi Biega national park which harbors the eastern lowland gorillas. Virunga national park is a home of about 8 habituated gorilla families which are open for trekking daily and Kahuzi Biega national park is a home of 5 habituated gorilla families which are available for trekking daily.
Gorilla trekking experience
Gorilla trekking in all the destinations that is Bwindi impenetrable national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Volcanoes national park, Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will be sub-divided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and an experienced park guide who is well conversant with gorilla trails to follow. Trekking of mountain gorillas takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, mammals, different bird species, plants among others and once the gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural environment which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, groom young ones, take photos and record the incredible moments to show people back home after the safari.
Best time to go for a gorilla trekking safari
Gorilla trekking can be done anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February because during this period there is less or little rainfall in the gorilla trekking destinations therefore access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable which make trekking easy compared to the rainy season when the trails are muddy and slippery which make trekking difficult.
Cost of gorilla trekking permits
Gorilla trekking permits are legal cards or documents that are issued to visitors above the age of 15 years allowing them to visit habituated gorilla families and spend one hour with them in their habitat. Cost of gorilla trekking permits vary depending on the destination you wish to visit for example gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park cost 700 USD per person for foreign non residents, 600 USD per person for foreign residents and 250,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
Gorilla trekking permits in Volcanoes national park cost 1,500 USD per person for all nationalities and gorilla trekking permits in Democratic Republic of Congo cost 400 USD per person for foreign non residents and foreign residents and 200 USD for Congolese citizens.
How to book gorilla trekking permits
Gorilla trekking permits can either be booked directly through Uganda wildlife Authority (UWA) a government body in charge of tourism in Uganda, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) a government body in charge of tourism in Rwanda and Virunga tourism office in Congo where you will contact the park head offices via email or telephone call. Gorilla trekking permits can also be booked directly through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the date, month, year and gorilla destination that you wish to visit. After contacting us, we will check for permit availability and if there are permits available on your preferred dates, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. Once we receive the money, we will purchase the permits on your behalf, Best place for gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo should however be booked 3 to 6 months in advance before the trekking date because they are competitive and usually get sold out quickly especially during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February therefore in order to avoid last minute disappointments, you are advised to book in advance, Best place for gorilla trekking.
Best place for gorilla trekking depends on the clients preference as gorilla trekking is an adventurous activity that is done in Bwindi impenetrable national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Volcanoes national park, Virunga national park or Kahuzi Biega national park. You can contact us at Achieve Global Safaris for various gorilla trekking packages.
