Luxury gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda : Gorilla trekking is a physically demanding and exciting safari that involves tourists travelling on foot through a tropical rainforest in pursuit of mountain gorillas who have been habituated. Once the gorillas have been located, the tourists spend one hour observing the gorillas in their natural habitat. Luxury gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda is defined by a number of different factors. These factors include the mode of transportation to the gorilla destinations, the type of accommodation where you will be staying, the activities you wish to engage in during the safari, and the length of the gorilla trekking safari, amongst others.
In Uganda, gorilla trekking safari can be done in one of two national parks: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Both of these parks are found in the country’s southwestern region. On the other hand, gorilla trekking safari can only be done in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to one habituated gorilla family, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to approximately 23 habituated gorilla families that are spread across four sectors, namely Buhoma sector, Rushaga sector, Ruhija sector, and Nkuringo sector, and Volcanoes National Park is home to approximately 11 habituated gorilla families that are readily available for trekking on a daily basis.
What to expect on a luxury gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda.
In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Volcanoes National Park, gorilla trekking begins very early in the morning with a training/briefing on the rules and regulations that must be followed during the trek. After the briefing, you will be split up into groups of eight people, and each group will be paired with a family of habituated gorillas to trek, as well as a park guide who is experienced with gorilla tracking routes. Mountain gorillas are nomadic creatures that frequently go from one location to another in search of food. Because of this, trekking mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda can take anything from thirty minutes to seven hours, depending on where the gorillas are located. When you find the mountain gorillas, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. This will give you the opportunity to learn more about their routines and behaviors, watch them eat, breastfeed, and groom young ones, as well as take photos and record videos to show people back home after the safari. Other primates, different bird species, and trees will also be able to be seen during the trek.
Best time to go on a luxury gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda.
The greatest time to go gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda is during the dry season, which is June through August and September and December through February. However, gorilla trekking safari may be done at any time of the year in these two countries. Access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be passable during the dry season because there is little or no rainfall in the national parks during this time. This makes trekking easier than during the rainy season, when the trekking trails are muddy and slippery, making it more difficult.
Cost of gorilla trekking permits in Uganda and Rwanda.Â
A gorilla trekking permit in Volcanoes national park Rwanda costs 1,500 USD per person for all nationalities and a gorilla trekking permit in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park costs 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.
How to book gorilla trekking permits in Uganda and Rwanda.Â
You can book gorilla trekking permits in Uganda and Rwanda directly through the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), which is a government body in charge of tourism in Uganda, or through the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), which is a government body in charge of tourism in Rwanda, by emailing or calling the park headquarters.
You can also book gorilla trekking permits in Uganda and Rwanda through a reputable tour operator such as Primate Holidays. To do so, you will need to email us with the date, month, and year of your desired visit to the gorilla location, as well as the gorilla destination itself. After you have gotten in touch with us, we will investigate whether or not permits are still available for the days that you have selected, and if there are still permits, we will request a payment from you. As soon as we have the funds in hand, we will make the purchase of the permit on your behalf and then e-mail you a scanned copy of the receipt for your records.
Where to stay during your luxury gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda.Â
Bwindi impenetrable national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park and Volcanoes national park have an extensive selection of luxury accommodations where you can stay during your luxury gorilla trekking safari including One and Only Gorillas Nest, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Virunga Inn Resort, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Bisate Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Volcanoes Safari Bwindi Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Mutanda Lake Resort, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Mount Gahinga Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge among others.
How to get to the gorilla destinations.
The next stage, after the purchase of your gorilla trekking permit and the reservation of your luxurious accommodation, is to figure out how to go to the gorilla destination. Volcanoes National Park is reachable by means of road transport, and the journey there from Kigali International airport typically takes between two and three hours.
When planning your luxury gorilla trekking safari, you will book domestic schedule or charter flights from Entebbe airport to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips and then connect to park headquarters if you choose to travel by air. Both Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are accessible by both road and air.
When travelling by car, you will leave Kampala and drive via Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale before arriving at either the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. This journey will take approximately 9 to 10 hours. If you choose to take a road trip during your luxury gorilla trekking safari, you have the option of renting either a safari land cruiser or a safari van, depending on which vehicle better suits your needs.
What to pack/carry on your luxury gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda.
A long-sleeved shirt and trouser, garden gloves, hiking shoes, warm jumper, energy snacks and drinking water, waterproof rain jacket, camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, walking stick and waterproof back pack are just some of the items that you should bring with you on a luxury gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda.
Combining activities like as guided nature walks, bird watching, cultural tours, game drives, and chimpanzee trekking, amongst others, with a luxury gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda may create breathtaking and unforgettable safari memories. You can get in touch with us at Primates Holidays for more information on the luxury gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda, or you can check out our website to learn more about the many gorilla trekking packages we provide.