The 5 day Uganda gorilla habituation experience and gorilla trekking in Rwanda is a chance to have extra time with the mountain gorillas while making a comparison between gorilla safaris in Uganda and Rwanda. To get into Uganda from Rwanda, one need to cross either of the two borders Gatuna or Cyanika. Enquire Now
In Uganda gorilla habituation experience is currently happening in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. So far four gorilla habituation experience families are open to the public with four gorilla permits open per day. Four hours are allowed with a semi-habituated gorilla family per day compared to one hour of gorilla trekking.
Rwanda gorilla trekking happens in Volcanoes National Park in North western part of the country. At the moment Rwanda has about 12 gorilla trekking families open to the public.
Highlight of 5 day gorilla habituation Experience Uganda and gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
Day 1 Drive to Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
Day 2 Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
Day 3 Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda
Day 4 Gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda
Day 5 Departure
Details of 5 Day Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda And Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
Day 1 Drive to Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
Early morning, the driver guide will pick you from your hotel to drive to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. The distance to cover is about 104 kilometers taking approximately 3 hours drive through winding roads but scenic.
Volcanoes national Park is the birth spot for the conservation of mountain gorillas where an American Primatologist Dianne Fossey set up a research center in Karisoke in 1967. She and team in the 1980s carried out a Population census on mountain gorillas in the Virunga area where about 250 of these primates were the results at the end. The results put the mountain gorillas on the list of the highly endangered primates in the world.
When the world conservation fraternity got to know about the status of the mountain gorillas, they came in handy to support on the journey to save these primates from the brim of extinction.
At the moment Volcanoes national park is home to 12 gorilla trekking families some include Karisimbi, Amahoro, Umubano, Agashya and more.
Get into Volcanoes National Park and check in at your accommodation;
Volcanoes Accommodation: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Hotel Muhavura, Bisate Gorilla lodge, Kinigi Guest House
Day 2 Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
Get up for break and carry your gorilla trekking gear without forgetting packed lunch. Report to the ranger station for briefing where details about the most recent information about these gentle primates.
You can hire a porter at this point to assist with carrying your gorilla safari gears. Move into the forest to search for the mountain gorillas but along the way, watch out for other primates including black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey and more. More than 200 bird species are residents of Volcanoes forest including Albertine rift endemics.
The trails to use when finding the mountain gorillas are characterized with being wet most of the time from the rivers and streams that normally flood after continued untimely rains that fall around this area.
When you finally get closer to the mountain gorillas, you hear them call out at each other as though alerting them about your presence. At a glance, the presence of mountain gorillas brings mixed feelings of happiness and anxiety because of the dark furred bodies and huge physical appearance.
Take photos or film the mountain gorillas to keep as memories of gorilla trekking adventure. After an hour, get away from the mountain gorillas without causing any alarm.
Day 3 Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda
After breakfast, start the drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda which may take about 5 to 6 hours drive.
Bwindi Impenetrable National park is a biosphere reserve hosting several primates too that is almost half the total number of mountain gorillas there is in the world. Two categorizes of gorilla safaris currently happen in Bwindi that is gorilla trekking with about 23 gorilla families and gorilla habituation experience with 4 gorilla families.
Check into your lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park situated in the southern part of the park. It is best to book accommodations in Bwindi that are situated in the areas within or close to where you are to do Gorilla habituation experience. This is because you can easily get to the briefing point in time for gorilla habituation experience.
Bwindi Accommodation: Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Clouds Lodge, Nshongi Camp
Day 4 Gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda
Start gorilla habituation experience with breakfast and carry packed lunch because you are not sure of when to return. The researchers for the gorilla family with tourists starts from the trail leading where the gorilla family was last seen the previous day.
On the way, you may get to see several other animals that are residents of Bwindi forest with several birds that spend the day in the forest including Albertine Rift endemics. There are stunning features you may come across such as sparkling water falls, various features such as ridges and plateaus.
When you finally locate the mountain gorillas, note that they are still semi-habituated and some are still timid to face humans but the habituators are still trying their best to get them on board. Have some level of patience when with the mountain gorillas and try to watch each step when around them.
Take photos and film the mountain gorillas while watching them go about their day today activities. Do not forget to get your eyes off the lens and directly watch the mountain gorillas. Four hours are allowed with the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation experience.
Return to your lodge to relax
What to expect during gorilla habituation experience
- The gorillas are still doubting the presence of the humans so don’t try to be pushy or else they will go into hiding.
- Some mountain gorilla family members may still be wild and keep into hiding.
- In case the mountain gorillas are agitated, they may act in odd way like pulling grass, hooting, throwing fruits and more.
- Sometimes you may be requested by researchers to help in collecting samples from the mountain gorillas like dung, hairs they leave behind, watch and note down the characters you observe when with the gorillas.
- Four hours are allowed with the mountain gorillas when you locate them during gorilla habituation experience.
- Expect it to fall anytime during gorilla habituation experience so pack the right gears.
Day 5 Departure
Having enjoyed the adventure of gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda, drive to the airport to catch up with your flight back home. You need to book a late night flight to allow you get ready for your flight.
What is the difference between gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda
Gorilla trekking is with a fully habituated gorilla family while gorilla habituation Experience is with semi-habituated gorilla family
One hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas during gorilla trekking while four hours are allowed with mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation experience.
The cost of the Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is $1500 per person per trek while $1500 for the gorilla habituation experience in Uganda.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is in Volcanoes National Park while gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda is in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
At the moment gorilla trekking in Rwanda has 12 gorilla families open to the public with maximum 8 gorilla permits allowed while at the moment 4 gorilla families are open to the public for gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda
How to book Gorilla Permits in Uganda and Rwanda
Choose confirmed or tentative dates when to do gorilla trekking in Rwanda and gorilla habituation experience. Consider those eligible that is 12 years and over for gorilla safaris in Uganda and 15 years and over for gorilla safaris in Rwanda.
Find gorilla permit availability as per your dates of preference and be flexible in case you do not get access to your selected dates. For those with fixed plan of the African safari, you need to book the gorilla permits in Uganda or Rwanda in advance to avoid last minute disappoints.
Purchase the available gorilla permits as soon as you can to avoid missing out on your opportunity as the status of the gorilla permits at Uganda Wildlife Authority or Rwanda Development Board are sold at first come first served basis.
Present some of your personal details to be added to your gorilla permits inclusive of full names as per your passport, nationality, date of birth and more.
How Long Does Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda Or Gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda Take
For gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda, the time to take may vary from 2 hours to over depending in prevailing factors in the forest.
Time of finding the mountain gorillas in the jungle may range from 30 minutes after the staring time to over. Some factors that may affect locating the mountain gorillas include weather condition prevailing, pace of trekkers, mood in the forest and more.
When you locate the mountain gorillas during gorilla trekking in Rwanda only one hour is allowed with them and four hours of gorilla habituation Experience then get back to the lodge.
Do not forget to pack some energy bites to munch on during breaks because breakfast is takes to early to last the entire time during the search for mountain gorillas.
Having some level of fitness helps you not to lag behind which may delay the rest of the gorilla trekkers.
Is Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda and Gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda safe
Both gorilla trekking in Rwanda and gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda are safe because you are in company of the most experienced rangers and researchers with prior knowledge about these primates.
The gorilla families opened for both gorilla habituation experience and gorilla trekking are forest habituated a process that helps them get familiar with the presence of humans. It is only when they are proved ready to meet humans that they are opened to public visits.
Before gorilla habituation experience or gorilla trekking, tourists have to attend a compulsory briefing where detailed updates about the mountain gorillas are communicated including rules of gorilla safaris.
Stay closer to the rest of the gorilla trekkers so that you are not forgotten in the jungle in case you excuse yourself especially during the breaks. The ranger guide follows the slowest trekker but in case you get away without notifying anyone, you can be forgotten in the jungle.
The ranger guide carries a machete and the tourism police personnel carries a riffle in case of need for emergency action. The rangers keep communicating with those at the head office using a radio call so incase more security support is needed this is communicated.
Be careful not to step in some hazardous spots in the jungle but follow the trails constructed by regular gorilla trekkers because there are some unsafe spots.
Which is the best time to do a 5 day gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda
The dry season when the Virunga area is expected to have lees precipitation is the best time to do gorilla safaris in Uganda or Rwanda. The dry season is June, July, August, September, December and January.
Bwindi forest in Uganda and Volcanoes Forests in Rwanda normally receive untimely rains that fall yet lees sunlight filters through the dense leaves to reduce on the amount of moisture in the forest. This is why these forests are ever cold but this is quite different in the dry season.
The dry season in the Virunga forest gives the gorillas chance to spend most of the time closer to the ground searching food sources that can satisfy all members.
The demand to do gorilla safaris in Uganda and Rwanda is high during the dry season too which making finding permits availability a challenge most of the time. The wet season which is March to may and November is open for gorilla safaris in Uganda and Rwanda too. Seeing the mountain gorillas is guaranteed in the wet season too