Gorilla Trekking in The Wet Season

During the wet season, you can still plan to do gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda. In general, the wet season in Rwanda or Uganda is normally March, April, November but no extreme conditions can stop this adventure from happening.

Volcanoes forest in Rwanda or Bwindi forest or Mgahinga forest are rain forests expected to receive rain anytime almost the entire year but gorilla safaris still happen. Tourists are encouraged to carry rainproof gears no matter the season they hope to travel for this adventure. Rain in the Virunga area falls anytime without warning. Enquire Now

Wear waterproof safari boots for gorilla trekking as the ground is wet most of the time because when it falls, less sunlight sips through the dense leaves to dry up the ground and therefore the trails remain soggy.

Do not gorilla trekking in the wet season opens more opportunities to enjoying unpaid for solo gorilla trekking adventure since fewer or no other tourists may be booked for this adventure on your day.

Finding the mountain gorillas is guaranteed in the wet season too although they spend most of their time in sheltered spot s of the jungle.

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Where to do gorilla trekking in Rwanda

In North western part of Rwanda is the only home for gorilla trekking in Rwanda. Gorilla trekking in this park is normally steep as the topography of this park is influenced by the presence of several highlands including five of the famous Virunga volcanoes that is Muhavura, BIsoke and more.

A part from the mountain gorillas, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is home to several other primates including black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey and more. From Kigali city, the drive to Volcanoes National Park is about three hours through winding roads.

Where to do Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the homes of gorilla trekking in Uganda situated in southwestern Uganda.  This park hosts the largest population of mountain gorillas with almost half the total number there is in the world.

Bwindi is a native world meaning impenetrable and indeed this double meaning serves rift for this park because of its dense canopy. The size of Bwindi forest is vast so for better administration, it was divided into four areas that is Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga and Nkuringo and its under these that gorilla permits are booked. At the moment about 22 gorilla trekking families and four gorilla habituation experience families are open to the public.

As a biosphere reserve, Bwindi forest is home to 10 primate species, 350 bird species, 88 moths, 312 butterflies, other mammals including rare forest elephants, duikers and more.

Stunning features including water falls, amazing land forms, stunning views, evergreen lush vegetation and more from some of the amazing features of Bwindi forest.

Do not forget to book necessary accommodation to use during gorilla trekking because it is better the spend the night before this adventure closer to the Bwindi park area where your permit is booked.  

Mgahinga National Park is one of the still authentic gorilla safari destinations with fewer tourists visiting because the park currently has only one gorilla trekking called Nyakagezi. Compared to other safari destinations, Mgahinga forest vegetation is less disturbed with amazing views from surrounding highlands.

Currently 8 gorilla trekking permits for Mgahinga National Park are open to the public each day and you can book them in advance.  The advantage of this opportunity to watch the authentic day life of these mountain gorillas,

Golden monkey trekking or golden monkey habituation is open to the public in Mgahinga National Park. Golden monkeys are an endangered species in the world with about 4000 of them living. They are charming monkeys with golden brown hairs in the back. Even though golden monkeys are habituated, they still posses their natural traits.

The presence of the three of the six Virunga Volcanoes that form the topography of Mgahinga National Park is amazing. These three volcanoes include Mountain Gahinga, Muhavura and Sabyinyo. A guided excursion hike on either of these mountains ends in a stunning view of the Virunga area.

What Are The Requirements For Gorilla Trekking In The Wet Season

Obtain a Gorilla Trekking permit on a date most desirable for you. It is best to book the gorilla permit in advance as the rest of the necessary safari logistical reservations depend on the permit.

Reserve accommodation to use during gorilla trekking. For gorilla trekking in Bwindi, book accommodation closer to where your gorilla permit was booked to avoid having to wake up early morning to catch up with briefing in another area.

Stay fit for gorilla trekking because of the nature of the terrain of Virunga area which was affected by serious volcanic actions that ended in the formation of different features. At time the mountain gorillas live on the slopes or deep in the valley.

Being in company of a professional and experienced driver guide is an added advantage to enjoying gorilla trekking beyond your expectations. In case you take the road trip to do gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda, the driver guide interacts with you and offers more information about these safari destinations.

Do not forget to pack the necessary gorilla trekking gears including safari boots, rain proof gears, long sleeved shirt, safari hat, long sleeved shirt and trousers, first aid kit, back pack and more. The ground in the forest is soggy most of the time because of the regular rains that fall yet less sunlight sips through the dense canopy to the ground.

Prepare to attend compulsory briefing on gorilla trekking where details about the most recent information about the mountain gorillas is communicated. Adhere to the rules of gorilla trekking in order to have a great time with the mountain gorillas because they are very sensitive to intruders in their vicinity.

How Sure Can I Be To See The Mountain Gorillas In The Wet Season

Seeing the mountain gorillas in the wet season is guaranteed as these primates are present in the forest no matter the season. The wet season which is normally March to May and November is characterized by heavy down pour which keeps the mountain gorillas in sheltered spots of the forest including up in the trees.

Mountain gorillas go through the gorilla habituation process that helps them get accustomed to human presence atleast for an hour. This is why when you find the gorillas ranger guides remind you of the guidelines of gorilla trekking that enable you to stay with these primates without causing serious tension.

A team of ranger guides gets up earlier to follow up the mountain gorillas from nesting spot them establish possible feeding location for the day. Some of these clues are what ranger guides with tourists use to trace the gorilla family allocated to them.

Mountain gorillas leave clues behind while they relocate and these are some of the items to use when search for them including hairs, freshly chewed foliage, foot prints and more.

The bulky bodies of the mountain gorillas with about 200 kilograms for an adult male and about half for a female gorilla do not permit them to move fast especially in such rugged terrain.

What To Expect During Gorilla Trekking In The Wet Season

The ground is wet most of the time during the wet season since the sun doesn’t normally shine bright in this area during wet season. The tree leaves are too dense to allow sunrays to filter through to the ground.

Rain falls almost the entire day so carry some warmers and rain proof gears to used during gorilla trekking. Temperatures in the Virunga area normally drop during the west season and environment misty almost the entire day.

There no toilets in the jungle so from the start of the gorilla trek, prepare yourself or request the ranger guide to dig a hole for you to take long calls then cover well beyond recognition.

At the ranger station, expect to find other tourists with whom you are allocated a gorilla trekking family. Try not to delay the rest of the trekker because you are not sure when to find the mountain gorillas.

The roads leading to the gorilla trekking destinations are normally messier in the wet season. Do hire a 4×4 wheel drive vehicle in good condition to get you to the park.

The accommodations at the gorilla trekking destinations are categorized into upmarket, mid-range and basic. Do cross check the inclusions and exclusions in the cost of accommodation to use during safari in order to plan accordingly.

Are Mountain Gorilla Safe To Be Round During Gorilla Trekking

Mountain gorillas are safe to be around because of the nature of their characters. By nature mountain gorillas are serene primates that present fewer chances of raging. Most of the times mountain gorillas prefer to retreat into the deeper ends of the forest when agitated.

Each gorilla family is first habituated for unknown period before opening them for the public to visit.  During this period, the gorilla family is slowly helped to get used to human presence without altering their nature. Only one hours is allowed with these gorillas during gorilla trekking.

Before gorilla trekking, every tourist must attend briefing where details about what to expect when with the mountain gorillas is communicated and the most recent information about a particular gorilla family is communicated. In case you notice some odd behavior amongst the gorillas, you are requested not to panic and run away but remain steady as the ranger guide provides the right direction to take.

While on gorilla trekking adventure, avoid staring in the deep brown eyes of the mountain gorillas as this irritates them. Keep your hands away from the adorable gorilla infants even when them approach you.

Try to maintain the 8 meters apart gap from the mountain gorillas during gorilla trekking to avoid getting too close to these gorillas. This will give you chance to get away without being noticed by the gorilla family incase need arises. Remember mountain gorillas are never aggressive.

Every gorilla trekking adventure is in company of a professional ranger guide  and tourism police officer who carry emergency weapons in case need arises.

Which is the best country to visit for gorilla trekking in the wet season Uganda or Rwanda

Both Uganda and Rwanda are some of the best gorilla trekking destinations and are open for this adventure throughout the year.

The few difference in gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda include

The cost of the gorilla permit where currently the Rwanda permit costs $1500 and Uganda is $800 per person.

From Kigali international Airport, the drive to Volcanoes National Park is about 3 hours whereas the drive from Entebbe Airport in Uganda to Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park is about 8 to 9 hours.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is quite steep because of the presence of five of the six Virunga Volcanoes in Volcanoes National Park. Even gorilla trekking in Uganda is in a rugged area with several highlands but this is not so steep.

From gorilla trekking in Uganda, there other optional Uganda safari activities you can engage in including chimpanzee trekking, birding in Uganda, visit source of river Nile and more. Rwanda has limited optional safari activities to engage in after gorilla trekking including game safaris in Akagera National Park, birding in Rwanda and more.

Other than gorilla trekking in Uganda, one can do gorilla habituation experience in Uganda where four hours are allowed with the semi-habituated gorilla family

Is It Worth Doing Gorilla Trekking In Uganda Or Rwanda During The Wet Season

Gorilla trekking Rwanda or Uganda in the wet season is a great choice too since the mountain gorillas do not normally move from particular locations most of the time.

Fewer tourists are expected to attend gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda in the wet season so opening chances of unpaid or solo gorilla trekking experience.

There is plenty of food to feed on during the wet season and less competition from other forest inhabitants.

In Rwanda gorilla permit discounts are normally extended to tourists during the wet season when fewer tourists are expected in the country however this decision is left to the management of Rwanda Development Board. Gorilla trekking is an unforgettable safari adventure that is a once in a life time experience.  Engaging in this safari adventure is unforgettable.

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