How To Do Gorilla Habituation Experience, Gorilla Trekking And Chimpanzee trekking Safari

How To Do Gorilla Habituation Experience, Gorilla Trekking And Chimpanzee trekking Safari

You can plan the gorilla trekking, gorilla habituation experience and chimpanzees trekking in one 6 day Uganda safari. Note that gorillas and chimpanzees safaris require you to book the permit first. For gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Uganda, only one hour is allowed with the fully habituated mountain gorillas. During gorilla habituation experience maximum 4 tourists accompany a team of researchers and ranger guides to find semi-habituated gorilla families and spend four hours with them. Contact Us

The Uganda safari destinations where you can do gorilla and chimpanzee safaris include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park the southern part of the park and Kibale National Park in western Uganda.

High lights of Gorilla trekking, Gorilla Habituation Experience and Chimpanzee Trekking safari in Uganda

Day 1 Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 2 Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 3 Gorilla Habituation experience

Day 4 Drive To Kibale National Park

Day 5 Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda

Day 6 Departure

Details of 6 day Gorilla Trekking, Gorilla Habituation experience And Chimpanzee Trekking in Ugand

Day 1 Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National

Early morning, start the drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park going past interesting features. The drive to Bwindi forest is bumpy and dusty as several vehicles use the same road. The drive from Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is about 530 kilometers at a time of approximately 8 t 9 hours.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a dense rain forest situated in the southwestern part of Uganda. The forests is home to about 10 primates including mountain gorillas, wild chimpanzees, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, olive baboons and others. More than 350 bird species have been recorded as residents of Bwindi forest.

Bwindi impenetrable National Park is vast so it was subdivided into four areas that is Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga. For Gorilla Habituation experience this happens in the southern part Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Check into your accommodation

Bwindi Accommodations Gorilla Safari lodge, Clouds lodge, Nshongi Camp, Nkuringo Safari lodge, Backpackers ‘s Camp

Day 2 Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Wake up for breakfast and head to the ranger guide for briefing then together with other tourists, move into the forest using the trial heads that are commonly used by regular visitors to Bwindi forest. On the way, you may spot a number of other primates including olive baboons, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys and others.

Several birds are residents of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and may be spotted on the way to find these primates. Finally when you get to find the mountain gorillas you are filled with anxiety and excitement at this moment observe there behavior and enjoy each moment as it unfolds. It is hard to determine what the next move of the gorilla family may be because, they are not choreographed to do these in front of there visitors.

After an hour, get away from the mountain gorillas as only one hour is allowed with the fully habituated mountain gorillas as a conservation measure.

Get back to your lodge

Day 3 Gorilla Habituation experience

Rise up early for breakfast and head to the ranger station fir briefing briefing. In company of the ranger guide and researchers, search for the mountain gorillas. Remember they are semi-habituated mountain gorillas that are not yet used to humans presence so expect some odd behaviors.

On the way, you get to by pass a dense network of rivers that crisscross the Bwindi forest leaving it wet most of the time. There is normally less sunray that penetrates to the ground to reduce on the heavy precipitation. Expect more rain to fall without warning because this area receives rain anytime without warning.

Finally when you find the mountain gorillas, they may try to tease you, may hide, the environment is quite tense, but try to keep your nerves under control. You may find a new recruit who may have never met the humans that required to be handled with great care. During the gorilla habituation process, the researchers and habituators try to get the dominant male Silverback to adopt to their presence as he is the commander in chief.

Even when the mountain gorillas charge, donot panic but show submissions because running may end in causing a stampede in the forest. Ensure to follow the guidelines from the ranger guide so that you can enjoy more time with the mountain gorillas. Four hours are allowed with the mountain gorillas during the gorilla habituation experience.

Get back to your accommodation to relax.

Day 4 Drive To Kibale National Park

Get up for breakfast and drive to Kibale National Park. Kibale National Park is a tropical rain forest situated in western Uganda. This is a tropical rain forest which hosts about 13 primates species including chimpanzees, pottos, grey cheeked mangabey, black and white colobus, blue monkeys and others. A number of birds are residents of this park too. Arrive ready to check into your room ready for dinner and overnight.

Accommodations in Kibale National Park Primates lodge, Ndali lodge, Chimpanzee Guesthouse,

Day 5 Chimpanzee Trekking In Uganda

Wake up early for briefing and head to the ranger station for briefing. Carrying your chimpanzee habituation experience gears, accompany the researchers and ranger guides in the forest to find the chimpanzees. The chimpanzees under the chimpanzees habituation experience are semi-habituated and may show some odd behavior including hooting, beating tree trunks and others.

Following these chimpanzees is quite interesting because they move at any time and may end up running into the deeper ends of the forest. To find these chimpanzees, you may have to follow the clues they live behind including dung, freshly chewed foliage and others. Enjoy every moment that unfolds right before your eyes. Have four hours with the chimpanzees because they may run away into hiding any moment.

Day 6 Departure

After the gorilla trekking, gorilla habituation experience and chimpanzee trekking, depart to the airport.

When Is The Best Time To Do Gorilla Trekking, Gorilla Habituation Experience And Chimpanzee Trekking Safari

The best time to do the gorilla habituation experience, gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking safari is the dry season that is June to September and December to February. The ground even though expected to be wet most of the time because of the regular rains that fall without warning. There ground is dryer and trails quicker to explore. Even though Bwindi forest and Kibale forests have poor lighting when taking photographs, the dry season is better since more light penetrates down to the ground.

Even the mountain gorillas are quicker to spot in the dry season as they try to find better food sources away from the lower levels.  Other forest inhabitants may show up including other primates. Even in Kibale National Park, the chimpanzees spend most of there time closer to the ground. The birds that are residents of Bwindi or Kibale forest may show up any moment as you walk through the forest.

There is normally high competition for Uganda safaris in the dry season which serves as the peak tourism season on the country. Expect to find other tourists in ground even though they are not over whelming.

During the wet season, the gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safaris in Africa may have less demand but expect to see the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees no matter the season. Those who wish to have full attention may take advantage of the low season when less tourists travel into Uganda. There are more chances to find the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees.

What Is The Cost Of The Gorilla And Chimpanzee Safari In Uganda

The cost of the gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda is classified into Luxury, mid-range and basic. The cost of the gorilla and chimpanzee safaris start with the permit costs that is currently the cost of the gorilla habituation experience permit is $1500 for foreign nonresidents, $1000 for international residents and Other Africans and $200 for East Africans. The gorilla trekking permits cost $800 for international nonresidents, $700 for International residents and 300000 shs for East Africans. The chimpanzee trekking permit cost in Uganda is $250 for International nonresidents, $200 for international residents and 180000shs for East Africans.

There are other costs expected to be incurred during the gorilla habituation experience, gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking safaris in Uganda include accommodations, transport costs and others. The cost of these amenities varies with your budget and expectations.

Is The Cost Of The Gorilla Habituation Experience, Gorilla Trekking And Chimpanzee Trekking Worth The Money

The cost of the gorilla habituation experience, gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking safari is worth the money as you get to see some of the largest primates in Africa. In the entire world, Uganda is one of the only three destinations in the world where mountain gorillas live.

By doing gorilla habituation and gorilla trekking in one safari, you get the opportunity to find the difference between the two encounters with the mountain gorillas. Uganda is African’s primates haven with more than 13 primates some of which include black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey and others.

Uganda hosts more than 400 mountain gorillas of the population of more than 1000 mountain gorillas there is in the entire world. This is almost half the total number of population of the mountain gorillas in the world.

Standing a few meters away from the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees is a lifetime experience worth enjoying. Part of the money collected from the sell of the gorilla or chimpanzee permits is used to support the conservation of the mountain gorillas, another for community support and much more. Gorilla and chimpanzee safaris are dream come true safaris that many have experienced and worth every penny.

How Long Is The Gorillas And Chimpanzee Safari In Uganda

The time taken on the gorilla and chimpanzee safaris in Uganda may range from 2 hours to more but note that the time of locating the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees varies with the conditions prevailing at the moment. To find the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees, you need to bear some level of patience and fitness.

During the search for the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, some of the encounters on the way may include flooding rivers, slippery trails from rotting matter, high precipitation in the forest and much more. At times the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees may spend time in the deeper ends of the forest or may move because of the food scarcity in the forest. Tourists are requested to have some level of patience.

During gorilla and chimpanzee trekking since these are fully habituated primates so only one hour is allowed with them. For gorilla habituation experience only four hours are allowed with the mountain gorillas because they can easily run into hiding because they are semi-habituated.

Are mountain gorillas or chimpanzees in Uganda safe to visit

Visiting the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees is safe because these primates are first habituated before opening them to the public. The mountain gorillas or chimpanzees have about 98% human DNA so they behave in a manner that is quite similar to that of humans.

They are serene animals that are peace makers and tourists are expected to follow the rules of gorilla and chimpanzee trekking as these were set by researchers who have over time learned and observed the behaviors of these primates.

There are well trained ranger guides who brief tourists about what they are expected to do when and before finding the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees. No matter how many times you go on gorilla or chimpanzee safari in Uganda, attending briefing is compulsory.

As a tourists, you must not penetrate the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Kibale National Park without a ranger guide because you may encounter other forest dwellers that may hurt you. When you finally locate the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees, you need to stay calm and wait for the ranger guide to provide instructions in case you observe some odd behavior amongst the primates.