Finding affordable gorilla safaris packages whether in Uganda or Rwanda depends on your budget. Most of the prepackaged gorilla safaris are categorized into budget, mid-range or budget. The cheapness of the gorilla tours depends on the amount of money you hope to part with to support your holiday in Uganda or Rwanda.
The costs of the gorilla safari starts with the gorilla permit where by the cost of Uganda gorilla permit is currently $700 per person per trek while Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 per person per trek.
In terms of transport, the drive time from Kigali airport in Rwanda to Volcanoes National Park is about 3 hours meaning a shorter distance driven. The drive time from Entebbe airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park is about 8 hours to 9 hours driving for about 530 kilometers or 540 kilometers respectively. More gas is required to drive from Entebbe airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park.
Chances of making stopover safaris before finally reaching the gorilla trekking destination are more open in Uganda. You can break the long journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park with game drives in Lake Mburo national park and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
During the game drives, you may get to see animals like impalas, girafees, zebras, lions, herds of elephants, topis, warthogs, elands, statungas, cape buffaloes, leopards, a launch trip on Kazinga channel and so much more.
Which Country Has The Best Gorilla Safaris Of Uganda And Rwanda?
The moment you stand before the mountain gorillas is unmatched no matter where you are whether in Uganda or Rwanda. The magic moment when you finally come face to face with the mountain gorillas may make you forget what you may have gone through during gorilla safari planning. Some of the traits that can bring out the goodness of gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda include
The number Of Gorilla Permits
Uganda so far has 152 gorilla permits open for public booking from about 19 gorilla families. Additional 16 gorilla permits are open for gorilla habituation experience. Rwanda currently has 96 gorilla permits open for gorilla trekking from 12 gorilla families.
Note that the number of mountain gorilla families expand overtime as gorilla habituation is still happening. This is done to form more gorilla trekking families and enable more people to have an opportunity to see the mountain gorillas.
At the moment, the cost of Rwanda gorilla permit is $1500 per person per trek while Uganda gorilla permit cost is currently $700 per person per trek.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rwanda Development Board encourage tourists to purchase there gorilla permits in full to avoid inconveniences when you forget to top up.
Chances of instalment gorilla permit purchase are available too in both Uganda and Rwanda. You can pay for your gorilla permit in instalments of 30% and 70 % respectively. Note that Instalment gorilla permit is only applicable when you purchase the permit before 90 days to trekking date then must top up before 90 days to trekking date. Failure to comply may cause you to be penalized.
Additional Activities To Combine With Gorilla Trekking
In Uganda, you have a number of options of other safari activities to combine with gorilla trekking safari like gorilla habituation experience, chimpanzee trekking, game drives, visit source of River Nile, Uganda birding, white water rafting, rich cultural experience, Kampala city tour and others.
Rwanda is limited with optional activities to combine with gorilla trekking that is chimpanzee trekking, game drives in Akagera National Park, BIRDING, Kigali city tour, genocide memorial visit and others.
Gorilla Trekking Destinations
Rwanda has only volcanoes national park national park located in North western Rwanda. Uganda hosts almost half the total number of mountain gorilla and these live in two national parks that is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park.
Drive Time To Gorilla Trekking Destinations
The drive time from Kigali airport to Volcanoes National Park is about 3 hours while the drive time from Entebbe Airport or Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is about 8 hours to 9 hours.
On the way to Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park, you can take safari stopovers to do activities like chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park or Kyambura gorge, game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo National Park.
You can do gorilla trekking in Uganda through Rwanda which takes about 5 hours to 6 hour’s drive from Kigali cross via Chanika or Gatuna border into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park.
Is The Cost Of Gorilla Permit Worth?
The cost of the gorilla permit is hefty however, every penny is worth spending on visiting the mountain gorillas. In the entire world. Mountain gorillas are only residents of the three countries that is Uganda, Rwanda and D.R.Congo.
By 1980s, the mountain gorillas were at the rim of extinction according to the census carried out by American primatologist Dian Fossey where the results showed a population of about 250 mountain gorillas living then.
Funds to support the then very endangered mountain gorillas were required as well as reduce on the animosity between humans and the mountain gorillas. This was the birth of gorilla trekking so that humans would have a moment up-close with these mountain gorillas to get into the running of there day today life.
Not only do you walk into the life of some of the presumed remaining wild animals believed to have lived in the dinosaur era but have a moment with some of the most sought after encounters for most adventure seekers.
Mountain gorillas are portrayed in films and animations as aggressive but you get to unearth the truth first hand during gorilla trekking adventure.
Can I Do Gorilla Trekking Safari With Kids?
Doing gorilla trekking with kids depends upon there age. The age limit for gorilla trekking is 15 years and beyond. This is because of the huddles you are likely to find when searching for the mountain gorillas. The wilderness has some rough surfaces that cannot be endured by children below this age.
At a glance, the mountain gorillas are scaring with a dark furred body structure, they walk by knuckle locomotion and have dark brown sunken eyes that may scare a child below 15 years.
Trekkers are advised to keep quiet or talk at a low tone while with the mountain gorillas so as not to scare them. Children below 15 years may not bare the outlook of the mountain gorillas or there provocative nature prompting them to shout. Mountain gorillas are scared by unfamiliar noise in there presence.
When you hope to travel with children to do gorilla trekking, take them through what to expect during gorilla trekking, what is expected of them like the rules of gorilla trekking and repercussions in case violated.
How Aggressive Are Mountain Gorillas And Safety During Gorilla Trekking?
Mountain gorillas in nature are serene and calm primates with less chances of aggression. When you draw closer to these mountain gorillas, they may seem not to mind your presence and keep munching at the foliage. Mountain gorillas are naturally vegetarian with bamboo as there favorite, soft stems, fruits, tubers and others.
Mountain gorillas do not eat meat so do not expect them to grasp you for a meal.
When angry, mountain gorillas thump hard there chests, hoot, pull grass around them and walk on one foot. It is not all the time that when you see mountain gorillas angry that they are agitated by there visitors. At times they have family Freud, are attacked by wild mountain gorillas in a quest for dominancy and so much more.
Upon noticing some odd behavior amongst the mountain gorillas, do not dash away but wait for instructions from the ranger guide because they have experience with the traits of different mountain gorillas. You need to be very obedient so as not to cause commotion in the wilderness.
The silverbacks may want to show off his autonomy to visitors but to enjoy drama and experience of gorilla trekking, you have to pay elegancy.
Safety During Gorilla Trekking
For your safety during gorilla trekking, you need to follow the guidelines or else cause a stampede in the forest.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority or Rwanda Development Board ranger guides are well trained to attend to the mountain gorillas and visitors but your cooperation is required. The ranger guides take you through the dos and do nots of gorilla trekking them two ranger guides one holding a rifle and another a machete escort you into the forest.
The ranger guides follow the pace of the slowest trekker so that none is forgotten in the wilderness but do not delay the rest of the group.
The time taken during gorilla trekking is hard to predict as the mountain gorillas move freely in the wilderness. Some tourists find the mountain gorillas in three hours while others may take more time.
The proximity of the gorilla food, weather conditions of the day, in case of a fight amongst the mountain gorillas, the pace of the trekkers and so much more.
Upon finding the mountain gorillas, you are allowed 1 hours in there presence during gorilla trekking. This is to regulate the amount of time you are in there presence and then permit them to go on with the running of there day today adventures like searching for food, make babies, groom there infants and so much more. Human presence disrupts the mountain gorilla life.
How Can I take more time with the mountain gorillas?
For gorilla trekking, only one hour is restricted in there presence whether in Uganda or Rwanda. This is because they are habituated to be in human presence for that time and when you prolong the time, chances of agitating the mountain gorillas are high.
You can do double gorilla trekking or more times depending on the available number of days on your safari or your physical capability. You need to purchase a gorilla permit for each day.
In Uganda, you can do gorilla habituation experience where you have four hours in the presence of the mountain gorillas. In Uganda gorilla habituation experience happens in southern Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with so far two gorilla families open for this adventure.
Gorilla habituation experience is and adventure where you escort a team of trekkers in the wilderness to search and follow a semi-habituated gorilla family and stay with them for four hours.
Is Gorilla Trekking Difficult?
Gorilla trekking is challenging because of the nature of the terrain that is volcanic and filled with ridges and plateaus over tangled creepers drape. The deeply fissured landscape of steep, slippery valleys stand up high with draughty ridges.
Every moment you hike to find the mountain gorillas is worth your effort as you trek through some of the world’s few left over ancient rain forests. In order not to get tired of searching for the mountain gorillas, focus your search on other interesting features in the forest like black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys. The huge number of birds that live in Virunga area is unmatched.
Do some exercises prior to gorilla trekking so as not to get so tired before completing the gorilla trek. Note that sometimes the mountain gorillas live on the slopes of ridges and deep valleys where you need to hike in order to find them.
To book a gorilla safari, it is best to first reserve the gorilla permit in advance atleast 6 months upfront to a year. This is advised especially for the peak season when demand for gorilla safaris is at its peak. The high tourism season for Uganda and Rwanda is normally June to September and December through January.
Last minute gorilla permits may not available in the peak season but may find some on the low season which is normally March to May and November.
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