Uganda Gorilla Trekking From Kigali. - The African Encounters

Can gorillas be kept in a museum?

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is considered the most popular activity in the country. The country is highly endowed with rare human-like primate species like endangered mountain gorillas in big numbers and gives access to its visitors to encounter and spend quality time with the mountain gorillas.

Gorilla trekking is considered the most thrilling wildlife activity in the world and while there are only a thousand mountain gorillas remaining in the wild, Uganda shelters almost half of them and over 500 gorilla individuals in their natural habitats. Uganda has become famous and attracted both domestic and international visitors who come to have a lifetime experience with the primates.

There are only two gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda and during the peak season, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga and all the holiday accommodations in the neighborhood are almost inaccessible. Visitors flock to these spots like no man’s business to explore and have the best with the country’s treasures of mountain gorillas.

There are 21 habituated groups in Bwindi’s Impenetrable National Park alone making it one of the biggest hosts of mountain gorillas in the world while Mgahinga only shelters one habituated gorilla family named “Nyakagezi”. Each gorilla family group is led and dominated by one alpha male known as a “Silverback”. Silverback ensures safety and that there are no external threats to the family.

Trekkers are grouped into groups of 8 and each is allocated to one particular gorilla family, and once the tracked gorilla family is located, visitors are only limited to one hour of encountering these primates and no extra minute. This is to ensure that the transmittable diseases are somehow suppressed.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from Kigali requires visitors to wake up in the wee hours of the morning at around 4:00 am to prepare for a journey of about 3 hours by road from Kigali to Mgahinga or Bwindi national park where the gorilla trekking tours commence from.

How Much Is Gorilla Trekking In Uganda?

All the gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda including Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park charge the same price for a gorilla trekking permit, and a gorilla trekking permit is a must-carry document that allows visitors to access gorillas and engage in gorilla trekking activities.

Gorilla trekking permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and are valid for 24 hours, they cost 700 USD per person for foreign nonresidents, 600 USD for foreign residents and 250, 000 UGX for East African citizens. These charges do not include the porter’s fee or any other extra services offered and therefore porters are to be paid separately.

Gorilla Trekking Packing List.

One of the vital parts that visitors are advised to consider is the gorilla trekking packing list. Gorilla trekking as a tourism activity in general is expensive and somehow costly but the reward is worth every penny spent. Some items are a must in preparation for this lifetime wildlife activity and these include;

All the essential documents including visitor’s travel documents and valid passports should be carried while accessing the gorilla trekking destinations.

A gorilla trekking permit is a must for visitors to access and engage in gorilla trekking tours. Without a gorilla trekking permit, visitors cannot get a chance to access and encounter mountain gorillas. A yellow fever vaccination card is also a necessary document to ensure visitors don’t carry transmittable diseases.

Visitors are advised to pack enough food and water, taking long walks requires refreshing and eating something to fill up.

Sometimes gorilla trekking takes about six full hours depending on the location of the mountain gorillas so trekkers must be well equipped with food and enough drinking water. However, visitors are restricted to eating, smoking, and drinking in the presence of these human-like primate species.

African weather is absolutely unpredictable and therefore visitors are advised to carry warm clothing such as jackets, gloves, and long stockings. Sometimes the trekking routes are muddy and covered with lush vegetation making them inaccessible and this might require a strong hiking shoe.

Visitors should acquire quality cameras with extra memory to take memorable shots of scenic African wildlife and gorilla shots plus other mammal species in the park. Binoculars will also help visitors to have clear wildlife views of animal species like African elephants, buffaloes, and lions among others.

Trekkers will also be required to carry walking sticks to help them get through dense lush vegetation and hike hilly slopes especially when the trekking routes are somehow muddy and slippery. The walking sticks cost no money and are freely provided at the park’s headquarters right away after the briefing.