Best place to go for gorilla trekking; Gorilla trekking is an extraordinary activity that involves visitors moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated gorilla families and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Gorillas are found in three African countries including Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo which offer the adventurous gorilla trekking experience.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda
Uganda is known as the top gorilla destination in Africa in that it harbors the highest number of mountain gorillas which are found in two national parks namely Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park. Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda in Kanungu district and it’s the most visited gorilla destination in Uganda due to the fact that is harbors more than 22 habituated gorilla families which are found in four sectors namely Rushaga sector in the south, Buhoma sector in the north, Nkuringo sector in the south and Ruhija sector in the east.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda is also done in Mgahinga gorilla national park which is located in southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro district bordering with Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Congo. Mgahinga gorilla national park is a home of one habituated gorilla family Nyakagezi which is open for visitors daily.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Rwanda is another destination that offers the adventurous gorilla trekking experience which is done in Volcanoes national park in northwestern part of Rwanda in Musanze village neighboring with Mgahinga gorilla national park and Virunga national park. Volcanoes national park is a home of about 10 habituated gorilla families which are available for trekking on a daily basis.
Gorilla trekking in Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo is yet another destination that offers gorilla trekking experience which is done in two national parks that is Virunga gorilla national park and Kahuzi Biega national park. Virunga gorilla national park is located in the eastern part of democratic republic of Congo and it’s a home of about 8 habituated gorilla families namely Bageni, Lulengo, Kabirizi, Humba, Mapuwa, Rugendo, Nyakamwe and Munyaga gorilla families which are open for tourists daily.
Gorilla trekking in Congo is also done in Kahuzi Biega national park which is the only destination that harbors eastern lowland gorillas. Kahuzi Biega national park is a home of 5 habituated gorilla families which are available for trekking on a daily basis including Bonnani, Mpungwe, Chimanuka, Nganwa and Mugahuka gorilla families.
Gorilla trekking experience
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Volcanoes national park, Kahuzi Biega national park and Virunga national park starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in jungle which takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, mammals, variety of bird species, plants among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors, habits, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, breastfeeding, grooming young ones, take photos and record the incredible moments to show people back home after the safari.
Best time to go for gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo can be done anytime throughout the year thought the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season, there is less rainfall in the national parks therefore access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy compared to the wet/ rainy season when the trekking trails are muddy and slippery which make trekking difficult.
Cost of gorilla trekking permits
Gorilla trekking permits are legal documents that are issued to visitors above the age of 15 years allowing them to visit habituated gorilla families and spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Cost of gorilla trekking permits vary according to the destination you wish to visit for example gorilla trekking permits in Uganda cost 700 USD per person for foreign non residents, 600 USD per person for foreign residents and 250,000 USD per person for East African citizens.
Gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda cost 1,500 USD per person for all nationalities and gorilla trekking permits in Democratic Republic of Congo cost 400 USD per person for both foreign non residents and foreign residents, Best place to go for gorilla trekking .
How to book gorilla trekking permits
Gorilla trekking permits can either be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) a government body in charge of tourism in Uganda, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) a government body in Rwanda or through Virunga reservations by contacting the head offices via email or telephone calls, Best place to go for gorilla trekking .
Gorilla trekking permits can also be booked through a trusted tour company like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the dates, month, year and gorilla destination that you wish to visit. After contacting us, we will check for permit availability depending on your preferred dates. If there are permits available, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permits.
Once we receive the payments, we will purchase the permits on your behalf and send you a scanned copy of the receipt as confirmation. Booking gorilla trekking permits through Achieve Global Safaris is the best option to use as we will not only acquire the permits on your behalf but also plan for your entire gorilla trekking safari which involves transportation to the gorilla destination, accommodation and other activities to engage in after gorilla trekking.
Gorilla trekking is an adventurous and exceptional activity that can either be done in Uganda, Rwanda or Democratic Republic of Congo depending on your preference. For more information about the best place to go for gorilla trekking, do not hesitate to contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for affordable gorilla trekking tour packages.
