A guide to gorilla trekking in Uganda

A guide to gorilla trekking in Uganda

A guide to gorilla trekking in Uganda : Gorilla trekking is among the most safari activities to do in Uganda during your Uganda safari, this activity is once – in – a life time experience offering visitors with an opportunity to come in contact with mountain gorillas in the natural habitat.

Mountain gorillas are critically endangered species, however due to the ongoing conservation efforts. The population of mountain gorillas has grown to over 459 individuals as per reports of 2018.

As a tourist planning on visiting Uganda for an encounter with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, this article offers you a guide to seeing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat in Uganda.

Where to Do Your Gorilla Trek in Uganda

Mountain gorillas in Uganda are found in two places that is Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Mgahinga Gorilla national park both found in South Western Region of Uganda.

Bwindi impenetrable national park

Bwindi impenetrable national park is the best place in the world to do gorilla trekking located in South western Uganda on the rim of the Great rift Valley, the park is dominated hills which are mist – covered by one of the ancient and very biologically varied forests in Uganda.

Bwindi impenetrable national park covering an area of 327 square kilometers and its thick forest cover inhabit for over 300 mountain gorillas which is half of the world’s population and the biggest gorilla population.

Mgahinga Gorilla national park

Mgahinga Gorilla national park is the second home to Mountain gorillas in Uganda also found in corner of south western region of Uganda in Kisoro district, the park is at the size of 33.7 square kilometers and is part of the Virunga Conservation Area of 434 square kilometers comprising Virunga national park DR.Congo and Volcanoes national park in Rwanda.

Planning a gorilla safari and gorilla Permits

A gorilla permit allow tourists access to the habitats of mountain gorillas and individuals without it cannot participate in gorilla trekking permit, in Uganda gorilla permits are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority.

A gorilla permit can be purchased directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority or through your safari tour operator, at Petnah Africa Tours and Travel we arrange all aspects of gorilla trekking safari from gorilla permits, accommodations, transportation and airport transfers at a very affordable pricce.

A gorilla permit in Uganda costs

PREPARING FOR THE GORILLA TREK

What to Wear

Proper clothing plays a great role in the gorilla trekking experience in Uganda, gorilla trekking involves hiking through unmarked trails which are normally cleared by rangers during the trekking. These trails running through the jungle will be wet and you may get damp or scratched by thorny trees and flowers if you are not in proper clothing.

During the gorilla trekking experience, you will be walking up and down changing altitudes and because of this, you are advised to wear layers and carry additional outfits to change into (you can take the layer off when it gets hot and add one layer when it gets cold).

The following are the right clothing for gorilla trekking experience in Uganda

• Lightweight waterproof clothing
• Clothing in colors of greens, khakis, and dark colours to blend in with the forest
• Layered clothing
• Long sleeve tops (wear one and carry a spare to change into)
• Long trousers
• Long hiking socks or Gaiters
• Hiking boots

What to Bring

When gorilla trekking, the following items should be included in your small day pack

• A walking stick
• Binoculars
• Gardening gloves (these are useful if you are grabbing trees)
• Insect repellent with high DEET
• Sunscreen
• DSLR Camera
• Basic first aid kit
• Packed lunch or high energy snacks
• Water bottle

Briefing on How to Behave while in the forest and in the presence of the Gorillas

Gorillas are gentle and calm creatures, however they can turn dangerous when they feel threatened or agitated. Because of this, all the trekkers are briefed on how to behave while in the forests of Bwindi and Mgahinga and while in the presence of the gorillas. The briefing is done prior to your trek at the park’s headquarters and is conducted by a senior ranger to ensure you are safe and comfortable in the whole experience, the dos and don’ts include

• Maintain a distance of 7 meters from gorillas
• Keep your voices down at all times
• Do not smoke, drink or eat while in the presence of the gorillas
• Don’t mimic the gestures of the gorillas among others

Gorilla trekking Experience & What to Expect

Gorilla trekking is always an epic experience and one in a life – time experience offering you a face to face encounter with the mountain gorillas in the dense jungle,

Gorilla trekking starts as early as 08:00 am with briefing at the park’s headquarters where you will meet fellow trekkers, then set off in to the rolling hills of Bwindi and descend into the jungle looking for mountain gorillas. The trek is about 2-8 hours depends depending on where the gorillas spent the night., gorillas are always on a move so they can be found anywhere in the jungle of Bwindi and the good thing is the rangers known where to find them (expert trackers set out in the early morning to locate the gorillas and they notify the guides of their location via Walkie talkies).

During the hike through the jungle where the vegetation gets thicker and thicker, the guide paves the way with a machete, you are also escorted by an armed guide with an AK-47 for security purposes, though gorillas are not known for being aggressive.

When you find the gorillas you will blown away by the sights of mountain gorillas hanging in the trees above, female gorillas taking care of their young ones and silverback patrolling the area looking for any sort of threat. The silverback is the alpha male of the group leading females, babies and other young males. The silverback is huge in size measuring almost 2 meters tall and weighs about 300 to 400 pounds.

Being in the presence of mountain gorillas offers a humbling, peaceful and mesmerizing experience, the gorillas are 98% genetically identical to humans and they are known to be the closest relatives to humans in the wild. You will watch them tenderly pick leaves off the branches to eat, mothers attending to their young, plucking bugs out of their hair, babies jump up for a piggyback and rolling around in the grass.

During the gorilla trekking experience, you are to stay in the presence of mountain gorillas for one hour, though it might seem as a short duration. It is very memorable and it will forever hold a place in your heart making gorilla trekking worth being on your bucket list to Africa.

BEST TIME OF YEAR TO GO GORILLA TREKKING

As a tourist, it is possible to purchase gorilla permits all year round. However the best time to go for gorilla trekking is in the dry season that is between January and February and from June to September. During these months the weather is sunny and bright with less chances of rain.

The dry season is also a high season for gorilla permits, so if you are planning to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda it is best to purchase your permits earlier about 3 months or more prior to your safari or during the low season in March, April, May and October.

If you go gorilla trekking during the wet season in the months of March, April, May and October, you should be prepared for long and short period of rain and muddy wet grounds.

Book your gorilla trekking safari to Uganda today with Petnah Africa Tours and Travel