Best places to do gorilla trekking in Africa.
The best places to do gorilla trekking and worth encountering and experiencing the life of the world’s most gentle giants are Uganda, Rwanda and DRC.
Gorillas are gentle and friendly species which are Human-like in nature and are capable of displaying Human emotions such as joy and sadness. The only way to come close and experience their social life in the preserved Equatorial African rainforests is to Embark on a journey to one of the above East African and Central African countries. The fee collected benefits the countries to boost the tourism sector through protection and conservation of the areas where gorillas take shelter in order to prevent their extinction and it also benefits the park rangers, guides and the local communities around those conservation area.
1.Uganda
Places to visit:
Uganda has two wildlife conservation areas which are favorable for gorilla tracking namely; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which is magnificently situated in the south-westerner Uganda with over 459 individual mountain gorillas, it is as well-known as the best birding destination in Africa. The park covers over 331km2 in Kanungu district which is approximately 440km taking 9-10 hours’ drive from kampala on Road and 106km away from Mgahinga Gorilla National Park also found in south-western Uganda covering over 33.9km2 in Kisoro district taking 2hours and 31minutes drive from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Mgahinga National Park shelters over 300 rare mountain gorillas and it is famously known as a habitat for the endangered Golden monkeys. Both Parks are protected and managed by Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Conservation Trust (MBIFCT), Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and other Organizations which guarantees safety of visitors as well as the gorillas. There are well trained and experienced trekking guides who are verily knowledgeable about all the trails in different sectors in the national parks which gives our esteemed tourists a chance to come close to one of the 19 gorilla families including their adorable infants. This will give you fondest memories of a life time while in the pearl of Africa.
When to visit:
Gorilla trekking can be done anytime though the best time to go on a trek is during the dry season between June to September and December to February because gorillas are afraid of water and they always feel miserable in the rain hence hide in case there are caves or a shelter around to avoid the downpour in the wet season, this lowers the chances of coming in contact with the gorillas.
Things to know before going for gorilla trekking:
The only way to be assured on an official gorilla trekking safari in Uganda is to book a gorilla permit which now costs $700 for foreign nonresidents and $600 for foreign residents of East Africa before arriving in Uganda in order to have access to gorillas in the mentioned parks. This permit allows access to one of the gorilla family only for 1 hour however if you wish to have longer hours with the gorillas, there is another option of Gorilla Habituation. The Habituation permit costs around $1500 which extends the time to at least 4 hours with one of the 2 gorilla families specifically reserved for habituation. You can get the permit through a licensed tour company in Uganda like Enjoy Safaris Africa. Gorilla trekking is a challenging adventure which requires physical fitness because it involves hiking in the dense rain forest.
Rwanda
Where to visit:
Rwanda has one of the most biographically diverse area known as Volcanoes National Park in Musanze mainly located in the northwestern Rwanda. The park covers 160km2 and encompasses five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains, it is a home to 340 gorillas out of 1000 earthly gorillas remaining in Africa and it borders Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga National park in southwestern Uganda. The driving distance from Kigali International Airport to Volcanoes National park is approximately 119.5km taking 2 hours and 46 minutes via Ruhengeri road. Trekking in the volcanoes will give you a chance to encounter one of the 12 gorilla Habituated families, this experience will give you immense joy and you will be inspired if you get a chance to hike along mount Bisoke, you will be able to see the ruins of the former Karisoke research center as well as the tomb of the well-known Zoologist called Dian Fossey also known as the author of No One Loves Gorillas More published in 2010. During your trek, you will get to know more about Dian and her love for gorillas which shows how worth and precious these endangered gorillas are.
When to visit:
Gorilla trekking can be done endlessly the whole year but it’s always better and much easier during the dry season from mid-December to February and June to September because during the rainy season, it’s always muddy and makes trekking harder though there are experienced park rangers who are always ahead in order to spot one of the gorilla families which gives our tourists assurance to encounter the gorillas.
Things to know before going for gorilla trekking:
Gorilla permits in Rwanda costs $1500 per person and its always advantageous to book earlier through a licensed tour company. Enjoy Safaris Africa is capable of booking a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda through Rwanda Development Board (RDB) directly and the mentioned tour company can provide more than a gorilla permit for instance accommodation, visa and transportation services. Rwanda Development Board issues 80 permits in a day and during the trek, only 8 people are allowed per a gorilla family for 1 hour. There are rules and regulation which should be observed in order to protect both visitors and gorillas. Tourists are accompanied with guides and park rangers which guarantees safety and a chance to come face to face with the gorillas. Gorilla experience in Rwanda can take only one day but it can be combined with other touristic places with in Rwanda as well as Ugandan safaris which will bring you satisfaction and good memories.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Places to visit:
Virunga National Park found in the central Eastern part of Africa in DRC is the world’s second largest tropical rain forest and famously known as the park of fire and ice because of its diverse habitats ranging from the Rwenzori peaks to savanna and the volcanic plains. This park cover over7,769km2 ranging from 680 m in the Semliki river valley and 5,109 m in the Rwenzori mountains. The park was temporally closed but recently opened for tourists in 2021 and it can be accessed directly in DRC but it’s hard and challenging though it’s easier and quick to access it either by landing in Uganda or Rwanda because while in Uganda, Tourists can drive by road to Kisoro town from Kampala taking approximately 8 hours. Crossing over to Goma using the Congo-Uganda border at Bunagana takes approximately 1 hour drive to reach at Bukima the mountain gorilla trek starting point. The transport services can be organized by Enjoy Safaris Africa. From Rwanda, tourists after landing in Kigali, they can drive by road from Gisenyi to Goma using the Le Grand Barrier border taking approximately 4 hours to get to Virunga National Park. Virunga National Park is a home to over 300 low land mountain gorillas.
When to visit:
The best time to visit Virunga national park and have an easy and interesting adventure is during the dry seasons between July- September though gorilla trekking can still be done even during the wet season as long as our esteemed travelers are well prepared with both weather gears to easily penetrate through the rainforest to see the low land mountain gorillas.
Things to know before going for gorilla trekking:
Just like Uganda and Rwanda, to go for a gorilla trek in Virunga National park you need to have a permit issued by the Virunga Park offices in Goma town. This can be smoothly processed by Enjoy Safaris Africa. The gorilla permits for both lowland and mountain gorillas costs $400 per person for foreigners and $200 for Congolese nationals. The word Virunga is an English word derived from the kinyarwanda word ibirunga meaning volcanoes. Virunga national park is part of the Virunga Mountains which consists of 8 major mountains of which most of them are dormant implying that it’s a safe destination for the visitors. Gorilla trekking takes place in Rumangabo and Bukima sector in the park. Embarking on a journey to the wild in order to encounter these fascinating gentle gorillas is a wonderful experience since the fit tourists can get a chance to hike to the top of the snow peaked Rwenzori mountain as whereas view the two active volcanoes especially Mount Nyiragongo which is among the world’s most active volcano.
Those who are adventurous and nature lovers it’s our pleasure to help you to experience the exceptional wildlife offering unforgettable memories as well as the breathtaking scenery of the African rain forests in the above mentioned countries.
For more information, call or email us at [email protected], +256 756443096, +256 702443096
