Uganda Gorilla Safari
Uganda Gorilla Safari is a Ugandan safari that is designed to give travelers to go face to face with Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat. Uganda gorilla safari can be Gorilla trekking safari or Gorilla habituation safari. Gorilla trekking one will be grouped in a group of 8 people and spend one hour with Gorillas after seeing them while Gorilla habituation one is grouped in a group of 4 and are allowed to spend 4 hours with the gorillas after meeting them.
Uganda gorilla safari is the highlight of the Uganda tourist experience as long as wildlife is concerned. Uganda which is known as the pearl of Africa is a home of over 13 primate species with almost half of the mountain gorillas found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga national parks in Uganda. A safari to Uganda without visiting these remote gentle apes is counted incomplete Uganda safari. The gorilla tracking is done in the two national parks that are remotely located in the Southwestern part of Uganda. According to last year gorilla census, there are currently 1004 mountain gorillas in the entire world.
In Uganda, there are 15 Gorilla families that are fully habituated and can be accessed for tourism with 2 set aside for research and gorilla habituation. The total number of Gorilla permits sold per day is 104 for Gorilla trekking and 8 Gorilla habituation permits. The largest gorilla family in Uganda is the Nyakezi family which has over 80 Gorillas. The 15 gorilla families and others which are not yet habituated total up to 400 plus Gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks. The gorilla trekking is done in the 5 sectors which include 4 in Bwindi and 1 in Mgahinga national park. The four sectors in Bwindi impenetrable forest sectors include Rushaga, Nkuringo, Buhoma, and Ruhinja while the one in Mgahinga is called Ntebeko sector.
For anyone who wants to do Uganda gorilla safari, he or she has to secure his or her Gorilla permit in advance. One has to book the gorilla permit 2 to 3 months in advance if coming in high season and a month early if its low season. Currently, the gorilla permits are 600USD per person but from July 2020 the Uganda gorilla permit will be costing 700USDa per person. There are some rules which gives one qualifications t trek the Gorillas in Uganda like: One must be 15 and above years old, valid passport and others. One can obtain the gorilla tracking permit directly from Uganda wildlife Authority online or directly in their offices in Kampala if already in Uganda or use reputable tour operators who give full Uganda gorilla safari packages that include the Gorilla permit.
Uganda is the only country in the world where one park is gifted with over two primates like Kibale Forest national park has over 12 primates, Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has over 3 primates including Mountain gorillas sharing with Chimpanzees in the same forest, Mgahinga national park has Gorillas, Golden monkey in the same park. Your Uganda gorilla safari is much enticed with more than one primate during your trip hence killing two birds using one stone.
Best time to do Uganda gorilla safari
This is one of the major questions that guests ask when planning for their trip to any given destination. Good timing gives one high chances of high experience and their dreams come true. For other wildlife safaris like big 5 game good weather timing makes you see the list ticked while birders like it during rainy season when the birds are nestling. Unlike the above, Uganda gorilla safari is unique in that the safari can be done throughout the year. Being the rain forests and these apes staying in high altitude deep in the forest the weather is almost the same throughout the year. They are much easier to be seen during rainy season when food is plenty they donot move for long distances compared to dry season when the Gorillas has to walk more kilometers to get food and water.
Uganda gorilla safari is best done in the dry months of the year with limited interferences of rainfall, the hike is simple since its not very slippery. The gorillas also come out early and leave for sleep late as they enjoy roaming down the forest compared to the rainy season when the Gorillas sometimes nest up on trees and also come down late. The best months are from December to early March then again from June to October. Uganda receives two rainy season one in early month of the Year that is from March to May and small short rains in November.
What if I fail to see gorillas what happens?
This is one of the most common thought travelers have in their mind as they see the rates of the Gorilla permit. The costs seem to be high but not even worthy the experience you get from Gorilla trekking. The conservation costs to protect and conserve the gorillas are very high as they are more vulnerable than even humans hence needing our support all the time.
During your Uganda gorilla safari, the highlight of the safari is Gorilla trekking and the chances of seeing the Gorillas stands at 99%. In fact no cases have been reported for the guests missing to see the Gorillas with us. But nature is nature Uganda wildlife Authority has put it clear that is any group fails to see the gorillas during trekking time report is submitted by the game ranger and the guests are given second chance for their second tracking at no extra cost. But if the cause of the failure is by yourself like unfitness, sickness, an allergy and others then the Authority is not responsible for that. It’s the duty of the tour operator to advise you as you prepare for your Uganda gorilla safari so that you come with the rightful equipment and packing list.
Can I do gorilla habituation during my Uganda gorilla safari?
Yes you can very well. Gorilla habituation experience is one of the best secrete and enjoyable Gorilla experience only done in Uganda for Mountain Gorillas and in Congo for lowland Gorillas. They only allow 4 people to do Gorilla habituation spending a maximum of 4 hours with the gorillas after seeing them. This is mostly done by researchers and filmmakers who want to make a full documentary on the lifestyle of Mountain Gorillas. This experience is only done in Rushaga with two Gorilla families et apart for Gorilla habituation experience. One has to book in advance more than 2 months in order to get these 8 available permits daily at the fee of 1500$ per permit.
Uganda gorilla safari is exceptional and unmissable trip when planning to come to Uganda and enjoy the pearl of Africa beauty.
