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Gorilla discovery is a safari tour and travel company based in Uganda, fully licensed to conduct safaris within Uganda and Rwanda. We offer several tours and safaris in Uganda including Gorilla Tours, wildlife adventures, mountaineering trips

Booking a gorilla safari from Australia

Booking a gorilla safari from Australia

Mountain gorillas are an endangered species of primates said to be close relatives of human beings. This has made lots of tourists from different parts of the world want to go see them in their natural habitats. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is one of the places where tourists can see these mountain gorillas in their natural habitats.

From Australia, tourists can have gorilla safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park at any time of the year. This gives them a chance to see endangered mountain y. gorillas in the wild as they carry out different activities of the day. Bwindi is the best place to see these gorillas with about 23 mountain gorillas families open for trekking and one in Rushaga open for habituation.

How to book a gorilla safari from Australia?

Tourists who are in Australia and would love to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitats in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park can easily book a safari online. Tourists will need to book their safari using a local tour operator that is licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board and allowed to carry out tourism activities within the country.

When travelers get safari dates, they can send them to the local tour operators so that they design a beautiful itinerary. Tour operators also need the number of people travelling, the rooming arrangement and the travel budget to do an itinerary and find out how much the safari would cost. After coming to an agreement with the tour operator you will need to sign a contract and then send money for a safari to be confirmed.

Tourists who are intending to book a gorilla safari from Australia should know that its only people above the age of 15 years that are allowed to do gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Kids that are not yet 15 years of age but will be 15 years by the time of trekking are allowed to book and will be able to trek mountain gorillas when they come on a safari.

What is the cost of a gorilla permit in Bwindi?

Bwindi gorilla permits have prices that are set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority a government agency that manages and controls park activities. Gorilla trekking permits cost $800 for foreign non residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 Rest of Africa, and UGX300,000 citizens of East African member states.  These gorilla permits are sold at the reservations office at Uganda Wildlife Authority.

When to book a gorilla safari from Australia.

Tourists from Australia who are interested in trekking mountain gorillas of Bwindi are advised to do early bookings especially those intending to visit in the high season of June to September and December to February. Tourists are advised to book 3 to 4 months in advance when the gorilla permits are still available. A gorilla permit is the most essential document that can allow a tourist to go trekking in the Impenetrable Forest of Bwindi.

Gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi

On the day of gorilla trekking, all trekkers must gather at the sector headquarters for a briefing very early in the morning. The rangers teach the rules and regulations of the activity for the safety of mountain gorillas and the trekkers themselves. Groups not exceeding 8 people are formed and armed ranger guides are signed to lead them into the jungle.

Inside the jungle, trekkers and armed ranger guides use different trekking trails to search for where the mountain gorillas could be. The search for mountain gorillas in Bwindi can take 2 to 4 hours depending on the location of the mountain gorillas and the speed of trekkers. The chances of seeing the mountain gorillas in Bwindi are more than 98% every day.

When the mountain gorillas are spotted, trekkers are given one hour to be around the members and this comes with an opportunity to know more about the gorilla behaviors, watch the members do daily activities, take photos, and record videos for future memories. When time around the mountain gorillas is done, trekkers are asked to move out of the forest and go back to the lodge or move to the next destination.

When to visit Bwindi from Australia?

Tourists can visit Bwindi from Australia at any time of the year however the driest months of the year are the best. June to September and December to February are the best months to go gorilla trekking because there is little or no rainfall and plenty of sunshine. The trekking trails are very dry and easier to walk through which enables trekkers to locate the mountain gorillas in a short time in case they are close.

Tourists can still visit Bwindi Forest for mountain gorilla trekking in the rainy season of March to May and October to November. This is a period when the park is receiving plenty of rainfall and little sunshine. The period attracts a few travelers and more so the budget travelers that are looking for discounted tour packages.

Tourists should know that the trekking trails are muddy and slippery in the rainy season which affects the movement of trekkers. The vegetation is tall and thick giving unclear views of the mountain gorilla and other forest attractions while the roads leading to the park are in poor conditions which prevents tourists from reaching different areas on time.