Bwindi gorilla safari from Europe
Are you in Europe and interested in seeing mountain gorillas in their natural habitats? Well, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is one of the best places to visit. The park is located in the southern part of the country where it harbors more than half of the mountain gorillas left in the world. It was gazetted in 1993, and several mountain gorilla families have been trained and used to human presence around them.
Mountain gorilla trekking and habituation are the most done activities in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. These activities enable tourists to have some time around the mountain gorillas which helps them to learn about their habits and see if they are really close relatives to human beings.
From Europe, you simply need a licensed local tour operator to help in organizing a perfect safari to your favorite gorilla destination which is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The park has four trekking sectors where tourists can see gorillas and these are Nkuringo, Rushaga, Buhoma, and Ruhija.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
To see the mountain gorillas of Bwindi, tourists need gorilla trekking or habituation permits. On the day of trekking, they will drive early in the morning to the sector headquarters for a briefing from the rangers. Local dancers entertain the tourists as they wait for all the trekkers of the day.
Rangers teach the rules and regulations of trekking as well as habituation for the safety of mountain gorillas and trekkers inside the jungle. Gorilla trekking is done by a maximum of 8 people while habituation is done by 4 people all of which are led by armed ranger guides who know the best routes to use while searching where the apes could be.
Searching and finding a mountain gorilla family in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park might take 2 to 4 hours depending on the location and the speed of trekkers. While searching, trekkers get to meet a number of forest mammals, primates, and birds. As soon as the mountain gorilla family is spotted, trekkers are given time to be around the members.
Gorilla trekking comes with one hour around the mountain gorillas watching them carrying out different daily activities which allows trekkers to learn their habits. Gorilla habituation comes with 4 hours with the mountain gorillas which allows the members to be part of the activities that make these animals get used to human presence around them.
The cost of a gorilla permit from Europe
The prices of gorilla permits are set by Uganda Wildlife Authority a government agency managing different national parks in the country. A gorilla trekking permit costs $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 Rest of Africa and UGX300,000 citizens of East African Member States. A gorilla habituation permit costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents, and Rest of Africa while citizens of East African member states pay UGX750,000.
When to have a gorilla safari in Bwindi from Europe
The driest months of the year are perfect for safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for all tourists from different parts of the world. June to September and December to February are the best times to visit Bwindi gorillas. The months have little or no rainfall and plenty of sunshine.
During the dry season, trekkers find dry and passable trekking trails, the vegetation is short and scattered with good views of the mountain gorillas while the roads leading to the park are in good condition. Tourists from Europe may still visit Bwindi in the rainy season from March to May and October to November because the park is always open for different activities.
Getting to Bwindi from Europe
Tourists from Europe can choose to fly to Kigali International Airport or Entebbe International Airport for their gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Kigali to Bwindi takes 3 to 4 hours and tourists cross to Uganda using Katuna and Kyanika borders to any of the sectors of the park.
From Kampala/Entebbe, tourists get to Bwindi in 9 to 10 hours by driving through Mpigi, Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, or Kisoro to the park. For tourists who hate traveling for long distances, there are chattered and scheduled flights to Kisoro and Kihihi airstrips from Kajjansi airstrip and Entebbe International Airport.
Accommodation on a Bwindi safari from Europe
Tourists from Europe coming for a safari to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park need to know that there are several accommodation options for tourists who would love to stay for a night or more in the park. Lodges are budget, mid-range, and luxury such as Nkuringo Bwindi Lodge, Gorilla Leisure Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Bweza Lodge, Bakiga Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, and Ichumbi Lodge among others.
