Is Bwindi gorilla trekking worth the Money?
Is Bwindi gorilla trekking worth the Money? Yes, Bwindi gorilla trekking is worth the money. Looking for a gorilla trekking destination in the world, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is the best place to go. Bwindi is a gorilla park in the southwestern part of Uganda harboring endangered mountain gorillas. The national park hosts the highest population of mountain gorillas in the whole world making it the best place to go gorilla trekking.
Gorilla trekking safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is worth the money compared to other gorilla trekking destinations. Bwindi has the highest number of mountain gorillas, the highest number of habituated gorilla families, and four sectors where trekkers can see mountain gorillas.
On a safari to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, tourists have a variety of mountain gorilla families to trek found in different park sectors (Nkuringo, Rushaga, Ruhija, and Buhoma). The chances of seeing these mountain gorillas are very high because the rangers monitor the movement of these apes.
Gorilla trekking is done for 1 hour within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park giving tourists an opportunity to see the apes carry out daily activities, learn about their habits, take photos, and record videos among others. Travelers who intend to visit Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and would like to know if it’s worth the money, yes, it is.
How much is gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park?
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park requires a gorilla trekking permit which is very affordable to all tourists that are interested in seeing the endangered mountain gorillas in the wild. A single gorilla trekking permit goes for $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 Rest of Africa and UGX300,000 citizens of East African member states.
The gorilla trekking exercise in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Gorilla trekking in this Forest National Park is a daily activity carried out in different sectors of the park. Early in the morning hours, trekkers meet at the briefing points to see where they meet armed ranger guides. The guides teach the trekkers the rules and regulations of the activity before grouping them and setting them off to go gorilla trekking.
A maximum of 8 people trek with a gorilla family in this Forest National Park. From the briefing point, trekkers are driven by their guides to the starting points of the trekking. Here they head into the jungle to search for where these apes could be. By using different search trails, they are able to meet a number of attractions which include animals, birds, and water sources among others.
Searching mountain gorillas within the Impenetrable Forest of Bwindi might take 2 to 5 hours. The time taken depends on the nature of the trails, the speed of the trekkers, and the location of the mountain gorilla family. When the trekkers locate the mountain gorilla family, they are given 1 hour to be around the members and this allows them to watch them carry out activities, learn their habits, take photos, and record videos.
What to carry for mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
To have the best mountain gorilla trekking within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, tourists need to park most of the required items for gorilla trekking. Among these include waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, gardening gloves, a pair of gaiters, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved pants, a hat, sunscreen, glasses, a pair of binoculars, a camera, insect repellents, a facemask, drinking water bottle and energy-giving snacks among others.
When to go gorilla trekking in Bwindi
To have the best of gorilla trekking in this National Park, tourists need to visit during the driest months of the year. June to September and December to February are the best times to go gorilla trekking within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. These moths have the best weather which is characterized by little rainfall and plenty of sunshine.
The good weather favors the gorilla trekking activities because the trekking trails are dry and easier to go through, the vegetation is short with good views of the mountain gorillas and the roads leading to the park are in good condition. Tourists can go gorilla trekking during the rainy season of March to May and October to November.
The rainy season is not the best time to go gorilla trekking within Bwindi though it favors the budget travelers and those that hate overcrowded places. During the rainy season, the trekking trails are muddy and slippery which affects the movement of trekkers, roads leading to the park are in poor conditions and lastly, the vegetation is tall with unclear views of gorillas.
