Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park
The best place to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Mountain gorilla trekking is the main activity carried out within this park where tourists with armed ranger guides move into the jungle, search for where these apes could be, and spend 1 hour around them as they carry out their daily activities.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a 340 sq. km piece of land in Kisoro south western Uganda. The national park was open to tourists in 1993 and gorilla trekking was the only activity at that time. With time, gorilla habituation was introduced in the park and currently only one family in the park is open for the four hour activity.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is the most famous mountain gorilla destination in the whole world. Gorillas within this park live in the four sectors of the protected area namely Rushaga, Ruhija, Nkuringo, and Buhoma. In these sectors, tourists can find more than 20 habituated mountain gorillas that are used to human presence around them and are open for trekking activities.
To trek the mountain gorillas of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, tourists must be aged 15 years and above. Tourists must also have gorilla trekking permits obtained from Uganda Wildlife Authority a government agency protecting and managing national parks in the country. Each mountain gorilla group is trekked by a maximum of 8 people.
The cost of a mountain gorilla permit to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park.
A mountain gorilla trekking permit to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park comes at a fee. $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 Rest of Africa, and UGX300,000 citizens of East African member states. Tourists have many opportunities to find gorilla trekking permits available in sectors of their choice if they book 3 to 4 months in advance.
The gorilla trekking permits can only be purchased from Uganda Wildlife Authority headquarters in Kamwokya Kampala. Its only tour companies licensed by Uganda Tourism Board that can be allowed to purchase gorilla permits for tourists interested in visiting any gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda.
The gorilla trekking exercise in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is an activity done every day by tourists who have valid gorilla trekking permits. Early every morning, tourists wake up to breakfast and packed lunch to gorilla trekking sectors of permits purchased. Briefing is the first activity done by rangers to enable tourists to know the rules and regulations of the activity.
Once the briefing is done, tourists are paired not exceeding 8 people and given armed ranger guides to lead them in the jungle. Tourists who would love to hire porters get them at the briefing points at an affordable fee. Driver guides help to transport tourists to the starting points of the trekking and the activity begins.
The search for mountain gorillas makes tourists to go through different trekking trails constructed in the thick forests of Bwindi. The armed ranger guides speak with other guides who go first in the jungle to know the right directions to use and get to the mountain gorilla family assigned.
Locating a mountain gorilla group in Bwindi takes 2 to 6 hours and the time taken depends on the location of the mountain gorilla family as well as the nature of the trails. The speed of the trekkers can also determine the time taken to finish gorilla trekking because trekkers must stay in a group from the start of trekking to the end.
After hours of searching for the mountain gorilla group, trekkers finally locate the family, and armed ranger guides give tourists 1 hour to be around them. During the time around mountain gorillas, tourists learn about gorilla habits and see if these apes are really related to human beings. Trekkers get to see these apes do daily activities and they are also allowed to take photos and record videos.
Being around mountain gorillas is a dream come true to most travelers from across the group. But when one hour is done around mountain gorillas, tourists are asked to move quietly away from the gorilla family and trek out of the jungle. They do connect with the driver guides who transfer them to the lodges or the next destination as written in the travel itinerary.
Accommodation before and after mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has four gorilla trekking locations where of 2 are in the south (Rushaga and Nkuringo) and 2 in the north (Buhoma and Ruhija) of the park. When booking accommodation, tourists and tour operators must book lodges based on the trekking sector on the gorilla trekking permits.
Lodges of Bwindi include Gorilla Leisure Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Bwindi Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge, Gorilla Heights Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Lodge, Bakiga Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Bweza Lodge, and Buhoma Community Haven Lodge to mention but a few.
Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for mountain gorilla trekking.
Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for mountain gorilla trekking depends on where the tourists are coming from. There are tourists from Rwanda while others are from Entebbe/Kampala. Rwanda to Bwindi is only done using road transport where tourists cross to the country in Kisoro or Kabale to Rushaga or Nkuringo sectors of the park.
From Entebbe/Kampala tourists visiting Bwindi impenetrable forest national park can either fly or use road transport. Flights to Bwindi depend on the gorilla trekking sector as those trekking in the north fly to Kihihi Airstrip while those flying to the south fly to Kisoro Airstrip. From the airstrips to lodges takes a few hours depending on the location of the lodge and the nature of the roads.
By road transport which is the cheapest way to the park, tourists from Entebbe/Kampala drive to Mpigi, Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamp, Kabale, or Kisoro to the park. It’s about 9 to 10 hours drive to get to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and the journey comes with great views of different attractions along the way.
What would be the best time to go to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park?
The driest months of the year which are June to September and December to February are the best times to visit Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. These months have little rainfall and plenty of sunshine which is good weather for most travelers to the park. Gorilla trekking trails are dry and passable, the vegetation is short and scattered with good views and capturing moments of mountain gorillas while the roads leading to the park are passable.
