Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park: Gorilla trekking is one of the major activities in Bwindi impenetrable national park where visitors get an opportunity to move deep into the forest in search of the habituated gorilla families and once found spend one hour with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda and covers an area of 331 square kilometers which is characterized by thick forest. Bwindi impenetrable national park is a home of different wildlife species including primates like mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, L’hoest monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, mammals like forest elephants, buffaloes, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, duiker and different bird species like black bellied turaco, white bellied robin chat, handsome francolin among others.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park is one of the famous activities in the park where visitors get an opportunity to spend time with the endangered mountain gorillas in their environment. Bwindi impenetrable national park is a home of about 19 habituated gorilla families which are located in four different sectors that is Rushaga sector in the south, Buhoma sector in the north, Ruhija sector in the East and Nkuringo sector in the south. Gorilla families in Bwindi impenetrable national park can be visited by a minimum number of 8 people per day and they include Mubare, Rushegura, Katwe, Habinyanja, Bushaho, Christmas, Bitukura, Oruzogo, Kyaguriro, Mukiza, Nshongi, Mishaya, Bweza, Kahungye, Busingye, Bikyingi, Rwigi, Mucunguzi and Nkuringo.
Trekking of the mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park starts early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters where after you will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the jungle. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species, birds, mammals, different plant and tree species among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their habits, behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, groom young ones, take photos and record the breathtaking moments.
Cost of gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking permits are legal cards or documents that are issued to visitors above the age of 15 years allowing them to visit any habituated family in one of the sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park. Gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) a government body that is in charge of wildlife conservation and they cost USD 800 per person for foreign non residents, USD 700 per person for foreign residents and UGX 300,000 per person for East African citizens.
How to book gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Booking gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park is easy as long as you follow the right procedure. Gorilla trekking permits can either be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) by contacting the head offices in Kampala via telephone calls or email. You can also book gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris which is the best option to use. When using a tour operator you will contact us with your names, date, month and year when you want to visit the mountain gorillas. We will check for permit availability and when the permits are available you will be asked to make a deposit. Once we receive the payments we will purchase the permits on your behalf and then send you a scanned copy of the receipt as confirmation.
Gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park should however be booked 3 to 6 months in advance before the trekking date because they are competitive and get sold out quickly especially during the peak season in the months of June to September and December to February therefore in order to avoid disappointments you are advised to book gorilla trekking permits in advance.
Best time to go for gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season Bwindi impenetrable national park receives less rainfall therefore vegetation will be thin which allows you to clearly view the mountain gorillas and other wildlife species. During the dry season access roads to the park and gorilla trekking trails in the jungle will be dry and passable compared to the wet season when the gorilla trekking trails are muddy and slippery hence making trekking difficult.
Where to stay during your gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Bwindi impenetrable national park offers a number of accommodation facilities ranging from luxury, midrange and budget where visitors can stay during their gorilla trekking safari. The accommodations include Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Lake Kitandara camp, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Buhoma Lodge, Volcanoes Safaris Bwindi Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Mahogany Springs Camp, Engage Lodge, Bwindi Guest House, Gorilla Resort, Gorilla Friends Lodge, Jungle View Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Eco Marvels Gorilla Resort, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, Gift of Nature Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Mist Camp, Cuckooland Tented Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, Wagtail Eco Safari Camp, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Ruhija Community Rest Camp among others.
How to get to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in southwestern park of Uganda and it can be accessed by both road and air transport means.
Road transport, when using road transport means you will drive from Kampala/ Entebbe via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale and then to the park headquarters in a 4 WD safari vehicle which takes about 8 to 9 hours drive.
Bwindi impenetrable national park can also be reached from Kigali Rwanda where by travelers will book flights to Kigali international airport and then connect to Bwindi impenetrable national park via Cyanika border in Kisoro district or Katuna border in Kabale district.
Air transport, when using air transport means to Bwindi impenetrable national park you will book scheduled or charter flights with Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kihihi airstrip or Kisoro airstrip and then drive to the park headquarters or lodge.
