GORILLA TREKKING – GORILLA SAFARI TOURS IN UGANDA, RWANDA & CONGO TRIPS
Gorilla trekking is a tourist activity in Uganda and Rwanda that involves hiking through dense forest jungle, thick vegetation, hills and valleys to see mountain gorillas. Trekking mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is therefore one of the main reason to why most travelers visit Africa especially for vacation trips to Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. Gorilla trekking is a unique adventure tourism activity and probably the most exiting that leads you to Wildlife encounters of a lifetime.
What are gorillas?
Gorillas are the largest of the primates, ground dwelling great apes that live in sub-Saharan Africa. Gorillas share over 95% of their DNA to that of human beings and are the next closest living relative of humans after the Chimpanzee and Bonobos. These gorillas are divided into two species, the eastern gorillas and the western gorillas. Eastern gorillas are distinguished from the western gorillas by having dark fur on their body, and other minor morphological differences. Like human beings, gorillas live in the wild for 35 – 40 years. The two species are. Western gorilla and Eastern gorilla.
Are mountain gorillas critically endangered?
Mountain gorillas a subspecies known as (Gorilla beringei beringei) were listed as critically endangered species on IUCN red list over the past decades. Conservation organizations have put up programs where travelers can trek gorillas in their natural habitats in company of ranger guides to enable visitors get face to face experience with a habituated gorilla family.
This has seen them increasing steadily, changing their status on the list of critically endangered species to endangered mountain gorilla. The endangered mountain gorillas still need a lot of protection and good monitoring in order to continue surviving. We still need to conserve them because they might not be there for other generation to come.
How many Mountain Gorillas are in the whole World?
Africa’s conservationist generate money from visits and use them for to pay rangers who take care of gorillas as well as increasing gorilla habitat. Today, its estimated that 1,063 mountain gorillas exist in the whole world sharing two homes, the slopes of the Virunga Volcanic mountains bordering Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo and in Bwindi Impenetrable national park in Uganda that share more than a half of them. Your visit through a gorilla trek therefore could help them survive.
In Uganda, mountain gorillas are found in two national parks, Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park while in Rwanda gorillas can be visited in Volcanoes national park. Mountain gorilla trekking in DR Congo is done on the mountain slopes of the Virunga national park. Given that these are endangered Animals, several rules have been put in place for their protection against diseases from humans and behavioral disturbances.
Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Uganda:
Uganda, the Pearl of Africa is a renowned best destination especially for travellers interested in doing gorilla trekking in Africa and wildlife Safaris. The truth is that Bwindi Impenetrable forest in Uganda is an ideal home base for trekking the vanishing endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Having a Safari in Uganda is like no any other. Take a gorilla tour in Uganda that will combine well with your Safari Vacation in Uganda game parks.
Popular Gorilla Tours in Uganda
3 Days Gorilla Habituation Bwindi Experience
4 Days Uganda gorilla trekking via Kigali
6 Days Uganda gorillas & wildlife tour
10 Days best of Uganda holiday Safari.
Gorilla Trekking adventure in Uganda takes place at 5 places that’s Ntebeko in Mghahinga National Park and Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, Nkuringo in Bwindi forest. There are only 18 groups or families of habituated mountain gorillas in Uganda and 8 people are only allowed to track one gorilla family a day. Gorilla tracking/ trekking can be done all throughout the year but the best time is in the dry season that is June to September and December to February.
Trekking gorillas during the rainy season is also possible and with advantages that the group may not be congested by people, gorillas doesn’t move very far as they have plenty of food. You need to book a gorilla trekking permit in advance to avoid inconvenience on a gorilla trekking day.
Top selling Gorilla Trekking Tours in Rwanda
2 Days Rwanda gorilla safari Vacation
3 Day Gorilla Trekking Rwanda Adventure
4 Days Rwanda Gorilla trekking & Dian Fossey grave Hike
4 Days Gorilla trekking Rwanda & Bisoke Hiking tour
6 Days Rwanda Gorillas & Chimpanzee tracking Safari
Our Gorilla tours in Africa are tailor-made to your style of travel and are all inclusive package. A gorilla tour includes Accommodation, transfers, meals and activity. Gorilla Safari Experts team will help you process the gorilla permit, so you don’t have to go through the hustle of getting one.
Generally, we go through the hustle and bustle of arranging an all-inclusive Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari for you and all you have to do is bring yourself to the experience.
Rules for Trekking gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo
These rules apply on your way to the gorillas, when you are with the gorillas and during the general experience for any visitor doing gorilla trekking in Africa.
- Respect the limit of 8 Visitors per group of habituated gorillas in a day in order to reduce exposure to human borne and minimize behavioral disturbances.
- Wash your hands before starting your trek to the gorillas.
- DO NOT leave rubbish in the park. Make sure to carry back everything you take to the forest.
- Follow the instructions of the guide: He will inform you when to bring out cameras once you approach the gorillas.
- Keep your voices low at all times.
- Be friendly. Respect each member in the group regardless of race, tribe and origin.
- Stay in tight group. When near the gorillas you must stay in company of your group members in other wards do not scatter.
- It’s okay to ask the guide questions but keep your voices low always.
- DO NOT smoke, eat or drink while you are near the gorillas, the droppings and left overs may increase the disease transmission.
- Occasionally gorillas charge, don’t panic just follow the guides example; Do not attempt to run, crouch down slowly, do not look the gorillas in the eye and you must wait for them to pass.
- Do not touch or point at the gorillas, they are still wild animals though habituated.
- No flash photography allowed, just have use of the right camera settings.
- As you return from the visit keep you voices low until you are at least 200 meters away from the gorillas.
- Respect the limit imposed on the time that visitors are allowed with the gorillas each day. This minimizes the risk of disease transmission and stress to the group.