Best Places for Gorilla trekking Safaris – Uganda & Rwanda offer the Best Places for Gorilla Trekking Safaris in East Africa – Choose Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park or Rwanda’s – Volcanoes National Park – Know where to go for your next Gorilla Trekking Safari.
Gorilla Trekking or Tracking – whatever you choose to call it, is a lifetime encounter for most travelers – it is not something that one can hurriedly put together – there has got to be proper planning put to it – fair well in advance especially during the peak season months of June – September and December – February.
If planned well in advance, you will have guaranteed Gorilla Trekking Permits in hand even during high – peak seasons of June to September and December to February in Rwanda and or Uganda the two best and safest countries for Mountain Gorilla trekking or Tracking in East Africa.
Both Uganda and Rwanda offer safe and accessible Gorilla Trekking or Tracking year-around – one difference between Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla trekking is the price of Rwanda Gorilla Permits – US$750 compared to Uganda where a gorilla permit costs US$600 during peak season or US$450 during low season months of April, May & November. Read our post on ” Discounted Low season Uganda Gorilla Trekking Permits – Only in Uganda”.
For the adventurous traveler, you could opt to take on both experiences – Trekking Gorilla twice both in Uganda & Rwanda.
Otherwise, if you are not interested in trekking both Uganda & Rwanda and are wondering which country offers the best gorilla trekking…!! – Read our post “Comparing Gorilla Trekking Uganda with Gorilla Trekking Rwanda”
You can choose start your Safari in Entebbe Uganda or Fly in through Kigali – Rwanda and end it Uganda or Rwanda – lessening drive times.
BEST PLACES FOR GORILLA TREKKING SAFARIS IN UGANDA.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is the best place for gorilla trekking in Uganda:
Bwindi is an ancient Forest which survived the massive plate shift of the volcanicity that created the Western Rift Valley an a mazing feature!!.
“Bwindi” in the local Bagika language means a dark, difficult, a fearful place, so actually one could say Impenetrable Forest. In some places of Bwindi the canopy of the trees is so thick that no light gets through. There is also a large swamp deep in the forest.
Thankfully the mystical Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is not so impenetrable – in fact it is quite accessible and it is the best place in Uganda to trek Mountain Gorillas if not the best place to trek them in the three (03) countries; Uganda, Rwanda & Congo – where Mountain Gorillas exist.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is the only place in East and Central Africa where mountain gorillas and chimpanzees live in the same environment – yes we said Chimpanzee – a group of wild (Not Habituated) Chimps live in this Forest. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is not only the home over half of 880 endangered Mountain Gorillas still living in the Whole world, it is also a place of tremendous bio-diversity rarely found anywhere; 310 species of trees, over 100 species luscious ferns, over 310 species of butterflies, 346 identified species of birds including birds that are only found in the Western Rift Valley.
There are forest elephants (slightly smaller and hairier than their savanna cousins, smaller tusks and an extra toe on each foot, found in the southern regions of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest), Duiker Antelopes, Bushpigs, Giant Forest Hogs, Leopards, Civets, Clawless Otter, Golden Cats, Genets,Side Striped Jackals, Bats, and even rare Rodents. When it comes to other primates you can often see L Hoests Monkeys, Red Tailed Monkeys, Blue Monkeys, Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Olive Baboons, Vervet Monkeys and nocturnal Pro-simians such as Bushbabies and Pottos. Simply – This forest is an island of tremendous diversity surrounded by a sea of densely populated picturesque terraced farmlands. All the flora and fauna found here are more reasons why Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is the best place for Mountain Gorilla Trekking.
Buhoma Area:
The Buhoma area is the lowest altitude in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, it is also a less strenuous tracking location, it has the most lodging facilities from budget to luxurious up-market establishments with splendid views of the incredible forest.
At times some of the lodging facilities even have a visit from a gorilla family group. An added plus. There are three habituated groups in the Buhoma area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The Mubare Group – Habinyanja Group – Rushegura Group.
There many other activities at Buhoma such as Village Walk where you learn about the local people, their culture and their ways, various hikes into Bwindi apart from Gorilla tracking, mountain bike rides, village bike rides – all guided.
Simply more reasons to make Bwindi Impenetrable Forest the best place for Gorilla tracking in Uganda.
Ruhija Area:
The Ruhija area is a diverse area of the park and if you are tracking a gorilla family group here such as the Bitukura Group or the newly added Oruzogo Group it is best for you to stay in one of the lodging facilities (from budget to up-market) in the area, unless you would like to take a 2 hour ride on a rocky road from Buhoma prior to your gorilla tracking experience at Ruhija – we recommend you stay at Ruhija if trekking the Oruzogo, Bitukura & Kyaguliro.
Here is a list of Recommended places to Stay At Ruhija.
Ruhija 2350m elevation, 1000m higher than Buhoma. The Ruhija area has been a birders destination for years, now there are two groups of gorillas that you can track here. You can also take a village walk similar to Buhoma and support the local community, waterfalls, birding walks and more.
There is the interesting guided walk to the Mubwindi swamp or the Bamboo trail with its various vegetation and the rewarding stunning view of Lake Bunyonyi when you reach the top – more reasons to make Bwindi Impenetrable forest the best place for Gorilla tracking.
Rushaga Area:
The Rushaga area is a part of the southern sector Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Relatively newly developed but there are up-market and rustic budget choices for you. Rushaga area is home to the Mishaya Group, the Nshongi Group the Kahungye Group, and the newly added Busingye and Bweza Groups .
The Mishaya Group led by the silverback Mishaya broke off from the Nshongi Gorilla Family and started his own in the Rushaga area. The Nshongi Gorilla Family was a part of the “Friend a Gorilla” campaign as it was launched, a most wonderful celebration with various celebrities in attendance.
In the Rushaga area once again you can not only track gorillas, but hike the trails, take a village walk and do some rewarding birding – all reasons to make Bwindi Impenetrable Forest the best place for Gorilla tracking. The newly added Busingye and Bweza groups are also split-offs from the Nshongi and Kahungye gorilla groups due to family feuds. Some lodging is available at Rushaga, but you can also stay at scenic Nkuringo.
Nkuringo Area:
The Nkuringo area is one of the most scenic areas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest but it also an area where you are going to burn a few calories gorilla tracking especially as you return from your gorilla trek climbing up a long distance toward the top – no one complains – the experience of visiting the Nkuringo Group is well worth the effort.
Lodging wise – there is a prestigious lodge here and moderate and budget facilities. Other activities in the area include a village walk where you get to taste locally brewed sorghum beer and some local food, meet the people.
There is also the top of world walk with stunning panoramic views of the Virunga Volcano chain, simply amazing and at times you can see the fire and smoke from a volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo – all more reasons to make Bwindi Impenetrable Forest the best place for Gorilla Tracking.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park:
There are 80 Mountain Gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, there is however only one habituated Gorilla Group that can be tracked within the park.
On the positive side permits can be obtained at the last minute here unlike Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where often permits, even there are many more gorilla families run in short supply.
One can stay between Nkuringo which is in the South of Bwindi Forest and track Gorillas in both Bwindi Forest and in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
The Beauty about Mgahinga Gorilla Park – here you combine Gorilla Trekking can be combined with Golden Monkey Trekking and Volcano Climbing.
Best Place for a Gorilla Habituation Experience
There are only two (02) groups that are currently open for a Gorilla Habituation Experience and they are located in the Rushaga Area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda.
Rushaga can be easily accessed even from Rwanda – 4½ hour drive. The Gorilla Habituation Experience is an all-day trek where you spend 4 hours with a gorilla family, researchers and trackers in the forest.
The cost for gorilla Permits are US$1500 each -compare it to one (01) hour with a gorilla group in Rwanda and it costs you US$750 for permits, or US$600 -peak Season or US$450 – Off Season in Uganda.
The Gorilla Habituation Experience has attracted a lot of attention from a growing number of our clients who have truly enjoyed the Experience and named it “Uganda’s number One Gorilla Product”
BEST PLACES FOR GORILLA TREKKING SAFARIS IN RWANDA
Volcanoes National Park -Rwanda:
There are 10 habituated Gorilla Family Groups that can be visited at Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. – that is translated into 80 permits a day available for visitors at US$750 per person.
The Gorilla Families range in size from less than 10 members to 40 in number – your fitness level helps in matching you with the right gorilla group for you to track on the day of your Gorilla Trek in Rwanda.
At 7:00 am the gorilla orientation begins with a cup of coffee or tea and a traditional Rwandan Intore Dance Performance.
The treks range from shorter hikes to all-day treks in the case of Susa Group. As in Uganda Pre-trackers are out locating your gorilla group – meaning that very rarely do visitors not see their gorilla gorilla group on their scheduled day -only one of our clients – out of hundreds did not see the gorillas on the first day but did so on the second day.
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda is different from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda – both are found to equally rewarding – Rwanda Trekking is on the slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes – and in Uganda in the ancient Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
We hope our post ” Best Places for Gorilla Trekking Safaris ” was very helpful to you, if you have questions and or suggestions, leave us a Comment below or write us a private message – we will respond in 24 Hours.
