Compare Gorilla Tracking Uganda and Rwanda – decide which country to visit for gorilla trekking or Tracking Experience.
“If you are to Compare Gorilla Tracking Uganda and Rwanda – your will Notice that Uganda does give more value for Money and an all round wildlife encounter”…….Joz Marc Obwalatum.
Where is the Best Gorilla Trekking – Rwanda or in Uganda? This is a question we often receive in an email or in a phone call. The answer depends on you, your likes and preferences, even what besides you want to see and to in either Rwanda or Uganda besides Primate Trekking.
Compare Gorilla Tracking Uganda and Rwanda:
Rwanda has done a terrific job in promoting its country and in particular it’s Mountain Gorillas which is the main tourist draw that Rwanda has. It invites journalists from around the world to visit the Land of a Thousand Hills and they paint Rwanda, its scenery and especially its Mountain Gorillas in a positive light endearing the tiny country of Rwanda to the Travel Community around the world.
Uganda, with more of the Gentle Primate Giants than both Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of combined has not done as well as Rwanda when it comes to PR and promoting its Mountain Gorillas. promotion in Uganda of Mountain Gorillas besides the now dead “Friend a Gorilla” Campaign (there has been no new entry on Facebook since July of 2014) has been totally absent besides the Private Sector and to some degree the Uganda Wildlife Authority blogs and information about Gorilla Trekking.
Comparing Rwanda with Uganda – where is the Best Place to go?
The Upside of Trekking in Rwanda:
- Short Driving Distance – usually 2hours from Kigali to Volcanoes Park.
- Golden Monkey Trekking
- Volcano Climbing
- Many Lodging Choices
- No Visa for many Visitors – depending on the country of Origin (Read our “Rwanda Travel Advice“
- Combine Akagera Wildlife Park and Nyungwe Forest with its Primates and Trails.
- Relax and Chill Out on Lake Kivu
- Cultural Add-Ons are readily available.
- Better Road Conditions
The Downside of Trekking In Rwanda:
- Rwanda Gorilla permits cost US$1500 while Gorilla Permits in Uganda US$700 per person to trek, see and spend one (01) hour with a group of habituated mountain Gorillas.
- Higher Lodging Cost around Volcanoes National Park as Rwanda strives to implement her high-end Tourism Strategy.
- Limited Add – Ons – Rwanda (Rwanda has only three (03) National parks), while Uganda boasts of up to 10 National Parks that can easily be added to your Uganda Gorilla Safari.
- Has limited Chimpanzee Tracking (only done in Nyungwe or Kyamudongo forest), while Uganda offers the Best Chimpanzee tracking experience in Kibale forest, Kyambura Gorge, Kalinzu Forest & Budongo Forest.
- Rwanda offers less daily Gorilla Permits than Uganda. While Rwanda has only one mountain gorilla park- Volcanoes, Uganda has two (02) mountain gorilla Parks – Mgahinga & Bwindi Park. Uganda has 20 Habituated Mountain gorilla Groups
The Upside of Gorilla trekking in Uganda:
- Over half of the worlds Mountain Gorilla population in Africa – 500 out of 1,000
- More Habituated Mountain Gorillas than any other country
- Lower priced permits – US$700 in Uganda compared to US$1,500 in Rwanda
- Lower priced Lodging including upmarket.
- Have a total African Primate – Wildlife Safari in Uganda
- Best Chimpanzee Tracking in all of Africa
- Mountain and Volcano Climbing including both the Virunga Volcanoes and the Rwenzori Mountains
- White Water Rafting, Kayaking,
- Relax and Chill out on Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Mutanda, Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria
- Variety of Scenery
- English is more used in Uganda than in Rwanda.
- More than a Gorilla Safari Destination – Big 5 – plus Gorillas and Chimpanzees
- Cultural experiences abound.
The Downside of Gorilla Trekking in Uganda:
- Long Drive times, unless you fly into Kigali and drives to Bwindi – or fly in through Entebbe, and take a local flight to Bwindi, or break your drive-times by staying a night in another park such as Lake Mburo National Park or Queen Elizabeth National Park.
- Road Conditions in places are in need of improvement.
- In-Country Flights tend to be on the expensive side.
Where is the best place to go Gorilla Trekking? Uganda or Rwanda?
At the end of the day, the choice is yours. There are countless arm-chair gorilla trekking experts that have never set a foot in Uganda or even Rwanda who will freely give their prejudiced opinions which are merely opinions not based on facts and reality in either Rwanda or Uganda, some will even suggest conflict-riddled Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where you travel insurance is useless and made void.
If you want to add on Gorilla Trekking to your African Safari that takes in Tanzania for example, then Rwanda is your answer. If you are a conservationist Tanzania should not be your destination with it allowing poaching of its Elephants resulting in a 60% reduction in the last 5 years, while Uganda increased its Elephant population by 600% since the 1980’s, the Serengeti Highway, and dynamite fishing in the Indian Ocean destroying reefs.
Go to Kenya instead, where no trophy hunting is allowed and Richard Leakey, the arch-conservationist is back in charge, or come to the Pearl of Africa – Uganda, which is Africa without the crowds and where you have Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Golden Monkeys plus the Big five.
Each country has Advantages listed in the Compare Gorilla tracking Uganda and Rwanda article above, however the most important is that both Countries are safe and secure, Uganda wins hands down as the best gorilla trekking destination because of the Gorilla Permit price (US$700), Number 0f gorilla families (20 habituated Gorilla families) plus Chimpanzee and other wildlife Encounters, thus offering you a complete African wildlife experience in addition to an incredible gorilla trekking experience.
Enjoy Gorilla Trekking in Uganda or Rwanda…it is you that has to make the choice after reading this article.
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