Just like the popular Rushaga Gorilla Habituation Experience, the Nkuringo Gorilla habituation Experience too is a worthwhile activity for a person to take part. Nkuringo Gorilla habituation experience just like the Rushaga Gorilla Habituation Experience allows visitors up to 4 Hours Viewing and photographing the endangered mountain gorilla. Both Bushaho and Bikyingi Gorilla Habituation groups are hardly 12 months habituated meaning they are up-to 95% still wild – an experience you can’t get anywhere in the world. Because these gorillas are less familiar with Human beings, only 4 tourists are permitted to join a group of researchers during their daily visits to theses gorilla groups. Because the groups are small, gorilla habituation experience Safaris make for the most up-close mountain gorilla encounter you can possibly ever experience.
What to Expect while on the Gorilla Habituation Experience
A typical gorilla habituation day beings at 7:00 am with a briefing on the do’s and don’ts of gorilla habituation – if taking part in the Nkuringo Gorilla habituation experience, your briefing will be done at the Uganda Wildlife Authority – UWA – office at Nkuringo.
In the company of a UWA ranger, tourism police personnel armed with AK-47 rifles, and a team of researchers will lead you on this gorilla habituation journey. Mountain gorilla habituation starts early to allow the team (you and the researchers) observe and follow these gorillas from the time they are de-nesting to the point They build their overnight night nest again.
This trek to finding the mountain gorillas can be strenuous and therefore require a minimum level of fitness and tolerance. The journey is not on well-marked tracks but involves hacking through thick vegetation to create a way, it also involves trekking up and down slippery vegetation – meaning prepare yourself for a couple of slips…and yes don’t bring white trousers/shirt for gorilla habituation they will never look white again. Because the terrain can be physically challenging, we advise that you take a local porter for the mountain gorilla porters association (usually uniformed in Grey) the head guide will usually ask at the briefing if anyone needs a porter.
Taking a porter DOESN’T mean you are unfit, look at it as a contribution to community developments besides that, these guys (not only men….women as well are porters) have trekked these mountains and surely know these terrains just like the back of the palms and trust me they come in very handy when the going begins to get tough.
A porter costs US$15 for the days’ trek and they run on a rotational system meaning that today is their only chance to afford school fees or scholastic material for the kids. Read our post “Why Use a porter for gorilla trekking“.
How Does Gorilla Habituation Compare to Gorilla trekking?
- You are 04 hours with the Mountain Gorillas instead of 01hour. Your day starts at 7:00 am at Nkuringo park headquarters and you return in the late afternoon. Your day begins with a briefing from the Uganda Wildlife Authority Staff and the Research – Habituation Team.
- There are only two Groups being habituated in 2016 and they are the Bikyingi and Bushaho Gorilla Families.
- The number of visitors allowed per day is limited to 4 participants per group compared with 8 for normal Gorilla Trekking Visit in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
- 4 hours with a Gorilla Family being habituated instead of 1 hour. The four hours does not include the time it takes hiking in and out from the Gorilla Group being habituated making it an all-day experience.
- The same Requirement – Rules and Etiquette apply to the Gorilla Habituation Experience as it does to the Gorilla Trekking.
- In regards as to what to wear on a Gorilla Habituation Experience – the same suggestions apply as for Gorilla Trekking.
- Price for Habituation Permit is US$1500 per person for 4 hours with the Mountain Gorillas compared to US$700 for a Gorilla Trek Permit.
How do I book a gorilla Habituation Permit?
- Minimum age of 15years applies as it does for normal Gorilla Trekking in Uganda.
- We will book your Nkuringo Gorilla Habituation Experience permits for you in your name at US$1,500 per person through Uganda Wildlife Authority and the warden of theNkuringo area; We will let you know within one working day as to the availability of the Mountain Gorilla Habituation permit.
- Bookings for Nkuringo Gorilla Habituation Experience permits must be done well in advance due to the limited number of participants allowed each day ( only 4 persons) and the interest in the activity by Visitors to Uganda.
- Passport information is required for a permit as it is for Gorilla Trekking
- The permit cost includes the park entrance fees for the day.
Where do i stay while doing Nkuringo gorilla habituation experience?
We recommend that you stay in Nkuringo area to save you waking up 01 (one) hour ahead of your schedule just to drive to Nkuringo for gorilla habituation and again back to your lodge after your full day gorilla habituation experience.
Options include;
- Upmarket – Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge – from US$610 pp – Full Board – large rooms facing the Virunga.
- Affordable Midrange to Budget – Nkuringo Mountain Gorilla Lodge – US$200 pp Full Board – Virunga Terrace rooms.
Getting to Nkuringo for Gorilla Habituation.
- 9 to 10 hours drive-time from Kampala – Entebbe – the drive times will be reduced if you take a safari longer than three days that includes other Parks in Uganda.
- Fly-In Safari – we can arrange a flight for you from Entebbe to Kisoro which is a short distance from Nkuringo.
- Fly into Kigali Rwanda and you are 5 hours from the Nkuringo Area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park in Uganda.
OUR RECOMMENDED NKURINGO GORILLA HABITUATION EXPERIENCE SAFARI OFFERS
03 Days Budget Nkuringo gorilla Habituation Experience Safari.
This 3 Days Budget Gorilla Nkuringo Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari , takes you to the Nkuringo sector of southern Bwindi impenetrable forest National park for a Full Day Gorilla habituation experience whilst staying at the famous Nkuringo Mountain Gorilla Lodge aka Nkuringo gorilla Camp.
Gorilla habituation in Bwindi is only done in Rushaga and Nkuringo area – Nowhere else in Uganda or the world – making this 3 Days Budget Gorilla Nkuringo Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari – the most affordable gorilla habituation experience.
The highlight of this 3 Days Budget Gorilla Nkuringo Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari Uganda is spending a full day in the natural habitat of the mountain gorilla and having up to 4 hours with the gorillas in what we call the small group gorilla Habituation affair.
