Quick Guide on Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest
Taking an option of doing Mountain Gorilla trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is great decision made which results into an ultimate adventure to narrate as a story to your fellow travelers when you meet up in other amazing destinations elsewhere.
This experiential rewarding activity done in Uganda usually involves meeting with the mostly wanted shy endangered ground dwelling herbivores, Mountain Gorillas in the Jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
It’s not that most travelers just like visiting Uganda because it’s the only destination available but rather it’s due to some major attracting factors that include; ease of accessibility, wide range of different Wild life species, different other exciting attractions, favorable climatic conditions, stable financial status, good service providers characterized, flexibility and stable security among others.
Looking forward for a Gorilla Safari in Uganda on your African Safari vacation, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the best recommended and fascinating Park to go for variety of these apes.
It is located in the South Western part of Uganda lieing along Uganda’s border with Democratic Republic of Congo not very from Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Mother Mountain Gorilla with her Infant
It’s very easy to drive from the Buhoma sector side of Bwindi and access Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha sector route. Bwindi presents thick impenetrable tropical rainforest, bogs, shrubs and swampy areas which provide good habitat to its various species.
Popularly known for hosting variety of Gorilla species, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has over eighteen Gorilla families habituated for trekking experience.
These families are grouped in Bwindi’s four sectors including Buhoma sector, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo sector with each sector inhabiting more than two Gorilla families.
How to get there.
Being located in the South western part of Uganda, the best route of reaching this Park from Kampala is Kampala- Masaka- Mbarara highway including enroute stop over at the equator in Kayabwe before reaching Masaka town for some brief explanation about the equator, photographs and snacks.
Then continue with the journey using suitable 4×4 wheel drive Safari jeep, lunch is usually provided enroute in Mbarara town.
It takes about 9-10 hours for the drive from Kampala up to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the South Western part of Uganda depending on speed used and traffic along the way plus enroute stop overs associated.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi.
This usually involves meeting with the shy endangered ground dwelling herbivores Mountain Gorillas in the Jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, this amazing experience is usually started in the morning after a briefing conducted at the Park offices or starting point to highlight about how to behave while in the Jungle, along the way and in presence of these apes.
Silver back Gorilla in Bwindi Forest
After briefing a park ranger guide and armed officers are assigned to a group of eight trekkers for the journey heading to the Jungle in search of these apes for interaction, Park ranger usually inquire from Gorilla trackers via radio calls about the exact location of these apes in the Jungles.
Gorilla trackers are usually the first to go early in the morning to exactly locate where these apes spent their last night.
After locating these apes in the Jungles, you are allowed to stay in their presence for only one hour while seeing them playing, feeding, laughing plus taking photos and videos of them provided you are not using a flush camera.
After one hour session with the Gorillas, next step is vacating the place back to Park offices or starting point for Gorilla trekking certificate award, its advised that when heading for the Gorilla trek you come along with your packed food for eating while in the Jungle because most of the times lunch time reaches when Gorilla trackers are still in the Jungle being unable to come back for lunch.
Gorilla trekking requires a permit and this permit in Uganda costs $600 USD per person usually booked in advance before your trekking dates such that it’s processed in time.
Besides Gorilla trekking what else?
You can explore the Batwa Pygmies during a Cultural visit in Bwindi Forest
While in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you can also do bird watching, visit the Batwa people in their local communities and more.