How To Plan Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda & Uganda
Gorilla trekking is the world’s most intimate wildlife experience. This video will help you plan an encounter with gorillas in the wild.
Seeing mountain gorillas in the mist is only possible in two destinations. You are allowed one hour with a habituated troop from an “official” distance of seven meters away. Gorilla trekking Rwanda takes place in Volcanoes National Park. Uganda gorilla trekking is possible in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
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Trekking is part of the gorilla experience. You go deep into thick, tangle rainforest, walking on trails made by forest elephants. It could take you 30 minutes or four hours to reach the world’s largest primate. Then there’s a moment when time stands still, when you come eye to eye with a wild mountain gorilla. These animals are curious and inquisitive, so they take a good look at their daily visitors. You will remember such intimate moments for a lifetime.
This video condenses a gorilla trek into two minutes. This is what you will see:
0:02 Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
0:34 Trekking in the rainforest
0:46 Gorillas in Uganda (shiny, short fur)
1:14 Gorillas in Rwanda (longer, shabbier fur)
1:35 Silverback mountain gorilla
Encountering gorillas in the wild is the ultimate wildlife experience, an intimate connection to animals so similar to us. Only 1000 of these mountain gorillas remain and none have ever been made cactive. In the zoo you can only see lowland gorillas, a smaller sub-species. To experience the world’s largest primate you must go gorilla trekking. There is no best time to go, although many people avoid the long rains of March and April – seeing gorillas in the rain is even more spectacular (just not as good for photos).
Rwanda gorilla trekking is the easiest option. You can fly to Kigali, the country’s capital, then it’s a two-hour overland journey to the national park. Stay in a lodge overnight before trekking the next day. Every trekker leaves from the same central trailhead and there is an excellent variety of accommodation nearby. Rwanda offers a more luxurious park experience and is best if you are short on time, particularly if you want to combine gorillas with an East Africa big-game safari. However, the permits for Rwanda are more than double the price (USD 1500 per trek in 2018).
Rwanda’s mountain gorillas have a thick, shabby fur. In contrast, Uganda’s mountain gorillas have a shorter, shiny fur. When watching this gorilla trekking video you can clearly the see where the different shots have been filmed. Both are the same species and the same size – both are also incredibly beautiful. Note that you will need to organize your permit in advance as spaces are carefully restricted for each day.
Uganda gorilla trekking is significantly cheaper at USD 600 per permit. It is more complicated. There are four different trekking trailheads, or sectors, in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and they are many hours apart from each other. You must get a permit for a specific sector on a specific day. Getting to Bwindi is also a challenge, either involving some very long bus journeys through Uganda or crossing the border from Rwanda. The actual gorilla experience is very similar to Rwanda, but it requires more time in your itinerary and is more complicated.
Heritage Africa specializes in non-hunting safaris, connecting you to the greatest wildlife in Africa. We can talk you through all the gorilla trekking options and what would work best for you.
For the complete gorilla trekking guide see
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