Mountain gorilla safari parks in Uganda

Mountain gorilla safari parks in Uganda: Uganda is home to the highest number of mountain gorillas in the whole world. With over 10 national parks, mountain gorillas inhabit only two national parks located in the southwestern part of the country. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park are the only mountain gorilla safari parks in Uganda.

Mountain gorillas are close relatives to human beings after chimpanzees. They are said to have more than 98% DNA they share with human beings. For this reason, many travelers from different parts of the world travel to have a great time with them in their natural habitats. In Uganda, tourists can only see them in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park.

The mountain gorilla national parks in Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

This is the most famous gorilla park in the whole world for it harbors the highest number of mountain gorillas. More than half of mountain gorillas still surviving in the wild are found in the impenetrable forest of Bwindi. The park has been divided into four sectors and tourists can encounter mountain gorillas in Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo, and Rushaga sectors.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is the best place to see mountain gorillas if you plan a gorilla safari. More than 21 mountain gorilla families live in different sectors of the park. The park is also the only place where tourists can engage in mountain gorilla habituation, an activity that allows tourists to be part of the activities that make mountain gorillas get used to the human presence around them.

Mgahinga National Park

Mgahinga National Park is the second national park in Uganda where tourists can encounter mountain gorillas. It’s the smallest national park in Uganda but it harbors the endangered mountain gorillas that live on the lower slopes of the Virunga Mountains. Unfortunately, not so many mountain gorillas are living within this park but among the few there are those that are habituated and can be trekked.

Mgahinga National Park has one mountain gorilla family and this can be trekked by a maximum of 8 people a day. The gorilla family was named Nyakagezi and it is open for trekking every day. Armed ranger guides within the park help trekkers locate this mountain gorilla family that is mobile in the thick vegetation cover.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park.

Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park is the same. The day starts with tourists having an early morning breakfast and a packed lunch at the lodge. Tourists are then driven to the park/sector headquarters where the briefing takes place. The role of briefing is to teach trekkers the dos and don’ts of the activity and also to group trekkers not exceeding 8 people.

Once the briefing is done, trekkers are given armed ranger guides who are to lead them in the jungle. Tourists who need porters are allowed to hire them at the briefing point at a very affordable fee. Drivers then transfer the trekkers to the starting points of the trekking and let them go into the jungle where they search for where the mountain gorillas could be.

Searching for mountain gorillas is never easy as people might think because trekkers get to pass through difficult terrains at some points as they search for where the mountain gorillas could be. The search for mountain gorillas in Uganda takes 1 hour to 5 hours depending on the location of the gorilla family, the nature of the trails, and the speed of the trekkers.

Chances of seeing mountain gorillas in Uganda are more than 95% and once they are located the armed ranger guides give trekkers 1 hour to be around the apes. The time around mountain gorillas allows trekkers to know about the mountain gorilla habits, and watch them carry out daily activities as they capture images or videos. Trekkers later move out of the jungle giving the mountain gorillas their freedom in the wild.

Mountain gorilla habituation in Bwindi

Mountain gorilla habituation safaris in the whole world can be done in the great Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. With the increasing population of mountain gorillas in the park, there are those that are going through habituation and once they get used to human presence around them they are open for trekking.

Apparently, there is one mountain gorilla family in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park that is open for gorilla habituation. Bikingi in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi is available for habituation every day in the park. A maximum of 4 people are allowed in the habituation activity and these are joined by armed ranger guides, doctors, and rangers to do activities that make these apes get used to human presence around them.

The cost of seeing mountain gorillas in Uganda

gorilla safaris in Uganda are very affordable activity that can be done by budget, mid-range, and luxury travelers on safaris to Uganda. To be part of the activity, tourists must purchase gorilla permits. Gorilla trekking is $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 Rest of Africa, and UGX300,000 citizens of East African member states.

Tourists interested in spending over 4 hours with mountain gorillas need to purchase gorilla trekking permits that cost $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents, and UGX750,000 members of East African member states. These permits are purchased at Uganda Wildlife Authority by licensed tour operators.

The most appropriate time to have gorilla safaris in Uganda

The driest months of the year June to September and December to February are the best times to visit Uganda for gorilla safaris. These months are the best because of good weather that is characterized by little rainfall and plenty of sunshine. The trekking trails are dry and passable, vegetation is short with good views of mountain gorillas and roads to the park are passable.

Tourists can still visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in the rainy season for the park is always open. The rainy season is however characterized by too much rainfall and little sunshine. The trekking trails are muddy and slippery, vegetation in the jungle is tall with unclear views of wildlife, and roads leading to the park are impassable in case it rains heavily.