5 Things to do on safari in Southwestern Uganda

The 5 things to do in southwestern part of Uganda include gorilla trekking, gorilla habituation experience, birding, mountaineering and golden monkey safaris. The southern part of Uganda is a rich forested area so most of the activities done in this area have an element of forest related activities.

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Gorilla safaris or golden monkey safaris in southwestern Uganda, you need to book a permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority. The number of visitors to different  destinations in this area is minimized to reduce on the after effects mass tourism to the inhabitants and the habitants of these areas.

Some of the safaris destinations in southwestern Uganda include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. These Uganda forested park are believed to have survived the arid conditions of the ice age era.

The 5 Thing To Do On Safari In Southwestern Uganda

Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Gorilla trekking is the prime safari activity of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. During gorilla trekking adventure only one hour is allowed with the fully habituated mountain gorillas as a conservation measure used to minimize the effects that come with over staying with the mountain gorillas.

When booking the gorilla permit, maximum 8 tourists are allowed before a family of mountain gorillas as the presence of humans affects the day to day activities of the mountain gorillas.

At the moment, Uganda has about 20 gorilla trekking families open to the public with so far one gorilla family confirmed in Mgahinga National Park that is called Nyakagezi and the rest in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. There is hope for more gorillas trekking families to be opened to the public as the habituation experience is still going on.

To book a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda, you need a date for this adventure as they are sold according to per day. The gorilla permits for Bwindi impenetrable National Park are reserved according to the four areas under which the park is divided that is Nkuringo, Rushaga, Ruhija and Buhoma. Even when booking accommodations to used during the gorilla safari in Bwindi forest, this must be considered.

On gorilla trekking day, tourists gather at the ranger station for briefing with other tourists then you are allocated the gorilla family to trek. The criteria used to allocate gorilla families to trek in Uganda varies but some of the ones considered may include physical capability, age brackets and others.

What Is The Cost Of A Gorilla Trekking Permit In Uganda

At the moment, the cost of the Uganda gorilla trekking permits is $800 for International nonresidents, $700 for international residents, $500 for Other Africans and 300000shs for East Africans.

The cost of the gorilla trekking permit for Uganda includes one hour with the mountain gorilla family, park entrance fees, security, conservation support and others.

Gorilla Habituation experience in Southwestern Uganda

Gorilla habituation experience is an adventure where tourists have four hours with the semi-habituated mountain gorilla family in company of a team of researchers and habituators. These mountain gorillas are not yet used to human presence so expect them to show some unusual behavior and but donot panic.

The researchers and habituators have some details about these mountain gorillas and may offer better advise on how to spend time before them. Even though there are general rules of gorilla safaris, each gorilla family has some specifications which need to be noted when with it. As a tourists, you may be required to take down some notes about these mountain gorillas, help to collect samples and others activities when in there company.

Sometimes the gorilla family under habituation may be joined by a new member that needs to be treated in a special way in case it has never seen humans. This may require taking sensitive steps when doing gorilla habituation experience in Uganda.

At the moment, the gorilla habituation experience in Uganda is happening in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with four families open.

What is the cost of Gorilla Habituation experience Permit in Uganda?

Currently the cost of the gorilla habituation experience permit is $1500 for international nonresidents, $1000 for foreign resident, $1000 for other Africans and 750000 shs for East Africans

The cost of gorilla habituation experience in Uganda includes four hours with the mountain gorillas, park entrance fees, security, conservation support and others.

Golden monkey safaris

To do golden monkeys safaris in Uganda, Mgahinga National Park is the only home to these primates in Uganda. Golden monkeys are a special monkey specie with golden brown hairs at the lower bottom and a physically larger body compared with other primates.

During this safari, you may do golden monkey trekking or golden monkey habituation experience. Golden monkey trekking adventure, tourists are allowed one hour with a troop of fully habituated golden monkeys.

At the moment the cost of golden monkeys trekking permits in Uganda include $60 for international nonresidents, $50 for international residents and 40000shs for East Africans

The golden monkey trekking permit costs of Uganda includes one hour with the golden monkeys, security, conservation support and other expenses

During golden monkey habituation experience, four hours are allowed with the semi habituated golden monkeys. Expect these primates to show some odd behavior since they still posses there natural traits. These golden monkeys may run into hiding any time since they are still timid.

Currently the cost of golden monkeys habituation experience permit in Uganda is $100 for foreign nonresidents, $80 for foreign residents and 100,000shs for East Africans

When doing the golden monkey safaris in Uganda, expect these primates to keep you on your toes because in there nature, they are restless. They keep from one tree to another most of the time. The golden monkeys are some of the highly endangered primates in the world with a population of about 4000 of them living.

Birding in Uganda the Southwestern Area

The birding experience in the southwestern part of Uganda is one of the best in the country. Bwindi impenetrable National Park has about 350 bird species and Mgahinga National Park having about 115 bird species confirmed as residents. Bwindi and Mgahinga forests are homes to Albertine rift endemics. Africa Bird club recognized Bwindi forest as one of the top birding destinations in Africa

In Bwindi forest, the Ruhija area of the park is the best birding sector of the park especially the Mubwindi Swamp area. When booking  a gorilla trekking tour in Bwindi and you are an Ornithologists too, you can take a double advantage by requesting for permits of Ruhija area.

When on a birding safari in Bwindi or Mgahinga forests, you may get the chance to spot birds including Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin, Shelley’s Crimsonwing and others. Having a professional birding guide and a bird guide book gives you chance to spot a number of bird or listen carefully to there calls.

Mountaineering in Southwestern Uganda

The mountaineering adventures in southwestern Uganda are incredible giving chance to test your physical fitness before embarking on very long hikes. The Mgahinga National Park has three of the six prominent Virunga Volcanoes including Mountain Gahinga, Sabyinyo and Muhavura.

A hike up these mountains gives you chance to spot some amazing features in this area which may be hard to see when close to the ground level. The southwestern part of Uganda is generally mountainous because of volcanic actions that affected this area.

The return trip on an excursion hike up the Mgahinga mountains may take about 7 to 8 hours but you must be in company of a ranger guide. When you hike to the peak of Sabyinyo mountain, you get the chance to stand at the pivot of the Uganda, Rwanda and D.R.Congo border.

Other activities to do in South Western Uganda

Visit Lake Bunyonyi

Lake Bunyonyi is a place of extreme natural tranquility with untouched views. This lake is a Rift Valley and deepest lake in Uganda. Lake Bunyonyi has 29 Islands which can be explored using a boat. The Island called Akampene is special as it was where girls of this area that go pregnant before customary marriage were abandoned to die  as they tried to swim back to the main land.

Another is Bwama Island which was isolated and used as a leprosy treatment center by Dr Dr Leonard Sharp.

While at lake Bunyonyi, tourists can do birding, zip lining, community visit and others.

Batwa community

The Batwa were the survivors in the forest of Bwindi who lived with mountain gorillas. When the conservation program started, they were evicted from there ancestral home and were separated but now they live with the communities around these forests. At first the Batwa were kept in refugee camps but later they started acquiring land in the communities close by.

A community visit to the Batwa people gives you chance to know more about how they survived in the forest. They normally make demonstration about how they collected there daily supplies through hunting, harvesting honey, creating fire using wood and other demos. Try to allow them express there cultures freely and embrace there uniqueness.

Visit To Queen Elizabeth National Park

From Bwindi Impenetrable National Park the Queen Elizabeth National Park is at a distance of about 64 kilometers via Ishasha sector in the southern and 160 kilometers to Mweya the main headquarters of the park. From activities in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you can make a combo with game safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park which gives you a variety to see in Uganda safari beyond the primates.

During the safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you may spot animals including tree climbing lions in the south sectors that is Ishasha, elephants, Buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, leopards, topis, hyenas and others.

The launch trip on Kazinga channel is the highlight of activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park and a wildlife display as a number of animals may be seen moving from the rift valley to the channel to quench thirst or take a bath. This about 40 kilometers long channel links Lake Edward with lake George. An array of birds flock the shoreline of Kazinga channel as it is a magnet for a number birds that travel from as far as Europe during the winter season.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge gets you closer to the endangered primates in the world with a DNA that is 98% similar to that of humans.

In general Queen Elizabeth National Park which sits on the floor of the rift valley is a rich and scenic park in western Uganda that can make a perfect combo with a safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park

Guidelines For A Safari in Southwestern Uganda

• No flash photography is allowed when taking photos for the gorilla trekking adventure. This scares the mountain gorillas.
• Never eat or smoke before the mountain gorillas because it may be harmful to there health
• Littering the forest is forbidden because it alters naturel setting where mountain gorilla feed from. The mountain gorillas are vegetarian and this may slowly reduce on there food.
• When you locate the mountain gorillas, do not surround them. This makes them feel ambushed.
• Ask the ranger guide to dig a whole of about 30 cm deep in case you wish to do a long call. You need to ever everything beyond recognition.
• Anyone below 12 years is not allowed to do gorilla trekking because the time of locating the mountain gorillas is not known and  some patience is need to complete this trek.
• Volunteer to stay behind in case you catch any communicable infection like corona virus, flu, cough, cholera. This is because the mountain gorillas can catch human infections easily. They have a DNA of about 96% to that of humans.
• When you locate the mountain gorillas keep a distance of about 8 meters from them. To reduce on the chances of passing a communicable infection to them.
• Never spit on the vegetation because its food for the mountain gorillas. It is unhealthy and disgusting too.
• Wear a mask and hand sanitize as an after corona virus period precaution. You must change into a clean mask as you approach the mountain gorillas.
• When with the mountain gorillas, do not make noise and sudden movement because it may scare them. the gorillas are often scared of unfamiliar noise in there presence.
• Only one hours is allowed with the mountain gorillas when you locate them. This is because they are habituated to be in the presence of human beings for just that hour.

For more information about things to do on safari in southwestern Uganda, please contact us.