Planning a Bwindi gorilla and wildlife safari from Mbarara city

Planning a Bwindi gorilla and wildlife safari from Mbarara city. When preparing a Bwindi gorilla and Wildlife safari from Mbarara, you need to select which gorilla safari of gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experience you wish to participate in. For wildlife safaris, you can go to Queen Elizabeth National Park or Lake Mburo National Park. Depending on the days you have on holiday, you can select the activities to participate in during your Uganda safari.

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In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you can do gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experience. Gorilla trekking is an adventure where you follow a fully habituated gorilla family in the wilderness with a maximum of 8 tourists. Gorilla habituation experience is an adventure where tourists can escort a team of researchers and trackers in the wilderness to be in the company of semi-habituated gorillas.

From Mbarara city, you may drive 119 kilometers to Queen Elizabeth National Park where you can participate in game drives, launch trips, chimpanzee trekking and so much more. Later, you may continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla safari, about 160 kilometers from Mweya or 64 kilometers from Ishasha.

To be part of gorilla safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you must possess a gorilla permit. The gorilla permit is the only one allowing you to do gorilla safaris Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi gorilla permits are booked according to four areas:

• The Buhoma area in the north
• The Ruhija area in the eastern side
• The Rushaga area
• The Nkuringo area in the southern part

How To Plan Bwindi Gorilla And Wildlife Safari From Mbarara City

Book a Gorilla safari for Bwindi 

Whether you choose gorilla trekking or habituation experience, you need a gorilla permit. At Encounter Africa Safaris, we can assist you in booking the gorilla permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority. You need a date number of people travelling with in order to check for gorilla permit availability. Upon enquiring from us, our safari consultant checks for availability from Uganda Wildlife Authority.

You must purchase your gorilla permits immediately because availability changes anytime without warning. During the peak tourism season, demand for gorilla permits gets high, so booking is required. To be on the safe side, you need to book the gorilla permits at least 6 months to a year in advance.

Forward some personal details to be added to your gorilla permit card and upon presenting this on the day of the gorilla safari adventure for identification. Forward the names as presented on the passport, nationality, date of birth, and passport expiry date.

What is the cost of gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Currently, the cost of gorilla trekking permit for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is $800 per person for foreign nonresidents, $700 for foreign residents and 300000shsh for East African residents.

The gorilla habituation permit cost is currently $1500 for foreign nonresidents, $1000 for foreign residents and 750000shsh for East African residents.

This gorilla permit cost covers the ranger guide fees, park entrance fees, security, mountain gorilla conservation, government tax, one hour of gorilla trekking or four hours of gorilla habituation experience, a certificate of accomplishment, local community support.

Secure accommodation to use during gorilla safari and wildlife safari

Much as gorilla safaris and wildlife tours happen in different Uganda National Parks, you need accommodation within or close to the park. Within Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park, different categories of facilities are available that is luxury, mid-range and budget.

When booking accommodation for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, consider where your gorilla permit is secured so you can avoid driving in the dark to catch up with briefing in another area. On the way, you may encounter obstacles like heavy mist, slippery roads, blocked roads and so much more.

• Bwindi accommodation: Clouds Lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp, Rushaga Gorilla Safari Lodge, Engage Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Trekker’s Tarven, Bwindi backpacker’s camp, Ruhija Gorilla Lodge
• Queen Elizabeth accommodations: Mweya Safari Lodge, Bush Lodge, Katara Lodge, Jacana Lodge, Simba Safari Camp

Secure Transport to use during Gorilla and wildlife safari from Mbarara city

Road transport is the most common way to get to Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from Mbarara. The drive is about 119 kilometers to Queen Elizabeth National Park 64 kilometers from Ishasha, and 105 kilometers from Mweya to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Reserving a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle ,a professional and knowledgeable spices up your experiences and memories of this gorilla and wildlife safari in Uganda. The roads in the countryside are bumpy and rough at times, which makes up the African massage while on safari, but you need a comfortable vehicle that can withhold some of these.

 In case you experience road sickness or motion sickness, you can carry pills with you so that you do not feel uncomfortable.

Charter flight services can be arranged from Mbarara city in case you wish to take a more private journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Queen Elizabeth National Park. You get to land in Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip or Kasese airstrip, but you need to hire a transfer vehicle to your lodge.

Book other Activities to combine with gorilla and wildlife safari

Other than gorilla trekking and wildlife safari, while in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park, you may engage in other activities in the park.

Activities Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 

 Birding

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a Uganda birding host spot with over 350 bird species so far recorded but the list may expand according to ornithologists. Bwindi Forests’ prime birding area is Rihija in the eastern side of the park.

While in Bwindi forest, you may even spot Albertine rift endemics common to this area. Some of the birds you may spot include Shelley’s Crimmsonwing, Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, African Hill Babbler, Collared Apalis, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Mountain Masked and chestnut throated Apalises and others.

Local Community visits

While in the Buhoma area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you can take the Buhoma community walk. During this, you may engage with the local banana beer brewery, visit a traditional healer, visit a homestead and make other arrangements. In Nkuringo or Rushaga area, you may go for a walk to the Nkuringo community where you may visit the blacksmith, a local beer brewery, a local homestead and others.

Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Other than game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you may engage with other activities in the park-like 

Launch trip on Kazinga channel

The relaxing launch trip on Kazinga channel gives you some of the greatest moments on safari in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. During this 3 hours return voyage, you may spot several animals enjoying the beauties of the shore like herds of elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, topis and others.

The shoreline of the Kazinga channel is flocked by numerous birds, including foreign migrants, attracted by the freebies of this channel. While on the launch trip, you capture the most stunning views on the floor of the Rift Valley.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge

While in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you may spend some moments with the chimpanzees in the 100-meter-deep gorge on the floor of the Rift Valley. The chimpanzees are habituated and spend their time in this small forest at the escarpments of Kyambura Gorge that formed from River Kyambura erosion.

Forest walk in Maramagambo forest.

Maramagambo forest is one of the few still surviving natural forests in Uganda. This forest has a network of trails, one of which you can explore its beauties. While in the Maramagambo forest, you may spot a number of primates like red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus, olive baboons, and grey-cheeked mangabey, to mention a few.

Several birds move in the forest, and you may spot several.

 Volcanic Crater Lakes visit

While on a drive along the tracks of Queen Elizabeth National Park, you may stop in the crater lakes area where you may see Lake Katwe, the historic salt mining lake in Uganda, notice the Nyamunuka Lake, which is the animal hospital and this can be attested by its smell, blue lake, and several others.

How much is a Bwindi gorilla and wildlife safari from Mbarara city

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we package our safaris according to luxury, mid-range, and budget safaris. Amongst these safari packages are common costs like the gorilla permit cost and park entrance fees that do not discriminate which package you choose.

When cost the gorilla and wildlife safaris, we put into consideration these fundamental points: the number of days on safari, time of booking the safari, number of people travelling with, activities to include in the package.

When Is the Best Time To Do Bwindi Gorilla and Wildlife Safari?

The gorilla and wildlife safaris are open all year; however, the most preferred time is the dry season, normally June, July, August, September, December, and January. In this season, the animals are full of life and can be spotted easily in the wilderness.

Even the Bwindi forest, known for receiving rain any time without warning, maybe drier in this season. This makes it quicker to walk through the trails to where the mountain gorillas may be residing.

Note that demand for gorilla safaris in this period is high creating scarcity. Last-minute gorilla permits during the dry season may be challenging to find, so to be safe, book your gorilla permit in advance.

In the wet season, which is normally the low Uganda tourism season, chances of last-minute gorilla permits may be present but only a guarantee some of the time. Sometimes chances of discounted price costs may be forwarded to clients so that service providers can break even.

The wet season is normally March, April, May and November. if you wish to travel on a budget plan but get better services, you can seize the opportunity of the low season, although not a guarantee all the time

No matter when you wish to do gorilla and wildlife safari, preparations are necessary to avoid last-minute panic.

What To Pack For Uganda Gorilla And Wildlife Safari 

• Extra batteries in case some run low during the safari
• Safari boots to cover your feet from getting hurt while trekking to find the mountain gorillas.
• Some warmers as it gets so cold early morning and late afternoon, even in Queen Elizabeth National Park 
• Energy bites to reenergize during the breaks as you trek to find the mountain gorillas.
• Waterproof backpack to carry with your gorilla trekking gear or during wildlife safari, in case you need to hand them over to a porter.
• Garden gloves to cover your palms when you trip and fall while in the wilderness.
• Safari hat to protect your head from buzzing insects in the wilderness.
• Insect repellant to keep away insects that may sting you when you are in the wilderness.
• A pair of stockings to tack in your clothes and protect yourself from insects that may creep into them.
• Sunglasses to protect your eyes from insects that buzz in the wilderness.
• A torch as lights run low so times because most lodges have solar energy as their main power supply.
•  Sleeveless wear in case it gets very hot while on game drive
• A camera to keep memories of the gorilla trek and wildlife safari.
• Some cash in case you need to do on-ground purchases
• Flip flops to change into after gorilla safari and when in the car during game safaris
• Travel adopter and charger
• Duffel bag to carry in your belongings, and you need to pack relevantly and light in case you have to offload and carry your own bags.
• First aid kit with emergency medication
• Toiletries in case your lodge doesn’t provide any
• Light shoe bag for your shoes in case you clean them and they do not get dry by the time of your departure.

Contact us for more information.