Combining gorilla trekking in Rwanda with wildlife safaris in Uganda

Combining gorilla trekking in Rwanda with wildlife safaris in Uganda. Safaris in Africa are an interesting adventure that offers wonderful experiences on the African continent. A gorilla trekking safari combined with wildlife safaris is more than sightseeing because you will have helped in the conservation of the endangered gorillas and, at the same time, enjoy a wildlife drive around the different national parks in the country.

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You can easily combine a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda and a wildlife safari in Uganda where you get to enjoy the different safari destinations in both Uganda and Rwanda. In this article, we get to discuss how to combine and plan a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda and wildlife viewing in Uganda.

Trekking gorillas in Rwanda

Rwanda has one gorilla trek destination: Volcanoes National Park in the northeastern part of the country along the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Over the years with the conservation of gorillas by the government has greatly increased the number of gorillas in the world. There are currently over 400 registered gorillas in Rwanda and so far 15 habituated gorilla families. To be able to trek gorillas in Rwanda, you have first to purchase a gorilla permit.

Gorilla permits in Rwanda are the property of the government, issued by the Rwanda Development Board, and can be bought on your behalf by the tour operators. When you are through with researching and finding the best operator to use, get in contact with them with your trek dates to see if they are available. The tour operator will then check for the availability of the permits and after confirming with you about the dates, you will have to make payments. When the payments have been confirmed, the tour operator will send you a copy.

Gorilla permits have to be purchased on time at least 6 months before the trek date because they sell out quickly and the best way to secure one is by getting them early. The cost of the gorilla permit is $1500 for foreign residents, and African residents pay $500, and $250 for East African citizens (Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi and South Sudan).

The rules and regulations for gorilla trekking

Trekking gorillas in Rwanda is an exciting experience but some rules and regulations need to be followed by all tourists because it is one of the ways that gorillas are protected and conserved. Below is a list of some of the rules and regulations.

• A distance of 7 meters is to be kept at all times after finding the gorillas. All trek groups have to keep their distance to protect the gorillas.
• To reduce the number of people trekking the gorillas per day, the RDB limited the number to only 8 people. This reduces the overcrowding of the park hence limiting the spread of infections and diseases.
• Trekkers who are 15 years and above are the only ones allowed to trek gorillas per day.
• Noise made should be limited since gorillas don't like being disturbed from their daily routine. And this means that you should communicate in low tones, keep your phone in silence or flight mode, and follow all the rules given to you by the guides.
• When taking photos of the gorillas, ensure that the camera flash is off because it scares the gorillas into hiding.
• Always make sure that the national park is clean during your visit by taking all your rubbish with you as you leave the park. We offer all the necessary information about combining the safaris in both Uganda and Rwanda and all you have to do is get in touch with us.
• You are not allowed to eat or drink when with the gorillas. Food crumbs falling on the ground might be picked up by the gorillas which increases the risk of infecting the gorillas.
• You are not supposed to trek the gorillas when you feel sick and if this happens to you on the morning of the trek, inform the lead guide to protect the gorillas because if one gorilla falls sick, it can affect the whole gorilla family.
• When you feel like sneezing or coughing, turn away from the gorillas and cover your mouth and nose.

What to bring on the gorilla safari

Packing for a gorilla safari can get a bit hard when you do not know exactly what to pack and that is why we have come up with a list of the things that you will need for your gorilla trek and these include a refillable water bottle, snacks, sunscreen, and a sunhat for protection from the sun, insect repellent because of the many bugs in the forest, a waterproof rain jacket, warm sweater/poncho to keep warm, strong hike boots, waterproof camera bag, binoculars, a camera, flashlight, extra batteries, lenses and storage for the camera, portable WIFI, adaptors, gaiters, socks to keep warm and walking stick will be availed in case you need one.

Wildlife safari destinations in Uganda

Uganda has a wide variety of national parks that you can visit on your combined gorilla trek safari in Rwanda and wildlife safari in Uganda. These are located in different parts of the country and offer a wide range of activities like game drives, bird watching, boat cruises, and nature walks, among others. Below is a list of the national parks where you can enjoy a wildlife safari in Uganda.

Kidepo Valley National Park: Kidepo Valley National Park is located in a remote area in northeastern Uganda in the Karamoja region. It is one of the least visited national parks in the country because of its location but one of the best jewels in the country and was ranked by CNN as the most beautiful park. Activities that can be carried out in Kidepo Valley National Park include bird watching, game drives, cultural trips, and bicycle rides around the villages. The park has different wildlife species, including ostriches, lions, giraffes, elephants, hyenas, buffaloes, leopards, cheetahs, warthogs, and antelopes, among others.

Murchsion Falls National Park: Murchsion Falls National Park is the country's largest and oldest national park with over 76 mammal species and 450 bird species. Some of the activities that are done in Murchison Falls National Park include boat rides along the Nile Delta to the waterfalls, bird watching, game drives, spot fishing, guided nature walks, chimpanzee trekking in Budongo and Kaniyo Pabidi forests, and bird watching among others. Wildlife species in Murchison include hartebeests, chimpanzees, giraffes, warthogs, elephants, lions, buffaloes, waterbucks, red-tailed monkeys, and leopards among others.

Queen Elizabeth National Park: This is the 2nd largest national park in the country and one of the best wildlife safari destinations. Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in western Uganda and is famous for the tree-climbing lions found in the Ishasha sector. Queen Elizabeth National Park offers a variety of activities that are carried out throughout the year and these include boat rides along the Kazinga channel, guided nature walks, chimpanzee trekking in the Kyambura gorge also referred to as the Valley of Apes, bird watching (Queen Elizabeth National Park has the highest number of bird species in the country, over 615 bird species) and game drives. Some of the wildlife species to see while on a safari in Queen Elizabeth include bushbucks, tree climbing lions, waterbucks, crocodiles, buffaloes, leopards, black and white colobus monkeys, warthogs, elephants, and Uganda kobs among others.

Kibale National Park: Kibale National Park is a primate heaven trekking destination with 1500 chimpanzees ready to be trekked. Kibale National Park is home to 13 different primate species including red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, gray-cheeked monkeys, pottos, L'Hoest monkeys, and blue monkeys among others. Activities that can be carried out in Kibale National Park include guided nocturnal walks (although rare), bird watching, chimpanzee trekking, chimpanzee habituation experience, primate walks, cultural trips, and guided nature walks among others.

Mgahinga National Park: Mgahinga is the smallest national park in Uganda located in southwestern Uganda in the Kisoro district along the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is one of the two gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda with one habituated gorilla family, the Nyakagezi gorilla family, and this can be trekked throughout the year. Although the national park is best known for the Mountain gorillas, there are other safari activities you can carry out and these include guided nature walks along the Batwa trail, bird watching, golden monkey trekking, climbing the volcanic mountains including Mount Sabinyo, Muhavrua, and Mount Gahinga.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Bwindi is one of the top wildlife safari destinations in Uganda and is home to the largest population of gorillas in the world. The gorillas can be found in the four sectors including Rushaga, Buhoma, Nkuringo, and Ruhija. You will also be able to participate in the gorilla habituation where you spend 4 hours studying the gorillas, enjoy bird watching, guided nature walks, enjoy the Batwa cultural trip, and take on guided nature walks.

Lake Mburo National Park: Lake Mburo National Park is located in Western Uganda and one of the safari destinations in Uganda with a variety of activities to carry out including boat rides along the lake, game drives, cultural walks, and bird watching. The national park can be visited all year round but the best time is during the dry season.

The cost of the combined safari of gorilla trekking in Rwanda and wildlife safaris in

Uganda

The cost of a combined safari can be overwhelming because you are going to be combining two countries with different activities. There are a lot of factors that might affect the cost of the safari and these include the following:

Transportation: There are two ways in which you can travel to Rwanda for gorilla trekking in Rwanda and then connect to Uganda for the wildlife safari and these include road and air transport and the type of transport that you use will affect the cost of the safari. Road transport is the most commonly used mode of transport as you head to Volcanoes National Park and then get a flight to Uganda. Flights are faster but more expensive as compared to driving.

Accommodation: Accommodation is categorized into three categories basic, mid-range, and luxury facilities and you get to choose the type you are comfortable with. If you are looking at having a luxury safari, you can book the luxury accommodation facilities, which ultimately increases the cost of the safari, but if you are travelling on a budget, the basic and some mid-range facilities are your best option, lowering the cost of the safari. 

The season of travel: If you are planning on traveling on a budget but still have a great time the best time is during the wet season also known as the low season which is from March to May and October to November. During the wet season, the accommodation facilities reduce their costs in a bid to attract more tourists to the country which makes it a good time to travel to Uganda for gorilla trekking in Rwanda and wildlife viewing in Uganda and the best time to go for bird watching with the migratory birds available. The dry season on the other hand is a good time to go for gorilla trekking but due to the high number of tourists visiting the country at that time, the safari is expensive increasing the cost of the safari but it is the best time to do gorilla trekking in Uganda. It is also the best time to spot the wildlife in the country.

When to go for a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda and wildlife safaris in Uganda

Gorilla trekking and safari destinations can be done at any time of the year however the best time is during the dry season which is also known as the peak/high season in June-September and December-January. During the dry season, the national parks receive little or no rainfall and the access roads and trek trails are passable and the thinning of the vegetation also makes it easy to view the gorillas and other wildlife species.

You can also visit the national parks during the wet season which is also known as the low season experienced from October to November and March to May as this is the best time to go bird watching when the migratory birds join the endemic birds. It is, however, harder to spot the wildlife and go gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda respectively. However, it is a wonderful time for tourists traveling on a budget due to the reduced fees on accommodation.  

Set off and get to enjoy a once in a lifetime experience on your journey through the hills of Rwanda and Uganda to enjoy both gorilla trekking and wildlife safaris. Contact us to plan your safari today.