Eco-friendly gorilla safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the best place to go for Eco-friendly gorilla safaris in Uganda. Located in the southwestern corner of the country neighboring Mgahinga National Park, Bwindi is home to the largest number of Mountain gorillas in the world with half the remaining population. Mgahinga is home to 27habituated gorilla families that are found in the four sectors of the national park which include the Nkuringo sector, Ruhija sector, Buhoma sector, and Rushaga sector. Each of these sectors has different habituated Mountain gorillas that you get to spend an hour with after locating them. The different sectors in Bwindi have the following habituated gorilla families.

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Ruhija: The Ruhija sector is located in the eastern Bwindi easily accessed from Kabale and Buhoma. The sector is home to 6 habituated gorilla families and there are 24 gorilla permits printed per day in Ruhija.

Nkuringo: The Nkuringo sector is located in southern Bwindi and has 4 habituated gorilla families. This is considered to be the least visited sector in Bwindi with 16 gorilla permits printed per day.

Rushaga: Rushaga is one of the easily recognizable sectors in Bwindi located next to Nkuringo because it is the only sector that offers the habituation experience. Rushaga has 10 habituated gorilla families and 80 permits are printed per day for gorilla trekking.

Buhoma: The Buhoma sector is located in northern Bwindi with 7 habituated gorilla families including the newly introduced ones. Buhoma receives 14 habituated gorilla permits per day. 

Mountain gorillas are endangered species that need protection from the different dangers that might lead to their extinction. Eco-friendly gorilla safaris contribute to the conservation of the mountain gorillas increasing their numbers in the world. The trekking exercise starts in the morning with a briefing from the guides and the allocation of the gorilla families to the different. After the briefing, the trek can last 1 to 6 hours starting with an experienced guide and when you locate the gorilla family assigned, you have an hour with it. You then head back to the park headquarters where you are awarded a certificate for participating in the safari.

The gorilla permit in Bwindi

Gorilla permits are official documents that are used by tourists to gain access to the Mountain gorillas and they are printed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Gorilla permits in Uganda are affordable and are given out on a first come first serve basis so all tourists are advised to buy and book the permits 6 months or more before the trek date to avoid last-minute disappointments. The gorilla permit gives you an hour with the Mountain gorillas and costs $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, UGX 300, 000 for East African citizens (Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya and South Sudan) and the newly introduced category of African citizens (the rest of Africa excluding East Africa) pay $500 per person.

Purchasing of the permit: This can be done through Encounter Safaris, a local tour operator that has experience in organizing gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda and Rwanda.  The first step in purchasing a gorilla permit is to get in touch with us with the details about your desired dates, how many permits you are purchasing, and a copy of the passport. We check for the availability of the permits on the said dates and if they are available, we send you the details with an invoice to pay for the permits. After we confirm that you have sent money for the permits, we then proceed to purchase the permits and send a copy to your email for record purposes.

The gorilla habituation experience is also offered in Bwindi and here you get to spend about 4 hours with the Mountain gorillas. Eco-friendly gorilla safaris are possible in Bwindi and to be able to organize a good one, you need to have a permit and book for the entire safari in advance so that you have an enjoyable safari where you participate in the conservation of the Mountain gorillas. The cost of the gorilla habituation permit in Bwindi is slightly higher than normal gorilla trekking and the cost is $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents, $1000 for African citizens, and UGX 750, 000 for East African citizens.

What is the cost of the eco-friendly gorilla safari in Bwindi?

For as long as you have secured your gorilla trek permit in Bwindi, other safari expenses entirely depend on the services that you need for your entire safari. The cost of the safari is affected by the number of days spent on the safari, accommodation chosen, transport means, and the size of the group and safari activities on your itinerary.

The costs of the safari depend on the number of days you hope to spend on your safari for example 3 days, 6 days, or 9 days among others. The more days you spend on your safari, the higher the cost of the gorilla safari.

The bigger the size of the group paying for the safari, the less the cost of the entire gorilla safari package because the costs are shared among the different people on the safari. The less the number of people paying for the safari, the higher the cost of the safari.

The package that you decide to use when planning your gorilla trek safari to Bwindi will also determine the cost of the safari for example budget-friendly, mid-range, and luxury gorilla safari packages.

In cases where you want to include other safari activities to your itinerary in Bwindi and other national parks like game drives, chimp trekking, birding, and hiking among others, the cost of the safari increases.

The season you choose for your gorilla safari will also affect the cost of the safari. The peak season which is also the dry season comes with a high demand for permits and other amenities for the safari which greatly increases the cost of the gorilla safari as compared to the low season.

Why go to Bwindi for an Eco-friendly gorilla safari

Bwindi is home to half the gorilla population in the world hence considering it to be the best place to go for an Eco-friendly gorilla safari in the country. Going to Bwindi for a gorilla safari helps in the conservation of the endangered mountain gorillas, and protects their natural habitat by preventing deforestation hence contributing to the development of the local communities around Bwindi. You not only get to spend an hour with the gorillas during normal gorilla trekking but you also get to observe them and get to spend more time with them during the habituation process.

How safe is eco-gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is safe because there are safety measures that have been put in place to ensure that the trekkers and the endangered mountain gorillas are safe throughout the trek exercise offering 24/7 security. All trek groups are accompanied by an armed ranger to provide security to the trekkers.

Trekkers are also supposed to keep personal security by following all the rules and regulations given to them during the briefing. Other ways of keeping safe during a gorilla trek in Bwindi are:

• If you have any valuables, make sure that you do not travel with them for the trek but leave them in the safety of the rooms at all times.
• Never leave the trek group to wander off alone in the National Park. There are other wildlife in the park that you should avoid.
• Avoid provoking mountain gorillas to prevent them from attacking you.
• Do not walk with large sums of money and count it in public because this might attract the wrong characters.
• There are security checks that are carried out as you enter the national park and this is to prevent trekkers from gaining access to the national park with illegal and dangerous items like cigarettes, knives, and other sharp objects.
• The different rules and regulations for gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park include the following:
• The age limit is 12 years in Bwindi and below that you will not be allowed to participate in the trek.
• Trekkers are to keep their voices low so that they do not disrupt the mountain gorillas.
• All tourists have to keep a distance of 7 meters from the gorillas.
• Tourists are to be grouped in size of 8 to be able to trek a gorilla-habituated family.
• You are all supposed to attend the morning briefing on the day of the trek.
• Tourists who are sick with infectious diseases will not be allowed to trek gorillas in Bwindi.
• Everyone is supposed to keep the park clean by taking all the rubbish from the park.
• There are no toilets and if you wish to ease yourself especially number two, dig a hole of 30cm which is to be covered up well after use.
• Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing around the gorillas and turn away from them.
• Never eat when you are with the gorillas
• Do not touch the gorillas in any way.
• Smoking is not encouraged when with the gorillas because the smoke affects the Mountain gorillas.
• Feeding the mountain gorillas is prohibited.
• Every trek group has an hour with the Mountain gorillas

What to bring for an eco-friendly gorilla safari in Bwindi

Part of having an organized and perfect eco-friendly gorilla safari in Bwindi is what to essentially pack for the safari. Below is a list of things that you need to pack for the eco-friendly gorilla safari in Bwindi.

• Long-sleeved shirts for warmth and extra protection for the skin from insect bites and tree scratches.
• lightweight Trousers
• Gardening gloves
• Knee-length waterproof hike boots
• Waterproof day backpack
• Rain jacket
• Thick socks
• Toiletries like wet wipes, biodegradable toilet paper, and underwear among others.
• Warm sweater/poncho
• Snacks
• Insect repellent
• Refillable water bottle
• A camera
• Binoculars
• Adjustable gaiters

Other activities carried out in Bwindi on your eco-friendly gorilla safari to Bwindi

Bird watching: Bwindi is home to 350 bird species with 23 Albertine endemic species. Bird watching is best carried out during the rainy season and some of the bird species to look out for include Shelley’s crimson, Grauer’s broadbill, African emerald cuckoo, red-headed Bluebill and Common Bulbul, kivu ground thrush, red-faced woodland warbler, collared Apalis, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, red-throated Alethe, Ruwenzori nightjar and giant kingfisher among others.

The Batwa trail: The Batwa cultural trail is one of the top activities that you can participate in on your Eco-friendly gorilla safari. Led by the Batwa guides, you will be taken through the lives of the Batwa and how they survived when they used to live in the park, their hunting skills, the caves where they used to live and strategize, learn how to make fire using sticks, how they co-exist with the wildlife. You will also be welcomed by the locals with song and dance and you get a chance to participate in their day-to-day activities.

Guided nature walks: Guided nature walks give you a chance to explore Bwindi on a wide level and through this, you will be able to spot the different primate species including olive baboons, grey-cheeked monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, butterflies and the several tree species. There are several trek routes that you can use for a guided nature walk and these are the Rushura Trail, Muyangwa Waterfall Trail Buhoma-Nkuringo Trail, Habinyanja Trail, and Ivi Trail.

Where to stay for your Eco-friendly gorilla safari

Bwindi has several accommodation facilities where you can stay during your Eco-friendly gorilla trek safari and these include Bwindi Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Mahogany Springs, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Chameleon Lodge, Agandi Lodge, Broadbill Forest camp, Buhoma Community Haven Lodge, Bakiga Lodge, Bwindi Backpackers Lodge, Bwindi Forest Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas and Bwindi Trekkers Tavern cottages among others.

Get in touch with us on email for more information about Eco-friendly safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.