Gorilla habituation experience from Nairobi Kenya

To do gorilla habituation experience in Uganda from Nairobi in Kenya, you must reserve the gorilla permit first. The gorilla habituation experience is an adventure where a maximum of 4 tourists accompany a team of researchers in the wilderness to spend four hours with a semi-habituated gorilla family.

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From Kenya, you may connect to Uganda via Entebbe international Airport or on ground via the Maraba border. Currently, in Uganda, gorilla habituation experience is happening in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the southern part of Park. The southern sector of Bwindi has two areas the Nkuringo and Rushaga areas.

In Uganda, you must have a gorilla habituation permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority to be allowed to do this gorilla tour. On the day of gorilla safari, tourists present the gorilla permit card for verification and clearance with other necessary documents.

Where to Go For Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda From kenya

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda is so far the only destination where gorilla habituation experience is happening. During gorilla habituation experience, tourists escort a team of ranger guides to follow a semi-habituated gorilla family and spend four hours with them.

During the gorilla habituation experience, tourists may be asked to assist with collecting data, samples, observe the mountain gorillas and much more. Keeping the rules of gorilla habituation experience is very helpful especially with these very sensitive semi-habituated mountain gorillas.

It is best to stay closer to the researchers during gorilla habituation experience because they know more details about these mountain gorillas and by now have some more information about almost all members of the gorilla family.

What To Expect on Gorilla Habituation experience in Uganda

During the gorilla habituation experience, expect to attend briefing with other fellow tourists and follow the team of Researchers.

The gorilla family opened for the gorilla habituation experience is normally not yet accustomed to having visitors so expect them to move into hiding any time. These gorilla families are normally suspicious of new faces in there vicinity so be as cooperative as possible with the new instructions that may be given when on ground.

Finding a mountain gorilla during gorilla habituation experience is not easy to determine but you can open your mind to seeing other forest dwellers including black and white colobus, olive baboons, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys and others. An array of birds flock the park including Albertine rift endemics.

Upon finding the mountain gorillas only four hours are allowed with them for conservation reasons. For more information, please contact us.

When Is The Best Time To Book The Gorillas Habituation Experience From Kenya.  

The best time to book the gorilla habituation experience from Kenya is the dry season. In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the dry season is normally December to January and June to September. Gorilla habituation experience is an all year around adventure even through the dry period is most preferred

The environment in the forest is known for being moist most of the year but there is generally lesser moisture in the forest during dry season. The ground of Bwindi forest which is normally logged by water from the dense network of rivers and regular rains that fall yet less sunrays penetrates through the dense canopy leaves the ground soggy most of the time. In the dry season, the ground is generally dryer permitting faster movement

The mountain gorillas normally move faster and easier to spot during the dry season as they keep communication with each as though alerting them about your presence. Note that the dry season is the peak tourism season so availability of the gorilla habituation experience permits gets more challenging as the season unfolds. Uganda Wildlife Authority normally opens four gorilla permits to the public.

Do not ignore the wet season when choosing to do the gorilla habituation experience in Uganda. The wet season of Bwindi area is normally March, April, May and November. No matter the time you choose to do gorilla habituation experience, seeing the gorillas is a guarantee.

In the low season expect to have no or less company during the gorilla habituation adventure, the vegetation is lush green tangled and rivers may flood the forest.

How Much Is The Cost Of Gorilla Habituation Adventure In Uganda

The cost of the gorilla habituation adventure varies with category that is luxury, mid-range and basic. The universal cost is the gorilla permit cost which is currently $1500 for international nonresidents, $1000 for international residents and other Africans and 750000shs for East Africans.

The gorilla habituation permit cost includes park entrance fees, ranger guide fees, gorilla conservation fee, four hours with semi-habituated gorillas and others.

The gorilla permit cost excludes tips, accommodation, transport and other expenses of personal nature.

Additional logistics costs that support safaris in Uganda include transport, accommodation, gas or fuel and others. Together with our tours consultant you can make your dress gorilla safari a reality. Ask for assistance from our Safari consultant on how to plan the gorilla habituation safari and receive a quotation.  

How To Get To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park For Gorilla Habituation Experience From Kenya

From Kenya, the entry points into Uganda are Entebbe International airport by air and Maraba border crossing on land to the main capital city of Uganda Kampala.

The distance from Kampala or Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is about 530 Kilometers. there are a number of routes to get to Bwindi including Kampala to Kabale to Kanungu or Kampala Ntungamo to Rukungiri to Kihihi to Bwindi and others.

Scheduled domestic flights are available on a daily from Entebbe or Kajjansi airstrip to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip. Charter flight arrangements can be made on request from Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airstrip for more exclusive travel.

What Guarantees Seeing The Mountain Gorillas During Gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda.

Be sure to find the mountain gorillas in Bwindi forest even though they are semi-habituated with swinging moods. The mountain gorillas are mobile primates but cannot move fast to disappear from into the forest. There bulky size cannot permit them to move fast.

Tourists are required to follow the guidelines of gorilla habituation adventure which involves not shouting at the mountain gorillas as this may appear suspicious to them.

To find the mountain gorillas tourists are requested to participate actively as part of the adventure by tracing some clues they leave behind including fresh dung, freshly chewed foliage, foot prints, listen to the murmurs and much more.

Before opening the gorilla family for the habituation experience, it is first habituated to slightly get used to human presence even though not fully. So upon seeing the tourists, these mountain gorillas may not run away into hiding as long as you abide by the advice of the researchers.

What time do you return from gorilla Habituation experience in Bwindi

The return time from the gorilla habituation adventure varies with the condition prevailing in the forest. During the severe rainy day, the mountain gorillas tend to spend time on the slopes or in hiding so you have to trace them.

If the gorilla family is going through tough times, they may tend to spend time far in the forest. In case the gorilla family has to move in search of new feeding grounds, you may take some time to trace them.

Despite all this having some patience may save you from getting bored and open your mind to seeing other forest dwellers including the olive baboons, grey cheeked mangabey, wild chimpanzees and others. a number of birds have been confirmed as residents of Bwindi forest so you can look out for them as time goes by.

Upon spotting the mountain gorillas, four hours are allowed with them so exhaust this moment to the best of your ability and interests.

How Challenging Or Easy Is Gorilla Habituation Experience In Bwindi Forest

The nature of the terrain of Bwindi forest is ragged with several highlands formed from volcanic actions in this area. Sometimes the mountain gorillas prefer to spend time on the slopes so you are required to hike to find them. Note that during the dry season, mountain gorillas tend to move into the deeper forest in search for food because there is inadequate supply in this period

The trails in the forest tend to get blocked by overgrown vegetation that covers the path making it hard to get through so the ranger guides have to trim it using the machete to create a trail.

The ground may get quite hard to traverse especially when it is overlogged so wearing waterproof hiking boots is very safe. Do not wear attires that you may be afraid to get stained during the search for the mountain gorillas. To lift the weight of the gorilla habituation gears baggage off your shoulders, tourists may hire a porter to assist with carrying these items at an affordable cost.

When with the mountain gorillas, tourists are expected to follow the rules to avoid creating a moment that can compromise your time allowed with these primates. Remember the presence of humans antagonizes the daily life of the mountain gorillas yet they have to feed.

Having some level of fitness also helps you to go through the forest with less difficulty and without delaying the rest of the group even though the ranger guide follows the pace of the slowest trekker

The time of finding the mountain gorillas is unforgettable and full of mixed feelings because you may even forget the challenges you may have gone through to trace the mountain gorillas.

How safe is gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi

Gorilla habituation adventure is safe because the primates are first habituated to get accustomed to humans presence although not fully. Every gorilla safari in Bwindi is escorted by an armed ranger guide with a rifle and another carries a machete as emergency as protective gear. Every tourist must attend brief before the gorilla habituation adventure so that updates about the gorilla family is given to you even though you have to do it more times.

When in the forest, you must not get away from the rest of the group or else you will be forgotten in the wilderness. The ranger guide follows the pace of the slowest trekker but you need not to delay the rest of the group.

Do not move in the forest with your precious belongings especially the ones that are very sentimental or valuable to you. The safe of your belongings starts with you.

What are the guidelines of gorilla habituation experience in Uganda

• Provoking or mimicking the mountain gorillas is forbidden because you do not know what you are communicating.
• Volunteer to stay behind when you catch any human infection like cough, covid-19, cough as you may not know the extent to which they will affect these endangered primates.
• No feeding the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation experience because they are wild animals that must search for their own food.
• Only maximum of 4 tourists are allowed to see the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation experience for conservation purposes.
• No using flash photography in the forest because you may scare the mountain gorillas and other forest dwellers.
• Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you find them for conservation reason. In order to avoid chances of passing human infections to the highly susceptible mountain gorillas.
• Spitting on vegetation is forbidden because you may contaminate the mountain gorillas' food.
• Littering the forest where mountain gorillas live is forbidden as you alter the nature of the environment where mountain gorillas live.
• The age limit for gorilla habituation experience is currently 12 years and over to allow more children to engage in eco tourism.
• When with the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation adventure, only four hour are allowed with them as a conservation measure used. These mountain gorillas need to go about there daily activities yet human presence may disrupt their way of life.
• Feeding the mountain gorillas is forbidden as this alters there nature yet they are wild animals that must not depend on human supplies.

For more information about gorilla habituation experience from Nairobi, contact us.