How affordable is Uganda gorilla tourism

How affordable is gorilla trekking as an African tourism activity depends on many factors. When gorilla tracking is mentioned, two Africa countries will always come first that is Uganda and Rwanda much as there mountain gorillas in the Democratic republic of Congo.

In Uganda, mountain gorillas live in Bwindi Impenetrable National park and Mgahinga National Park both in the southwestern part of Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable National has the biggest number mountain gorillas almost hosting half of the total number in the entire world. In total Uganda so far has about 19 gorilla families open for tourism.

A number of tourists question which country has the most affordable for gorilla trekking packages in Africa and different experts working in these countries have put several arguments forward. Even the question of which country is better in tourism service delivery sometimes calls for discussion but in this post we are looking at how affordable is gorilla tourism or tracking in Uganda.

Some of The factors That Determine How affordable Is Gorilla Tourism In Uganda

Price Of The Gorilla Trekking Permit In Uganda

The gorilla permit is key in confirming a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda. At the moment the Uganda gorilla permits cost. This price is non-negotiable and cuts across all budgets whether luxury, moderate or modest, this is the standard price.

Confirming your gorilla permit is the only way to show commitment to taking part in gorilla trekking. Gorilla permits in Uganda are sold according to area especially those in Bwindi Impenetrable National park. Four gorilla trekking areas make up Bwindi Impenetrable National park that is in the north Buhoma area and Ruhija area.

In Southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National park is Rushaga area and Nkuringo area. Each of these areas has gorilla families under it. Even booking accommodation for gorilla trekking overnight is based on area.

To avoid last minute panic you must acquire the gorilla permits in advance at least 90 days to the date of gorilla trekking. Being waitlisted may be costly and sometimes you may miss gorilla trekking in case there is no no-show.

Visit Uganda For Gorilla Trekking In Low Season

During low tourism Uganda season, that is March to May and November, there is less demand for almost everything like driver guides, accommodation, gorilla permits and so much more.

Even some accommodation facilities offer discounted prices to there facilities, chances of staying at a luxury facility with a small budget are possible. You just need to collaborate with the right company like Encounter Africa Safari to tailor the best gorilla trekking itinerary.

At encounter Africa Safaris we collaborate with a number of accommodation facilities in Bwindi Impenetrable National park and when we receive discounts, we share this with our esteemed customers. This is why our packages are pocket friendly to anyone interested in gorilla trekking and other Uganda safari activities.

Joining a Group For Gorilla trekking Tour To Uganda

Travelling as solo puts the entire gorilla trekking safari burden on you which may outweigh you at times. By having out tourist to join your gorilla safari party to Uganda, you get to share costs like vehicle cost, drive guide cost, gas cost, accommodation and much more.

You can join scheduled gorilla trekking safaris but you have to respect terms and conditions. Everybody on the scheduled gorilla trekking safari must follow the flow of the itinerary because it’s what everyone in the group agreed too. Deviating from this may delay the rest of the group or even make them miss on the next activity.

 You can also organize a private gorilla trekking safari with people you are familiar with so that each of you can share the total safari cost.

Stay close To Your Gorilla Trekking Area

Overnighting in another area for reasons known to you may become costly. This is because of the huddles surrounding transferring from one area to another. The roads in the countryside are still under construction, and slippery at time. Even the logs may obstruct car movement in the night.

In this case you will be required to wake up earlier than usual to get on the road to the briefing point. This makes driving from one area to another quite challenging and costly. To make your gorilla trekking safari in Uganda affordable, inquire first about the accommodations located closer to where you wish to spend your holiday time.

Select a Combo Of Gorilla Trekking with Other Uganda Safari activities

In Uganda, you can do gorilla trekking with game safaris or Chimpanzee trekking just in the same itinerary without crossing borders. From Buhoma area of Bwindi Impenetrable National park, one drives for about 160 km to arrive in Mweya or 64 km to Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

This park is home to a number of wild animals including lions, leopards, water bucks, bush bucks, topis, herds of cape buffaloes, herds of elephants to mention but a few. During the Launch trip on Kazinga channel, you get spot the best scenery of the rift valley floor decorated with both wet and dry craters. A number of wild animals and birds grace the shores of the channel .

Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is possible after gorilla trekking. Kibale National park is about 5 hours from Buhoma area of Bwindi. Kibale National Park is hosts the biggest number of habituated chimpanzees in Africa. You need to book a chimpanzee trekking permit for Kibale National Park. The best wildlife experience in Africa where you combine primates and game, Uganda is the perfect choice. You save a lot of money in one safari.

Visit Uganda For Gorilla Tourism on The East African Visa

By purchasing the East African visa, you are able to visit two countries in East Africa community without re-applying for a visa. In case you travel for the great wildebeest migration in Kenya or Tanzania, you can easily continue to Uganda for gorilla trekking without spending more money or time applying for a Uganda visa.

Book Scheduled Uganda Fly- in Gorilla Trekking Packages

In case you are not comfortable with the road but willing to have an extra expense on transport, you can book a seat on scheduled daily flights. You need to hire a transfer vehicle from Kihihi Airstrip or Kisoro Airstrip driving to either Mgahinga National park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. From Kihihi airstrip to Buhoma area, you need about 2 hours on the road.

Fly-in gorilla trekking packages are time saving as you spend about 1 hour 45 minutes on the road other than about 8 hours to 9 hours. An alternative route is through Rwanda Cyanika border but this may take 6 hours. You need to apply for a visa to either countries in case you do not use the East African Visa. This time consuming and wasting.

Pack own gorilla trekking gears when travelling For Gorilla Tourism In Uganda

Having personal gears for gorilla trekking in Uganda is the best because you do not need to spend more shopping on ground yet this may increase on your baggage weight on your way back home.

Packing light but relevantly saves you that extra expense on excess baggage as you board your homebound flight after gorilla trekking. You need to be able to carry your bags as well because not everywhere you travel you may get no one to assist you carry. Pack in cubes so that you can easily repack your bags after checking.

What are gorilla trekking Gears You Need To Pack

• A torch for lighting in the night when lights go off
• Safari boots to wear while in the jungle as the ground is so boggy and may have pricking items.
• Safari clothes in colors that a wilderness friendly
•  A camera to take memories of what conspired during gorilla trekking safari in Uganda
• A pair of binoculars to get a clearer view of far ranging features
• Garden gloves to wear in case you have to hold a tighter grip on creeper in the forest
• Pajamas warm enough for the extremely cold nights
• Some hard cash to change into local currency in case you need to purchase something during gorilla trekking safari. Credit cards are rarely used because getting money from them takes a long time.
• A foldable safari hat with a wide brim to protect your hair from dripping water off the tree leaves.
• Insect repellant to smear the body with in order to keep away insects.
• Toiletries in case your lodge doesn’t provide them or if you are not comfortable using them
• A travel adapter and charger in case you need to recharge your electronic gadgets
• Bag spray in case your room may contain them
• Sunscreen in case you visit another pack and you have to bask under the sun by the poolside.
• A pair of sun glasses to protect your eyes from buzzing insects in the wilderness.
• Snacks to munch on when you get hungry while gorilla trekking
• A foldable a water bottle to fill it with drinking water for quenching thirst while searching for the mountain gorillas.

How Difficult Is Gorilla Trekking In Uganda

Mountain gorillas live in a mountainous area so expect to hike and slope at some point. Although the topography of Bwindi Impenetrable National park is not steep, at times you need to locate the mountain gorillas at the slopes.

This is why some level of fitness is required for you to succeed in gorilla trekking. The time you take to locate the mountain gorillas is unknown so some level of perseverance is needed.

Finding the mountain gorillas may take between 2 hours to three quarters of the day. This depends on the proximity of food or the conditions prevailing in the forest like in case of a fight with a wild gorilla family. The mountain gorillas rarely feed far from where they nested.

After briefing, you follow the trail where the mountain gorillas were last seen the previous day. Even a team of ranger guides wakes up earlier than normal every day to trace the way abouts of the mountain gorillas to be trekked. They give feedback to the ranger station.

The ranger guide escorting you to do gorilla trekking leads you to the trail where they are expected to be feeding. This however does not guarantee that you will find them there all the time.

How Dangerous Are Mountain Gorillas

Mountain gorillas are some of the serene primates in the world despite there sheer size. They are naturally shy and this is why you should not stare into there brown eyes. No tourists has so far reported as being attacked by any mountain gorillas. They are peaceful apes but you need to follow the guidelines given by the ranger guide during briefing.

Try not to provoke them as this may push them into hiding yet you have just one hour allocated when you find the mountain gorillas.  Try to keep a distance of about 8 meters from them and avoid making noise while in front of them. They are very sensitive creatures.

Mountain gorillas feed on vegetation with bamboo, as there favorite delicacy so do not expect any of them to grab you for a day’s meal. Avoid spitting on vegetation because this is the mountain gorilla food and its one way of passing human infections to the highly susceptible mountain gorillas.

In conclusion About Affordable gorilla safari In Uganda

The increasing completion for accommodation during gorilla trekking in Uganda is leading to improved service delivery in these facilities. With the growth of gorilla tourism in Uganda. Many Lodges have sprung up in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park trails of Nkuringo area and Rushaga area  in the south, Ruhija area in the East and Buhoma area in the North.

This coupled with the introduction of domestic daily scheduled flights from Entebbe to Kihihi, and Kisoro airstrips in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has not only reduced on the drive time but has made gorilla tourism affordable in Uganda than any other countries in Africa.

Many scholars will definitely come up with counter arguments but this case is for Uganda as a gorilla tourism destination and we feel that the above among other factors will promote gorilla tourism in Uganda in the few coming years.

Contact us for more information about gorilla trekking.