How To Plan A Private Luxury Gorilla Safari In Uganda

Traveling for a private luxury gorilla safari in Uganda normally comes with high expectations of top notch and exquisite services. To achieve this safari experience, advance preparations are required in order to put together all the necessary requirements of this Uganda safari. Uganda Gorilla safaris happen in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park only.

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Booking the Uganda gorilla safari permit is top on the list of what you need to do as this is the only confirmation of this safari. There is a choice of either doing the gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience in Uganda. 

During gorilla, trekking safari tourists follow a fully habituated gorilla family for one hour. The number of gorilla trekking permits open to the public is limited to maximum of 8 permits per gorilla family per day.

For Uganda gorilla habituation experience, maximum 4 tourists accompany researchers to visit a semi-habituated gorilla family for 4 hours.

Luxury accommodation is available in and around the Uganda, gorilla safari destinations but the best options require advance booking. It is best to book accommodation for gorilla safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park within the area where the gorilla permit is booked.

Choose transport to use for this private luxury gorilla safari in Uganda from the charter flight service to upscale road transport means. Charter flight arrangements to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip can be made at Kajjansi or Entebbe Airport.  Scheduled domestic flights are available too from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kihihi or Kisoro.

At Encounter Africa Safari, we offer airport pick up and drop off if you would like us to do this for you on arrival or departure. If you would like us to arrange this for you, we request you to offer us your flight details so that our driver guide is notified in advance.

Requirements For A Private Luxury Gorilla Safari In Uganda

Uganda Gorilla Safari Permit

Booking the gorilla permit is the primary step for this safari in Uganda whether on a gorilla trekking or habituation experience in Uganda. Note that Bwindi Impenetrable National Park gorilla permits are booked according to the areas under which the park is divided that is Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga.

Choose the date when to do the gorilla safari and the number of people travelling with but the age limit for gorilla safaris in Uganda to be 12 years and over. Even though maximum 8 gorilla trekking permits are open to the public, there is a chance to close off the gorilla family in case no one is reserved to it by the time of your booking so that you can privately meet the gorillas with no intruders.

Even Gorilla habituation experience which currently have four gorilla families open to the public and maximum four tourists are allowed to visit each family can be closed off as you desire provided no tourists is booked to this gorilla family for the day.

Expect to share the gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience with other tourists in case you donot close the gorilla family off no matter which safari package you travel.

Book Accommodation For The Private Luxury Gorilla Safari In Uganda

Book accommodation to use for the Uganda Private luxury gorilla safari in advance because they sell out quickly especially during the peak tourism season. It is best to book accommodation to use during the gorilla safari within or closer to the area where the gorilla safari permit for Bwindi Forest was booked. This is to avoid having to drive in the dark to another area as the Bwindi forested areas are separated by some hard to drive through obstacles.

Luxury accommodation to use On Uganda gorilla safari Clouds lodge, Gorilla Forest camp, Buhoma lodge, Mahogany Springs, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge

Most of the luxury accommodations of Bwindi were built using nature inspired materials crafted perfectly to blend with the natural environment surrounding them. A number of the accommodations in the gorilla safari destinations of Uganda use solar power supplies for lighting and water heating.

Transport To The Uganda Gorilla Safari Destinations

Choose transport to use to the Uganda gorilla safari destinations as road and air transport are some of the main means used to get to these destinations.

Luxury 4x4 wheel drive safari vehicles are available with professional and experienced driver guides to make you feel comfortable and are ready to provide adequate information about Uganda. Note that the roads up country are bumpy and may get messy sometimes providing the typical African massage. In case you get road sickness, carry some peels to cover you up.

For air transport, charter flight arrangements can be made from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip. Scheduled domestic flights are available at Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip

A Transfer vehicle is required from the airstrip to Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park which takes about 2 hours drive.

At Encounter Africa Safaris, can help you put together the necessary domestic transport arrangements for the private luxury gorilla safari through our experienced and professional safari consultants. State your safari niche and we make it happen. A happy client is business well done, this is one of our aims for any safari we organize.

Pack The Right Gorilla Safari Gears

As you plan for the gorilla safari in Uganda, ensure your packing list has the necessary items for the gorilla safari. Some of the gorilla safari items included waterproof gears, safari boots, long sleeved shirt and trouser, safari hat, garden gloves, energy bites and others.

Gorilla trekking happens in the wilderness where the environment is rough sometimes so you need to wear the appropriate gears to explore the forest. Donot forget to pack the first aid box with the necessary emergency medication in case you get an injury while in the forest.

Plan to carry some hard cash on a gorilla safari

Donot forget to carry some hard cash to use for some on ground purchases. Credit cards are not a common payment means used especially up country because of the lengthy process of collecting money from them. Sometimes the credit card machines may fail to work because of availability of less power supply from the solar panels especially when it doesn’t shine brightly.

Some luxury lodges at the gorilla safari destinations exclude some personal expenses in the cost of accommodation so you need to directly pay for these services on ground.

In case you wish to tip for a service rendered during gorilla safari, using hard cash as it is most convenient.

Exercise before the Gorilla Safari in Uganda

It is best to do some exercises before the gorilla safari to remain fit as the topography of the area where the mountain gorillas live is generally mountainous. The terrain of Bwindi forest was affected by volcanic action that led to the formation of highlands including plateaus and ridges where the mountain gorillas at times spend time.

Tourists are expected to hike and find the mountain gorillas which may be challenging sometimes so some level of fitness is required.

Alternatively, the sedan chair service is available for those with physical impairment but wish to do gorilla safari in Uganda. The sedan chair service can be arranged but this requires advance planning.

Plan To Hire A Porter Before The Gorilla Safari Adventure

Having a porter to assist carry your gorilla safari gears save you from getting worn out before finding the mountain gorillas. A porter is a person from the local community who assist carry you baggage so that you can move freely during the search for the mountain gorillas.

Sometimes the location of the mountain gorillas may get difficult so you need to have some patience before finding these mobile primates. Finally, when you find the gorillas, you need to place your belongings somewhere to focus on the mountain gorillas and handing then to a porter would be such a great idea so no need to keep turning back.

A porter may also give you a push when tired to encourage you to keep moving. Hiring a porter for the gorilla safari adventure may be such a good idea. Even when you wish to give back to the local community, porters are part of the community so this is one of the direct ways to give back. Contact us for more information.

Pre Brief People Travelling with for Gorilla Safari In Uganda

The Gorilla safari in Uganda is an adventure however, in case have company to travel with, they need advance briefing to avoid getting shocked about what this activity is about. The mountain gorillas are  adorable to be in company with however they are at a glance it is easy to stimulate some adrenaline.

Get ready for the gorilla tour experience which may includes taking longer hours before finding the mountain gorillas. Some level of patience is necessary but you can look out for other interesting forest dwellers like black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, olive baboons to mention but a few.

Book other Uganda safari Activities other than the mountain gorillas, Uganda has a lot more to enjoy in in the wilderness. Uganda is a land gifted by nature and a combo of gorilla safari with other activities such as game safaris, birding, golden monkey safaris, mountaineering, chimpanzee safaris, visit to the source of River Nile, Cultural experience in Uganda to mention but a few. In case you have extra time on safari in Uganda, We can tailor an itinerary to cover some of these Uganda safaris according to your interests.

These Uganda safari destinations have luxury facilities that may suit your needs. Explore to know more about Uganda and why it is referred to as the land gifted by nature.

Some Uganda safaris require booking a permit such as chimpanzee safaris and golden monkey safaris. The permits for these activities are limited to minimize the effects of mass tourism to the environment where they thrive.

At Encounter Africa safaris through our safari consultants, we can plan this Uganda safari for you but all require advance planning especially if you hope to travel in the peak tourism season. Uganda is one destination where you will not find crowds of travelers to obstruct your holiday yet there is so much to enjoy even in the wilderness.

Guidelines To follow During Uganda Gorilla Safari

• Only children 12 years and above are allowed to do gorilla safaris because of the nature of the gorilla trekking environment. The time of locating the mountain gorillas is unknown because of there movement.
• Spitting on the soil or vegetation may spread germs to the mountain gorillas so it is forbidden. Mountain gorillas can easily catch human infectious diseases like covid-19, cough, flu, cholera.
• In case you have a communicable infection volunteer to stay behind and protect the mountain gorillas from such infectious diseases. The extent to which this disease may spread and kill the gorillas is unknown.
• Wearing a clean mask before the gorillas tour is one of the preventive measures adopted to prevent spreading covid-19 virus to the mountain gorillas and other forest inhabitants.
• Keep a gap of at least 8 meters from the gorillas when you locate them to prevent spreading any infection.
• Loud noise is forbidden in the forest because this may scare the mountain gorillas and other forest dweller. They are very sensitive to unfamiliar noise in there presence.
• Even using flash photography is prohibited because the mountain gorillas and other inhabitants may go into hiding because of unfamiliar light.
• No feeding the mountain gorillas or other primates in the wilderness because they must search for there own food.
• Provoking the mountain gorillas or other primates in the wilderness may cause them to get agitated which may end in a chaotic moment.
• In case you wish to take a long call ask the ranger guide to dig a hole for you and cover well beyond recognition as sometimes the curious mountain gorillas may try to extract what you may have hidden.

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