How to trek Uganda gorillas and chimpanzees on a budget

When planning a budget gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari in Uganda, book the necessary respective permits. The gorilla and chimpanzee permits are documents that allow any tourist access to gorilla or chimpanzee safaris in Uganda.

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For gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda, a maximum of 8 tourists follow a fully habituated gorilla family for one hour. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park are the only gorilla trekking destinations of Uganda with so far about 20 gorilla families open to the public.

During Chimpanzee trekking maximum 8 tourists follow a fully habituated chimpanzee troop and have one hour with them. In Uganda, gorilla trekking safaris are carried out in Kibale National Park, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kaniyo Pabidi Forest, Kalinzu Forest to mention but a few.

Choose the most suitable accommodation to use for the budget gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda. It is best to make this Uganda safari choice in advance especially if your plan is to do this adventure in the peak season when options run out for last minute bookers.

What Are The Requirements For A budget  Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking Safari

Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits

Even with the budget gorillas and chimpanzee trekking tours, you need permits from The Uganda Wildlife Authority. The number of gorilla or chimpanzee trekking permits is restricted for conservation reasons. To be on the safe side, it is best to book either permit in advance to avoid panic at the last minute when there is no availability.

Gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are Reserved according to the areas under which Bwindi forest is divided that is Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo.

Make a choice of where to do the chimpanzee trekking experience in Uganda from Kibale National Park or Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park or Kaniyo Pabidi Forest in Murchison Falls National Park or Kalinzu forest.

At the moment the cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda is $800 for international nonresidents, $700 for Foreign residents, and 300000shs for East Africans

The current price of Chimpanzee trekking permit for Kibale National Park is $250 for international nonresidents, $200 for foreign residents and 180000 shs for East Africans.

Accommodations To Use On Budget Uganda Gorilla And Chimpanzee trekking Safari

Reserve budget accommodation to use on gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda. It is best to spend the night before the Uganda gorilla or chimpanzee safaris with in or closer to the destination where this activity is expected to happen. This is to enable you to move to the briefing point and catch up with this before starting the gorilla or chimpanzee trek.

Note the season when to travel for the budget gorilla or chimpanzee trekking safari because during the low season, sometimes accommodations subsidize their costs to break even. This may be a chance to even upgrade to a higher accommodation category with costs in your expected expenditure. Even those who may wish to bargain for better accommodation costs may take advantage of the low season when less demand for accommodations at most safari destinations is experienced.

Budget Accommodations of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi View bands, Gorilla Nest, Trekkers Tarven, Nshongi Camp, Bwindi backpacker’s camp, Ruhija Gorilla Lodge,

Kibale budget accommodation. Chimps Nest, C.V.K, Chimpanzee Guest House

Note that most budget accommodations use during Uganda safari often have safari packages inclusive of Bed and Breakfast or bed only. It is safer to travel with some hard cash to use for on ground purchases as credit cards are not a common means of exchange because of the bureaucracy of collecting money from them.

Reserve Transport For The Budget Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking Tour

Transport to use during Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee trekking tours is often road transport. The vehicle used must be a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle in good condition because of the nature of the terrain of the Kigezi sub region with roads that are sometimes messy especially during the wet season.

It is best to use a professional driver guide with experience of the roads in the western part of Uganda because sometimes you have to know possible alternative routes to and from the safari destinations.

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we can organize transport to the different destinations in Uganda for all budget plans.

Pack the Right gorilla and chimpanzee safari gears

No matter the category of Uganda gorilla or chimpanzee safari you choose, ensure to pack the right gears for these adventures. Both gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safaris in Uganda involve moving in the wilderness which is rough and tough so you need protection.

Dome of the safari gear to pack for the gorilla and chimpanzee trekking tour includes insect repellants, long sleeved shirt and trousers in wilderness friendly colors, backpack, drinking water bottle, garden gloves, a safari hat, trekking boots and others.

Have A level of Fitness before the gorilla and chimpanzee Trekking Safari

Exploring the forest to find the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in Uganda requires some level of fitness. Sometimes the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees spend time in some challenging locations that may require hiking or moving in the deeper forest.

To complete the trek to where these primates may be spending the day, one requires someone's level of fitness and patience.

Join a Group To Do The Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Safari with

Other than the gorilla and chimpanzee permits that are sold on per person basis, you can choose to share the cost of other logistics that support Uganda safaris like accommodations, transport, driver guide and others.

The more the merrier and even the safari cost per person on Gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda is lower.

There are often scheduled group gorillas and chimpanzees safaris you can join but these often have terms and conditions. These scheduled Uganda safaris have time limits and have a fixed program that is hard to alternate. Expect to share the gorilla and chimpanzee trekking experience with strangers. If you do not wish to share accommodation on a scheduled gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari in Uganda, there is an option of single supplements

You can also travel as a group with friends or people known to you for the gorilla and chimpanzee trekking tour in Uganda so that you can do cost sharing. Get in touch for more information.

Are Mountain Gorillas and chimpanzees Dangerous

Mountain gorillas and chimpanzees open to the public are first habituated to help them get used to the presence of humans for a period of about 2 years or more. During the habituation process, the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees’ characters are not altered.

When with mountain gorillas or chimpanzees, tourists are expected to display certain behaviors in order not to look suspicious before these primates. Avoid staring into the eyes of these primates because they are shy, keep a distance of about 8 meters from them to reduce the chances of being so close to these primates, touching the infants is prohibited, no using flash photography when with these primates.

The mountain gorillas and chimpanzees may seem unbothered by your presence and try to put on a show but they can charge when provoked. When you witness some odd behavior, try not to panic but wait for the ranger guide to establish the root cause of the matter.

Follow the instructions from the ranger guide even when you have to try and pretend to eat some foliage. These are some of the techniques used to show these primates that you are not dangerous

When Is The Best Time To Book A Budget Chimpanzees And Gorillas Safari In Uganda

Gorilla and chimpanzee tours in Uganda are open all year and all categories are well represented in all seasons that are budget, mid-range and luxury. The wet season which is normally March to May and November is normally characterized by fewer tourists visiting Uganda for safaris and even more chances for discounts may be presented. This may be a great chance for someone with a limited budget to travel for both gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari in Uganda.

The peak tourism season in Uganda which normally serves as the dry season that is June, July, August, September, December and January is busy with more tourists booking Uganda safaris. This season is open for booking budget gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safaris too however the demand for them is at its peak yet they have limited supply.

To be on the safer side, it is better to purchase the chimpanzee and gorilla trekking permits upfront at least 6 months to a year. When you purchase the Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits in advance, you may get the chance to pay for them in instalments terms and conditions apply.

Reserve the necessary accommodations and other related safari logistics that support Uganda safaris in advance before they run out of availability. Just like the demand for gorilla and chimpanzee permits, even other related logistics that support tourism must be reserved in advance so that you can avoid panic.

How Much Is The Cost Of Budget Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking Safari In Uganda

The cost of the budget gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari in Uganda is proceeded by the cost of the permits. At the moment, the cost of Uganda gorilla trekking permit is $800 for international nonresidents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 rest of Africa and 300,000 for East Africans.

The cost of other logistics that support safaris in Uganda must be considered including accommodation costs were by the average cost of budget accommodations on Uganda safaris is about $70 to $120. Most of the budget accommodations used on safaris in Uganda offer bed and breakfast or bed only service. It is better to travel with some hard cash to use for on ground purchases.

Other related costs to consider on budget Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safaris include transport and a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle in good conditions because the roads up country sometimes get messy or are over grown and obstructed by vegetation.

Is the Uganda Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari safe

The Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari is safe because at the destinations, there is a team of well trained ranger guides from Uganda Wildlife Authority who work closely with other Uganda security agencies to provide ultimate security for the inhabitants and visitors.

Personal security must be your first priority while on any safari in Uganda. Follow the guidelines of gorilla and chimpanzee tours in Uganda. Protect your valuables from the public and declare them to the management of the lodge so that it can be kept in the safe in case they have one.

What Are The Rules Of Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking In Uganda

• In case you are sick with a communicable infection, volunteer to stay behind so as not to pass it to the endangered mountain gorillas or chimpanzees.
• If you want to eat or drink while before the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees, do it at least 200 meters away from them. They are wild animals that must search for their own food.
• The age limit for gorilla and chimpanzee safaris is 15 years and over in Uganda.  This is because the way to locate the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees has rugged topography which requires you to hike sometimes in order to find these primates.
• Never go into the forest without an escorting ranger guide. Although the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees are fully habituated to human presence, some forest dwellers are not and may be dangerous to you alone.
• When you need to defecate, ask the ranger guide to dig a hole for you at least 30 centimeters deep and cover well beyond recognition.
• Try to stay in a tight group when with the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees because surrounding them may cause them to feel ambushed.
• Don’t attempt to provoke the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees because they are wild animals that even though habituated to human presence. They still possess wild behaviors
• When taking photos, do it with a flash-less camera in order not to scare the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees, they are often scared by unfamiliar occurrences in their presence.
• When tracking the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees, keep your voices low so as not to scare these primates and other forest dwellers that may be interesting to add to your wildlife photo collection.
• Never dump garbage in the wilderness as this alters the nature of the forest where mountain gorillas or chimpanzees live.

Ready for a budget gorilla and chimpanzee trekking ultimate adventure, contact us for more information.