Organizing a gorilla and lake Bunyonyi safari from Mbarara city

Organizing a gorilla and lake Bunyonyi safari from Mbarara city. Secure a gorilla permit is the topmost priority as you start organizing the gorilla and Lake Bunyonyi safari. Selecting the destination is a must, too, as two parks are open for Uganda gorilla tours. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park hosts the only Uganda mountain gorilla. At the moment, Uganda has 19 gorilla trekking families and two gorilla habituation experiences.

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As you make plans, you can choose to do Gorilla trekking. In this adventure, tourists search for a fully habituated mountain gorilla family and, upon finding it, have just one hour with them for conservation reasons. Alternatively, you can do a gorilla habituation experience, which allows you four hours with the family of mountain gorillas, but these are semi-habituated. Four tourists are allowed to accompany a team of trackers and researchers for this adventure.

While in Lake Bunyonyi, you are bathed in an environment of tranquility, and you listen to the soothing hymns of several birds. Lake Bunyonyi is dotted with 29 Islands, which you can explore by boat. 

Choose the accommodation to stay at while on gorilla safari and while in Lake Bunyonyi as a good night sleep equals great memories of your holiday experience.

Reserve transport to use from Mbarara to the gorilla safari destination or Lake Bunyonyi.

Before reserving any safari amenities, you must know the number of people you are planning to avoid getting back and forth with making bookings.

How to Organise Gorilla and Lake Bunyonyi Safari form Mbarara City

Book the gorilla permit

Whether you choose gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park, booking the gorilla permit is a must. For gorilla trekking adventure and gorilla habituation experience, you need to find availability first.

At Encounter Africa Safaris, through safari consultants, we can help you book your gorilla permit when you enquire from us. Provide a date when you hope to do gorilla safari and the people traveling with.

 Our safari consultant checks gorilla permit availability from the list of Uganda Wildlife Authority. Secure the gorilla permit as soon as possible to avoid last-minute panic as you try to find one at the last minute. Gorilla permits are limited to a maximum of 8 per gorilla family per day for conservation reasons. 

Later, forward personal details like your full name as presented on the passport, Nationality, date of birth, and passport expiry date for identification. These are added to your gorilla permit card and retrieved on the day of the gorilla safari.

Note that Bwindi Impenetrable National Park gorilla permits are booked according to area which is composed of Buhoma area, Ruhija area, Rushaga area and Nkuringo area. You must consider these areas when booking accommodations.

What is the cost of Uganda Gorilla Permit?

At the most the cost of Uganda gorilla permits is $800 per person for foreign nonresidents, $700 for foreign residents, 300000shsh for East African residents.

If you opt for gorilla habituation safari, the permit costs $1500 per person for foreign nonresidents, $1000 for foreign residents and 750000shs for East African residents.

The gorilla permit cost covers the park entrance fees that last 24 hours, ranger guide fees, security during gorilla safari, mountain gorilla conservation, one hour of gorilla trekking or four hours of gorilla habituation experience, certificate, government tax.

Reserve accommodations for Gorilla and Lake Bunyonyi Safari

The upcountry lodges to use on the gorilla and Lake Bunyonyi safari are categorized into luxury, mid-range, and budget. No matter which option you choose according to your plan, booking is necessary too, especially towards the high season when options of accommodations run out.

Gorilla safari accommodations for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are booked according to the area where your gorilla permit is booked. 

• Bwindi accommodations: Clouds Lodge, Gorilla Forest Lodge, Bwindi Volcanoes Lodge, Engage Lodge, silverback Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Bwindi Backpacker’s Lodge.
• Mgahinga accommodations: Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga gorilla Triangle, Majambere Iwachu, Community Camp, Mutanda Lake Resort
• Lake Bunyonyi accommodations: Bunyonyi Overland Resort

Book transport to use on Gorilla and Lake Bunyonyi safari

Road transport is the main transport from Mbarara to the Uganda gorilla safari destinations and Lake Bunyonyi. You must have a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle that can withstand the rough road surface of these countryside roads. Note that the roads are bumpy and slippery when severe rains fall.

Get ready to drive on winding roads, as this area is mountainous and has lots of ridges and plateaus.

Charter flight services are available, too, but these require booking. You may book the daily domestic flights for your return trip in case you are departing to Entebbe Airport. These two airstrips in the countryside that is Kihihi and Kisoro airstrips to Entebbe or Kajjansi airstrips. 

You also need a transfer vehicle to your lodge or hotel on your return from gorilla and Lake Bunyonyi safari.

Select additional Uganda activities to combine with gorilla and Lake Bunyonyi safari.

Much as gorilla safari and visit to Lake Bunyonyi are the major points of your Uganda safari, you may engage in other Uganda safari activities depending on your safari time.

You can do game drives

From Mbarara city, you can do a detour to Lake Mburo where you can enjoy a game drive. Lake Mburo National Park is home to several herbivores mainly zebras, giraffes, herds of cape buffaloes, herds of elephants, reedbucks, bushbucks, statungas, waterbucks, elands, impalas and others.

A stopover for game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park is a perfect addition to your itinerary. This biosphere reserve is home to lions, leopards, waterbucks, bushbucks, topis, elephants, cape buffaloes, warthogs to mention but a few.

Golden Monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park, birding, launch trip, boat trip, visit Amabere ga Nyinamwiru stalagmites and stalactites and others.

When Is The Best Time For Gorilla and Lake Bunyonyi Safari From Mbarara

Gorilla safaris and a visit to the stunning Lake Bunyonyi are open all year; however, the dry season is most preferred. The dry season is normally the peak season too that is June to September and December to January.

In this period, there is a lot of activity in the forest as mountain gorillas are all over the forest searching for the tastiest foliage. Primate types like black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, and olive baboons may be seen up close. 

Demand for permits during the peak season is high, and finding some at the last moment may be futile.

Keen birders on gorilla safari can use this period to identify a variety of birds that linger in the forest all day.

The wet season which is normally March to May and November is normally the low tourism season. If you wish for an exclusive gorilla safari experience without spending extra, this can be the best time. If you have a limited budget but wish to enjoy upscale services, the low season may be appropriate. This is because there are fewer bookings.

For Lake Bunyonyi activities, the dry season is most preferred for outdoor activities like sailing on the boat swimming in Lake Bunyonyi. Chilling by the shores, scenic viewing and others. During the wet day in Lake Bunyonyi, you may relax by the balcony of your room to recap the past Uganda safari activities you have been to.

Which is the best time to book a Uganda Gorilla Permit

As you plan for your gorilla safari, you need a gorilla permit as this is the only confirmation to seeing the mountain gorillas. To be safe, you need to book your gorilla permit at least 6 months to a year upfront, specifically the high season permits.

Uganda has limited gorilla permits currently, 152 gorilla trekking permits are open per day, and 8 gorilla habituation experience permits. When you book your gorilla permit in advance, you save yourself from having to panic at the last minute when options run out. 

Despite the high demand for gorilla permits, their supply is limited to a maximum of 8 per gorilla trekking family and 4 per gorilla habituation experience family. This was agreed upon for conservation reasons, as mountain gorillas get agitated by the presence of many visitors. Chances of trampling on their food also widen since the mountain gorillas are entirely herbivores.

Is Lake Bunyonyi Safe for Swimming?

Lake Bunyonyi is bilharzia-free so you can swim in it, but this is with safety gear. You must also be a professional swimmer, as there are no rescue guards. Lake Bunyonyi is the deepest lake in Uganda, so you must be a professional deep-sea swimmer with the right swimming gear to attempt this.

It is best to explore Lake Bunyonyi with a boat as there may be interesting islands to explore, like Akampene ,Island where girls who were impregnated out of wedlock were abandoned to die. The scenery around Lake Bunyonyi is perfect after a tiring gorilla trekking experience 

How safe is Uganda gorilla safari?

Gorilla safaris in Uganda are safe as professional and experienced ranger guides conduct them. They coordinate with other Uganda security agencies to offer protection to the mountain gorillas, their habitats, and the people. 

Before opening the gorilla family to public viewing, its first habituated to human presence. Gorilla trekking families are fully habituated, while gorilla habituation experience families are semi-habituated. These mountain gorillas are not aggressive, but you need to religiously follow the rules of gorilla safaris as presented on briefing time.

In order not to forget you in the wilderness, the ranger guide follows the pace of the slowest trekker. 

Personally, you should not go into the forest without an escorting ranger guide as there are unhabituated forest dwellers that may harm you. Stay closer to the rest of the trekkers so you are not forgotten in the wilderness.

Carry some safety gear when packing for the gorilla safari like safari boots, safari hat, insect repellant, safari long-sleeved shirt and trousers, first aid kit, and others.

What are the dos and donts of gorilla safari in Uganda

•  Protecting the mountain gorillas is the number one purpose for opening the mountain gorillas to public visits; however, you need to save them from catching human communicable infections.
• Volunteer to stay behind when you catch any human infection like cough, COVID-19, or cough as you may not know how much they will affect these endangered primates.
• No feeding the mountain gorillas during gorilla trekking because they are wild animals that must search for their food.
• Only a maximum of 8 tourists are allowed to see the mountain gorillas during gorilla trekking and maximum four for gorilla habituation experience for conservation purposes.
• Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you find them for conservation reasons. To avoid chances of passing human infections to the highly susceptible mountain gorillas.
• Littering in the forest where mountain gorillas live is forbidden as you alter the nature of the environment where mountain gorillas live.
• When you locate the mountain gorillas, stay in a tight group so as not to make them feel ambushed. Mountain gorillas are shy animals that can easily get suspicious when you scatter around them. They are very sensitive primates, which is why briefing is a must-attend to prevent chances of pushing them into hiding.
• Provoking or mimicking the mountain gorillas is not allowed, as you may communicate something offensive that can agitate them and push them into hiding.
• When you wish to cough or sneeze, do it at least 300 meters from the mountain gorillas to avoid chances of passing an infection to them.
• Before finding the mountain gorillas, talk at a low tone so as not to appear suspicious when you finally meet them. The mountain gorillas get to notice your presence before you do to them.
• When taking photos, use flash-less camera so as not to scare the mountain gorillas. They are agitated by unfamiliar occurrences in their presence.
• Only one hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas when you find them.

Encounter Africa Safaris is ready to assist you in planning your safari. Contact us for more information.