Planning a mountain gorilla photography safari in Uganda or Rwanda

How to plan a mountain gorilla photography safari in Uganda and Rwanda. Gorilla trekking is a top tourist activity that is carried out in three countries: Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. If you do gorilla trekking in Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park is your destination, with over 400 gorillas open for trekking. A gorilla permit in Rwanda costs $1500, making it the most expensive gorilla trek destination. Conversely, Uganda has two gorilla trekking destinations: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park.

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A gorilla trek permit in Uganda costs $800 for foreign non-residents, 300, 000 for EAC citizens, and $700 for foreign residents. The first step in photographing gorillas is by first locating them. Rwanda in Volcanoes National Park has about 10 habituated gorilla families in the Volcanoes National Park, Uganda has one gorilla family in Mgahinga National Park and about 19 gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. 

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park are located in southwestern Uganda and are the only gorilla destinations in Uganda. Bwindi has half the gorilla population in Uganda and the trekking is carried out in the four sections within the park including Rushaga, Nkuringo, Ruhija, and Buhoma. Mgahinga National Park has one gorilla family and Volcanoes National Park has about 10 gorilla families. A gorilla photography can easily be arranged and we are here to help you with all that all you have to do is contact us to organize your trip. 

Tips on how to take good photos on a gorilla trek

Once you get to meet the gorillas, you will have only an hour with them, so you have to prepare in advance if you intend to take as many photos as you can while enjoying the presence of the gorillas. A few tips need to be considered, and the first one is to ensure that all the gadgets needed for the safari, especially personal cameras and binoculars, avoid inconveniencing other trekkers. It would be best if you also made sure that the gadgets you take are fully charged and carry extra batteries and memory cards. You need to maintain a distance of 7 meters between you and the gorillas, which needs to be considered when getting a camera. 

Gorillas live in the jungle and you may need to adjust your light settings if you find the assigned gorilla family in places with poor lighting. Remember that flash photography is prohibited, so you need to turn off the flash before taking photos. The flash must be turned off because the gorillas might perceive it as a form of danger and attack because it is not a normal or common occurrence.

It would be best if you were patient when you get to the gorillas because they are wildlife species even after habituation. They are in their natural habitat and, therefore act normally and all you have to do is observe them behind the lens with your finger on the shutter to get good shots of the gorillas. Even if the one hour seems like a short time, you capture beautiful memories when you are patient.

Photography packing list for gorilla photography safari

Packing for a safari is a challenging task, many people would think because it is always hard to know what to pack and what to leave to leave behind, especially if this is your first time. The right packing list must have clothes, gadgets, documents, and personal items. Below is a list of what we believe you will need on your photo safari to Uganda or Rwanda.

Camera: The type of camera chosen makes a big difference on your safari, and this does not matter whether you are a professional photographer or your first time. You can carry any camera, but we suggest you get the simple point-and-shoot camera to help you easily take photos. You will also need camera equipment including a tripod to take clear pictures, lens cleaning equipment, extra lenses and these should be wide and mid-range angles, extra batteries, a bean bag, and extra memory. 

Binoculars: Binoculars are an essential item that needs to be carried because they help zoom in to see all the hidden and hard-to-see wildlife. These are needed, especially if you are planning on going for a bird-watching experience.

A day backpack: The day backpack is to help you carry all the essentials you might need on the trek day for example camera equipment, toiletries, drinking water, insect repellent, sunscreen, first aid kit, wet wipes, toilet paper, and other personal items.

Hike boots: Ankle-length hike boots are recommended since you will be trekking through the jungle, they do not need to be new but should be strong enough, and if you can get waterproof ones the better.

Clothes: The first thing to look at as you pack is the color of the clothes that is you should avoid camouflage which is connected to the army, blue is believed to attract tsetse flies and black absorbs heat fast. Carry neutral-colored clothes like brown, green, or khaki, long-sleeved shirts, and trousers that are not jeans. Two pairs of each can be enough since accommodation facilities offer laundry services.

Garden gloves: The garden gloves protect your hands from scratches during the gorilla trek experience. 

Do not forget to carry protective gear for your equipment because of the ever-changing weather in Uganda and you will find that there are rains regardless of the season in most cases, we advise tourists to carry rain jackets and shower caps to avoid being wet.

Other essentials that you will need on your gorilla photo safari include adjustable gaiters used during the wet season, thick socks to prevent insects from crawling up your leg by tucking in the trousers and keeping you warm, insect repellent, toiletries, personal items, cash, wet wipes, rain jacket, and warm sweater to be used both during the wet and dry season, a refillable water bottle and flashlight among others.

Gorilla trekking rules 

Rwanda and Uganda have similar trekking rules set up to protect the natural habitat and the gorillas. These rules are always re-echoed during the briefing on the trek day so you need to remember and follow them because they not only protect the gorillas from harm but the tourists as well. The gorilla trekking rules include the following. Note that when you follow the rules and regulations, you indirectly contribute to the gorillas' conservation. 

• The minimum age for gorilla trekking in Uganda is 15 years and 15 years in Rwanda. The main reason for setting the minimum age is that young children are harder to control and might disrupt the behavioral patterns of the gorillas.
• Tourists spend an hour with the gorillas after locating them on a normal gorilla trek and 4 hours during habituation.
• A maximum of 8 people get to trek a gorilla group, and this is to avoid large crowds and protect gorillas from possible human-to-primate infections.
• You need to keep the habitat clean by not littering the national parks. Take all your rubbish until you can properly dispose of it in the designated areas.
• Do not wander off from the group. All trekkers need to stay together to avoid being singled out by the gorillas and a possible attack.
• All gorilla trekking destinations don't have toilets and the only way you can ease yourself is by digging a hole 30cm deep in the bush, doing your business, and covering it properly to prevent the gorillas from falling sick.
• No one is allowed to eat and drink while near the gorillas.
• Smoking is not allowed as it might affect the primates' health.
• Keep a distance of 7 meters from the gorillas after locating them and avoid getting too close to them because it might be perceived as a challenge from the male silverbacks.
•  In cases where you feel sick overnight before the trek date, it is better if you volunteer not to trek. A different session can easily be organized if there is proof that you are sick.
• You need to keep your voice on the low or communicate using whispers. Loud voices are a distraction to the gorillas, which disrupts their peace and daily pattern. 
• Avoid looking the gorillas in the eye because this might be seen as a challenge and when you are approached by one, do not run away but back away slowly and take a crouch position to show that you are submissive.
• Make sure that you keep an eye out for other wildlife while trekking, which is one reason why you need to keep with the group and follow the tour guide.                                   
• When with the gorillas, body language is extremely important and that is why every tourist is advised to avoid making sudden movements, do not point at the gorillas, or raise your hands.
• When taking photographs, make sure that the flashlight is turned off. We advise that you turn it off before you set off for the trek so that you do not forget. Gorillas are not used to the flash and might take this as a threat.
• If you feel like coughing or sneezing, avoid the gorillas and try to cover your mouth. Gorillas are highly prone to infections; you might transfer airborne infections to them.
•  The above rules fall across all the national parks where gorilla trekking takes place: Volcanoes National Park, Mgahinga National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. 

When to go for a photography safari in Uganda and Rwanda

Photography gorilla safaris in both Uganda and Rwanda are an all-year-round destination carried out in two seasons that is the dry and wet seasons. The dry season is from June to September and December to February and is the best time to go for a gorilla photo safari some of the reasons why it is considered to be the best are the trek routes are not slippery and muddy, and it is easy to spot the gorillas due to the thinning of the vegetation. However, you should note that the weather can change at any time, and showers of rain are also experienced during the dry season. The dry season is also known as the peak season with many tourists visiting the countries and that is why you should book your gorilla permits in advance and plan early to have an enjoyable safari.

Conversely, the wet season is from March to May, with April having the highest rainfall and October to November. The wet season is good for tourists traveling on a budget due to the lowered prices on most accommodations in Uganda and Rwanda also offers discounts to tourists during this period. The trek routes are slippery, muddy and there are heavy rains so you need to be ready for this type of weather.

Getting to the gorilla trekking destinations

Bwindi and Mgahinga are in the southwestern part of Uganda, and there are two ways in which you can get to the national parks: by road or air transport. Driving from Kampala to Bwindi or Mgahinga takes about 9 to 10 hours, with a few stopovers when needed. This is a long and exciting way of getting to the national parks and 4x4 safari vehicles are used to the rough terrain of the Ugandan roads. Flying to both national parks is easy and fast; however, it is an expensive way to travel. Charter flights can be arranged per day from either Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip from where a safari vehicle will take you to your final destination.

On the other hand, Volcanoes National Park is about two and a half hours away from Kigali International Airstrip, and a safari vehicle will take you to your destination. You can either self-drive or hire a safari vehicle through a safari company, and this is what we usually recommend to our clients.

Contact us for more information.