What to do if I want to spend more days with gorillas in Uganda

To be able to spend more days of gorilla trekking in Uganda, you can plan on buying extra gorilla trekking permits for different days. Spending more time with gorillas in Uganda can be expensive but it is a good way to get to see more of the Mountain gorillas on different days and get to see other wildlife that is found in the national parks. Gorilla trekking is one of the most organized safaris in the country, with rules and regulations to be followed, purchase of permits to limit the number of people visiting the gorillas per day, and there is 24/7 security to protect the gorillas. You can also combine gorilla trekking in Uganda with gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park to spend more days with gorillas. Below is what can be done to spend more days with the gorillas in Uganda.

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Multiple gorilla treks in Uganda

Multiple gorilla treks in Uganda involve tourists purchasing extra permits to be able to trek the different gorilla families in Bwindi and Mgahinga. Purchasing gorilla permits is done in advance, and one person can buy as many permits as they can afford at the going rate for as long as they are of legal age and provide the necessary information needed to purchase the permits. This is an expensive way to spend more days with the gorillas; however, it is the only way to spend more days in Uganda gorilla trekking.

Organizing multiple gorilla treks in Uganda has its pros and cons and before you go about it, you have to know them to either proceed or just go for normal gorilla trekking. Remember that when one purchases a gorilla permit, it gives you an hour with the primates limiting time and it only grants access to the assigned gorilla section and family assigned during the briefing process. Once you purchase a permit, you will be assigned a sector, for example, the Ruhija sector and on the trek day, a habituated gorilla family will be assigned from Ruhija, this permit cannot be used to trek a gorilla family from Nkuringo.

The pros of organizing multiple gorilla treks include:

• You can spend more days with the gorillas
• You will be assigned a different gorilla sector/family if you are lucky, giving you a chance to compare the behavioural patterns of the different gorilla families.
• You will be highly contributing to the conservation of the gorillas and their natural habitat.

The cons of organizing multiple gorilla treks in Uganda include:

• You might be assigned the same sector when gorilla trekking because the permits are sold on a first come first serve basis.
• The trekking exercise is different even when you have done it before and it might tire you out.

If you want to enjoy the multiple gorilla treks in Uganda, make sure that the permits that are purchased are for different days because trekking is a tiring exercise and you do not want to faint while trekking if you have permits purchased for the same day. Make sure that the permits purchased are a few days spaced out so that you have recuperating days before engaging in another gorilla trek safari. Contact us for more information.

Combine Mountain gorilla habituation and gorilla trekking

The second way in which you can enjoy more days with gorillas in Uganda is by combining gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation exercise and this starts with purchasing the different permits needed for both exercises.

Gorilla habituation refers to the training of gorillas so that the primates get used to human presence in the national parks. Habituation can take 2 to 3 years or more, depending on the gorilla family that is being habituated, and they can only be open for trekking if the family is deemed ready for trekking.

The gorilla habituation process is where a maximum of 4 tourists with experienced guides and researchers embark on studying the semi-habituated gorillas before they are presented to the public. Tourists get to spend more time, that is, four hours studying the semi-habituated gorillas. Before engaging in gorilla habituation, you need to purchase the gorilla habituation permit and once bought, this cannot be exchanged for the gorilla trekking permit. You can decide to first go for gorilla trekking in Uganda for the first day, rest a bit and then go for gorilla habituation on another day.

It is possible to combine gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation as long as you plan ahead and also purchase the permits on time. Talk to your tour advisor about the possibility of purchasing both permits but on different days so that you get to spend not only more time but also days with Mountain gorillas.

Where to go (safari destinations) for gorilla tracking in Uganda

Gorilla tracking, sometimes referred to as trekking, is carried out in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park located in southwestern Uganda. They are located at the border of Uganda with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo making it easy to access both national parks from either Kampala or Rwanda through the land borders. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to over 24 habituated gorilla families, and Mgahinga National Park has one habituated gorilla family.

Bwindi’s gorilla trekking is done in four sectors which are the Buhoma sector, Ruhija sector, Nkuringo sector and Rushaga sectors. Each of the four sectors has several habituated gorilla families that are open for trekking and tourists who wish to take on the habituation process; this is only carried out in the Rushaga sector. Mgahinga National Park only has the Nyakagezi gorilla family and there are only 8 people who track gorillas in Mgahinga throughout the year.

What is needed for gorilla trekking in Uganda

You need to plan and talk to your tour operator about the different options that you might have when it comes to getting the services needed for gorilla trekking like accommodation and transport. Before you can think of other services, the first thing that you need to get is the gorilla trekking permit.

The gorilla tracking permit is a document that is issued to tourists 12 years and above to gain access to the endangered gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga. The permit can be bought through a tour operator, and it goes for $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents and 300,000 UGX for East African citizens, respectively. The cost of the gorilla habituation permit is $1000 for foreign residents and African citizens, $1500 for foreign non-residents and UGX750,000 for East African citizens.

Get in touch with a trusted tour operator about gorilla trekking in Uganda and an advisor will get in touch with you and you have to provide details like your full name, passport copy, details about the number of permits needed and the trekking dates. Note that you can provide as many dates as you can and all this information has to be done in advance. The advisor will then check for the availability of the permits on the dates provided and once the permits are available, you are to make payments for the permits because purchases are not made when there is no proof of payment.  After purchasing the permits, a copy will be sent to you and other services like accommodation and transport will be booked as well.

The gorilla trekking experience in Uganda

Gorilla trekking in Uganda starts after an early breakfast with all the trekkers who have to attend a mandatory briefing with the guides. The briefing will take you through the rules and regulations that need to be followed by all trekkers and it’s during this time that groups of trekkers are divided into groups of 8 and assigned gorilla families.

The trekking starts immediately after briefing and can take between 2 to 6 hours depending on your physical fitness and the location of the gorillas. With trackers, armed rangers, experienced guides and a porter if you need one, the trek starts officially following evidence left by the gorillas, like poop, among others. When you find the gorillas, keep a distance of 7 meters and then you have an hour with the gorillas taking photos, recording videos and studying their behaviours.

When the one hour is up, all tourists then head back to the park headquarters, and throughout the trek, you will also be able to see other primate species, including baboons, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and several bird species. At the park headquarters, you will be awarded a certificate of participation for trekking and conserving the Mountain gorillas.

Rules for gorilla trekking in Uganda

As you plan to spend more days with the gorillas of Uganda, there are a few rules that tourists have to follow while trekking and after meeting the gorillas. The rules are set and implemented by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and failure to follow these rules might lead to fines and being banned from trekking gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga. Below are gorilla trekking rules and these work in both Mgahinga and Bwindi.

• Tourists have an hour with the Mountain gorillas after tracking and locating them
• The maximum number of people trekking a habituated group is 8 for  gorilla trekking and 4 for gorilla habituation
• All sick people especially those with contagious diseases are not allowed to trek gorillas in Uganda
• 12 years is the minimum age limit for gorilla tracking
• A gorilla permit belonging to a specific sector cannot be used to trek gorillas in a different sector
• You have to keep a distance of 7 meters from the gorillas to minimize contact between you and the gorillas
• Feeding gorillas is prohibited
• You are only allowed to eat and drink if you are 200 meters away from the gorillas
• Touching gorillas is prohibited
• Communication should be done using low tones
• Taking photos of the gorillas with the flash is not allowed
• When you feel like using the toilet, dig a hole of 30cm which has to be covered well after you are through with using it.
• Keep the national park by taking all your rubbish with you after gorilla trekking.

What to bring for a gorilla safari

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is the best activity and the only way to meet the endangered Mountain gorillas one-on-one, but the best way to have the best experience is by packing right for the safari. Below is a list of items that every tourist should bring on their trek safari. Before we get into that, you need to know when packing, avoid the blue colour because it attracts tsetse flies, black absorbs heat, bright colours do not blend in easily with the forest and camouflage clothes are associated with the army.

• Two pairs of long-sleeved shirts and lightweight trousers if you are spending 3 days on your safari.
• A waterproof jacket or raincoat to keep dry during treks when it is raining
• Sweaters, ponchos or anything else that might keep you warm
• Socks are essential given the fact that trousers are tucked into the stockings to keep termites from crawling up your leg and they also keep you warm
• Gardening gloves to protect your hands from getting blisters during the trek. You will be holding onto different trees and shrubs to keep balance and not forgetting the walking stick.
• Gaiters and it is better to get the adjustable type
• Comfortable and well-fitting ankle-length hike boots. Tourists if possible should bring waterproof hike boots
• A waterproof backpack to carry everything that you might need during the trek
• Foldable and refillable water bottle
• Snacks for when you get hungry during the trek
• Toiletries
• First aid kit
• A camera that comes with extra batteries, lenses and memory cards
• A pair of binoculars

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we have years of experience in organizing gorilla safaris across Africa, and we can easily organize a safari where you can spend more days with gorillas in Uganda. Get in touch with our staff through our emails and let us organize a memorable gorilla trekking safari for you to Uganda.