Why plan a gorilla safari with Encounter Africa Safaris

Planning a gorilla tracking experience is an adventure that takes tourists through the thick tropical forests where tourists meet the giant mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The thrilling gorilla tracking experience requires a plan to avoid scammers and disappointment and this needs one to get an operator with local knowledge, and an understanding of the gorilla trekking destinations. This is where Encounter Africa Safaris has experience and excels in coming in to help you plan your gorilla trekking safari. It offers the best safari itineraries and offers you the best reasons as to why you need to trust them with your gorilla trekking dream in Uganda and Encounter so that you get an unforgettable experience.

Reasons as to why you should plan your gorilla safari with Encounter Africa Safaris.

Below is a list of reasons why you should plan your gorilla safari with Encounter Africa Safaris.

1. Experience with the logistics and planning involved

The experience of Encounter Africa safaris has expertise and decades of experience in organising gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda. We have over ten years of experience in the tourism industry and

Encounter Africa Safaris has experience in planning gorilla trekking in  Uganda and Rwanda including all the logistics that are involved in planning the safari. The planning process involves permit handling, transport and accommodation options. All these can be handled by Encounter Africa Safaris and their professional team, which is why you should use them for planning a gorilla safari. Below is a list of the logistics that are involved in the planning of a gorilla safari by Encounter Africa Safaris.

Permit purchase and handling: We at Encounter will help handle and book the gorilla trek permits that often sell out fast, making them scarce due to the high demand for permits throughout the year. We will help with the purchase and processing of the gorilla permits in advance for proper planning of the safari.

Securing gorilla trekking permits in Uganda and Rwanda is the only way to access the mountain gorillas, and they need to be handled in advance. The permits sell out fast, especially during the dry/peak season, and Encounter Africa Safaris is here to help you.

Encounter Africa Safaris has contact with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), where the gorilla permits are purchased from, and the Uganda Wildlife Authority. This ensures that the purchasing process is smooth and fast.

Transport: Encounter helps with the planning of the means of transport that you are to use during the gorilla trekking safari. They provide comfortable, well-maintained 4x4 safari vehicles or charter domestic flights to the  gorilla trekking destinations, depending on the request and budget of the client. Flights are more convenient although you have to pay more as compared to driving to the national park.

Accommodation: Clients get to choose from a wide range of accommodation, ranging from budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation facilities, with the guidance of the tour consultants. Accommodation chosen for a gorilla trekking safari should always be close to the trekking destination to enable tourists to keep time, and it has to be booked in advance. Accommodation is in high demand, especially during the dry/peak season, and this is why at Encounter, we endeavour to make sure that all clients book accommodation in advance and get the value for their money.

We also try to make sure that the accommodation chosen is in a conducive environment and safe for all tourists. The safety of our clients is our top priority, and that is why we have partnered with the best facilities to ensure that guests are safe.

2. The customised gorilla trekking safari itineraries

Encounter Africa safaris are well-known for having the best and affordable customised gorilla trekking itineraries. Our gorilla safari packages are always created by knowledgeable tour consultants, and they will work closely with you to ensure that all your needs and interests are taken into consideration when it comes to planning your gorilla trek safari. Your involvement in organising the gorilla trek safari will help us understand what you need when it comes to accommodation, transport, other safari activities to add on to gorilla trekking and other aspects that come with planning a gorilla safari.

The different types of gorilla safaris that are organised by Encounter Africa Safaris include budget, mid-range and luxury safaris, and tourists get to choose the safari that fits in their budget.

Encounter Africa Safaris helps you choose the best gorilla safari that fits in your budget and advises you on what to go with and what to leave behind. Different factors affect the cost of a gorilla safari and these are the type of accommodation chosen, transport, the number of days that are spent on a safari, the different activities that are added to your gorilla safari and the size of the group. We are here to help you discuss all these factors and help you find the best offer that will help you plan your gorilla safari effectively.

As we narrow down on the perfect itinerary for you, you will be sent a copy to confirm if it fits your taste and preference.   Our clients are our top priority and we make sure that there are no mistakes made when coming up with the itinerary.

3. Customer satisfaction for all our clients

All the staff at Encounter Africa Safaris are trained to ensure customer satisfaction for all our clients, and this can be seen and evidenced from all the reviews from individuals and on TripAdvisor. The professionalism that is showcased from the tour consultants to the knowledgeable guides has proven that Encounter Africa Safaris is your best option when it comes to planning a gorilla trekking safari.

Encounter Africa Safaris is a fully registered tour and travel company that is a member of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO), which focuses on client comfort and safety by making sure that the transport, accommodation and different safari activities meet the client’s standards and hygiene.

Encounter Africa Safaris is also dedicated to promoting responsible tourism, which is done through supporting the local communities (through education, health and roads, among others). This is usually done with the local communities that are found around the national parks where gorilla tracking is carried out. This goes on to show that tourism plays an important role when it comes to empowering the local communities, like former poachers who have turned into porters and are also helping in the conservation of the mountain gorillas.

Where to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda

Gorilla tracking is carried out in three countries, Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC. Encounter Africa Safaris helps with planning gorilla trekking safaris in both Uganda and Rwanda.

Uganda: Gorilla tracking is done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, located in the south-western part of the country. With four tracking sectors, which are Nkuringo, Buhoma, Rushaga and Ruhija, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has made it the best safari location with about 19 habituated gorilla families.

Uganda has another gorilla trekking destination known as Mgahinga National Park also found in the south western part of Uganda. Mgahinga has one habituated gorilla family known as the Nyakagezi gorilla family.

Rwanda: Volcanoes National Park, also known as the Parc National des Volcans, located in the Virunga ranges, is home to a large number of mountain gorillas with 12 habituated gorilla families. The lush tropical rainforest provides the best and perfect home to the mountain gorillas, which at the moment are an endangered species.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda is not only about gorilla trekking, but it is also about the challenging hike through the forests, where you get to see other wildlife species, including golden monkeys, baboons, L’Hoest monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, bird species and forest elephants, among others. It is also the best way you can contribute to the conservation and habituation of the mountain gorillas.

There are so many other activities that you can engage in when you go for gorilla tracking in Bwindi and Mgahinga, and these include bird watching, Batwa cultural trips, primate walks, a walk to the lakes and trips to the nearby villages, among others.

Other activities that you can do while gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park include a visit to Dian Fossey’s tomb, visit the Iby’Iwacu cultural village, attend the Kwita Izina ceremony, go for cultural walks and bird watching among others.

The best time to go for gorilla trekking in Africa.

Uganda and Rwanda have similar climatic conditions and two seasons of travel, the dry and wet seasons. The dry season, June to September and December to February, is also a peak season, and the best time to travel to Uganda and Rwanda for gorilla trekking.  During this period, the trekking conditions are the best with dry and passable trek routes and the thinning vegetation makes it easy to spot the gorillas on your safari. It is, however, the peak season and a more expensive time to travel because of the large crowds, which is why tourists are advised to book at least 6 to 12 months in advance for the gorilla safari, and this is highly recommended when using Encounter Africa Safaris.

The wet season, on the other hand, experienced from March to May and October to November, is a good alternative to travel for a gorilla trekking safari, especially when you are on a budget. The chances of rain during the wet season are high, especially in the month of April, which is known to have heavy rains, and this is why there are fewer crowds. The fewer crowds lead to some service providers, such as accommodation, offering discounts to attract more tourists. This season offers travellers on a low budget a chance to meet the mountain gorillas one-on-one in their natural habitat.

Encounter Africa Safaris packing list for gorilla trekking

We do not just help our clients plan for their safari, but we also advise them on what to bring for this safari so that they are ready for an unforgettable experience. Many tourists plan gorilla safaris without knowing exactly what to pack, and this is why we have come up with a list of what to bring for your safari. The essentials that you can bring for your safari include the following.

1. Clothes

Clothes are an important essential for gorilla trekking and you do not need to pack an entire bag of clothes as long as you know what you need. The clothes should be in neutral colours, avoiding the brightly colored ones, especially blue, which is said to attract tsetse flies. Carry two or three pairs of trousers, shirts, undershirts and wear.

• Carry along long-sleeved shirts that will protect you from insect bites, scratches from trees during the trek and the heat from the sun.
• Light-weight pants that will enable you to easily trek through the forests. Avoid carrying jeans because they usually become heavy when they are wet.
• Socks that will keep you warm. They are also used to keep insects from crawling up your legs during the trek by tucking the trousers into the socks.
• Gardening gloves protect the hands of the trekkers from blisters during the trek.
• Knee-length waterproof hiking boots. They should also be comfortable and sturdy to help you trek through the difficult terrain within the national parks.
• Warm clothes include a sweater, ponchos and scarves.

2. Equipment

• A camera. Since you are travelling to the jungle, you need to carry extra batteries, lenses, a portable adapter and memory cards to capture all the gorilla trekking memories.
• A smartphone. This can be used to take photos of the mountain gorillas and take videos.
• A pair of binoculars. This will help you see all the different animal and bird species that are found in the national parks where gorilla trekking is carried out.

Encounter Africa Safaris aim is to plan safaris for all toruists planning to visit Africa. For an unforgettable experience, get in touch with Encounter Africa Safaris and let our travel consultants help you plan your safari.