How to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat? Book your safari to Virunga, Mgahinga, Volcanoes and Bwindi National parks to see gorillas in Africa

There are about 1080 mountain gorillas in the wild and the only place to see them is in the remote, difficult and dense forests of Bwindi impenetrable national park and Virunga conservation area with Virunga national park in DR Congo, volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda

Uganda is heaven in all senses from the mighty mountain gorillas that rule Bwindi impenetrable forest in Bwindi national park to chimpanzees which are our closest relatives. Gorilla trekking is such an amazing primate experience that any visitor on a safari to Uganda shouldn’t miss out.

Though mountain gorilla trekking is a very charming activity, it is good to plan well your trip through Africa adventure vacations a local safari company with experienced personnel to plan this once in a lifetime experience. Before you get on this life changing adventure, you must be well prepared and this is why the tips given below will guide you appropriately as you plan your safari to visit mountain gorillas in Uganda.

Where To See Mountain Gorillas In Their Natural Habitat in Uganda?

With less than 1080 mountain gorilla that live on earth today, Uganda is lucky to be a home to a half of these endangered great apes making it one of the only three countries in the world where mountain gorilla trekking is done in two national parks of Bwindi impenetrable forest and Mgahinga.

There are 20 habituated gorilla families in Uganda that have been habituated and already open for tourism purposes, 19 of these are in Bwindi impenetrable national park and there is only 1 in Mgahinga gorilla national park.

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Bwindi impenetrable national park is found across the steep ridges of the libertine rift valley in south western Uganda. The park is a home to almost a half of the total world’s population of mountain gorillas. Bwindi impenetrable forest is one of the few forests in Africa to have thrived throughout the last ice age. Bwindi impenetrable national park has about 120 mammal species, 10 primates of which include the rare black and white colobus monkeys.

In Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, mountain gorilla trekking is done in any of the 4 sectors which are Ruhija in the east with Mukiza, Bitukura, Orugozo and Kyaguriro gorilla families. Buhoma sector in the north comprising of Habinyanja, Mubare, Katwe and Rushegura habituated gorilla families. Nkuringo sector in the south with Nkuringo, Christmas and Bushaho gorilla families. Rushaga region has Kutu, Bikingi, Mishaya, Kahungye, Busingye, Bweza, Rwigi, Mucunguzi and Nshongi gorilla families

Mgahinga gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in the extreme south western side of Uganda about 9 – 10 hours’ drive from Entebbe or Kampala or just 3-4 hours from Rwanda via Cyanika border. The park covers the northern slopes of three Virunga mountains that is Mountain Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabinyo with 4,127, 3,474 and 3,645 meters above sea level respectively.

Mgahinga national park is just 10 kilometers south of Kisoro town and it is bordered by Rwanda and DR Congo. The park is always open throughout the year and it has only one habituated gorilla family called Nyakagezi open for trekking

Best Time To See Mountain Gorillas In Their Natural Habitat

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done any the year. Uganda experiences two seasons the dry and the wet season. If you are planning to trek mountain gorillas, you should bear in mind that mountain gorilla trekking is not an easy activity it can even take the whole day. A well trained Uganda wildlife authority guide leads you to the forests to look for these mountain gorillas while giving you necessary information about these apes.

The dry season is the best time to go for gorilla tracking in any of the two national parks in Uganda when the ground is dry. The dry season starts in June to September and from December to February. During dry season, the trails are dry making it easy for trekkers to hike through the dense vegetation and on the steep slopes searching for endangered mountain gorillas unlike the wet season when the routes are slippery because of plenty of rainfall.

The wet season is also known as the low season and its best for gorilla habituation. The season happens in March to many and in October to November. The advantage of trekking mountain gorillas in rainy season is that there is plenty of food for these mountain gorillas to eat and trekkers take a few hours to allocate them since they don’t move deep in the forests to look for what to eat in the course of the day

Book Your Gorilla Permit Early Enough To See Mountain Gorillas In Their Natural Habitat

That fact that there is a high demand of gorilla permits in Uganda, you are advised too book your gorilla trekking permit at least 6 months before the final activity most especially if you want to trek a specific gorilla family during the high season of June to September. In Uganda a gorilla permit costs $700 for non-foreign residents, $600 for foreign residents and UGX 250,000 for east African citizens.

You can secure a gorilla permit through any trusted tour operator such as African Adventure Vacations in Uganda or from Uganda wildlife authority reservations office. In case you want to do gorilla habituation experience you will have to pay $1500 to get a permit that allows you 4 hours of magical encounter with mountain gorillas.

Packing List To See Mountain Gorillas In Their Natural Habitat

When packing for a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda you should always consider essential items first. Things that shouldn’t miss on the list include waterproof hiking boots, insect repellents, bag pack, rain jacket, camera without a flash, binoculars, long sleeved shirts and pants, sun glasses, hut, energy giving snacks and bottled water.