Uganda is home to half the world’s Mountain Gorilla population. Seeing these animals up close in their natural habitat is one of the most impressive wildlife encounters in Africa. Visiting the gorillas directly supports conservation efforts and population growth.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda is an extraordinary experience that allows you to come face-to-face with the magnificent mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Imagine standing just meters away from a magnificent silverback gorilla, its gentle gaze meeting yours amidst the lush greenery of an ancient rain forest. This isn’t a scene from a movie; it’s the reality of gorilla trekking in Uganda, an adventure that will leave you breathless and forever changed.
Uganda is Home to Nearly Half the World’s Mountain Gorillas
These gorillas are heavily protected in two regions located in a small mountainous area in East Africa: the Virunga Volcano Mountains region (which spans the borders of Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo) and Uganda’s southwestern mountainous Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Uganda is the best place to watch these gorillas, as over half of them are protected within its two National Parks: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. However, Mgahinga shares territory with Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and DRC’s Virunga National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, protects not only the mountain gorillas but also some of the most pristine virgin forest plants, primates, other 120 mammal species, and many endangered wildlife.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is another excellent place to watch gorillas near Bwindi. The park is home to three imposing Virunga mountains: Mount Muhabura, Mount Gahinga (from which the park gets its name), and Mount Sabyinyo. This makes extending your gorilla tour with a hiking adventure on the Virunga Volcanos.
Together, Mgahinga and Bwindi have 20 human-habituated gorilla family groups available for tourism in five gorilla tracking sectors, with four located around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Watching Gorillas in Uganda is Affordable
Back in 1994, gorilla tourism was the only way for the Ugandan government to finance the protection of the endangered giants. However, to avoid disrupting the gorillas’ way of life within their natural setting, the number of tourists had to be regulated at a sustainable level. This means that trekkers now have to go through the trekking permit process to make it to the daily viewing, which is also highly regulated.
In Uganda, the gorilla permit costs US$800 per person for the foreign non-residents, US$700 for the foreign residents, UGX300,000 for the East African residents and US$500 for the rest of Africa, less than half of Rwanda’s charges. This affordable price tag is a good reason why many choose to trek gorillas in Uganda instead of Rwanda. Booking your permit months in advance is necessary because there’s a long queue of tourists hoping to get that chance to see the largest primate on earth.
Expert trackers lead small groups of eight tourists per gorilla group from the starting point into the impenetrable jungles, escorted by two armed rangers, and spend at least one hour with the gorillas when they find them. There’s even an option of spending at least four hours with the gorillas, but that would be with a wild gorilla family that is not fully human-habituated if you’re up for the adrenaline jolts.
So, if Rwanda is a bit expensive for your budget, the less than half price of the permit is why you should trek gorillas in Uganda. Plus, you’ll get to witness Africa’s Mountain gorillas in their natural habitat and contribute to their conservation efforts.
The Gorilla Watching Tour is an Authentic Raw Experience
As you drive through the emerald-rugged cultivated slopes of southwestern Uganda, you can’t help but be hit by the enchanting beauty of the land. Mountain gorillas live at elevations of 8,000 to 13,000 feet, and trekking through steep slopes to find them promises to be an authentic jungle adventure. This is just one of the many reasons why anyone should take that gorilla watching tour in Uganda.
If you’re someone who loves adventure challenges, then gorilla watching in Uganda will serve you the right dose of the African jungle experience. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, as its name infers, can only be traversed on foot. You’ll be trekking uneven terrain, through a misty jungle with no used footpaths, with a local tracker clearing your way with a machete.
At first, it may seem like an impossible undertaking, but once you see the dark bodies against the green background spring up unexpectedly from the undergrowth, your seemingly tiring adventure will light up the airy jungle atmosphere. This is what bucket list adventures are made of – the feeling of accomplishment and awe-inspiring beauty that makes you appreciate nature in its rawest form.
So, if you’re up for an unforgettable adventure, go see gorillas in Uganda. It’s not just about seeing the largest primates on earth but also about experiencing the thrill of the African jungle and appreciating the beauty of this amazing country.
You can take on Challenging Terrain
One look at southwestern Uganda’s green terraced hills and rolling volcanic slopes and it’s clear this area of the country is not for the faint of heart. Add in the high altitude and the challenging terrain, and gorilla trekking in Uganda promises to be the adventure of a lifetime.
It’s hard work to reach the gorillas. It requires navigating uphill and downhill through thick tangles of vines, thorns, and roots. The appropriately named Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is only accessible by foot. There are no paths, no signs, no directions and more often than not, no clearings (which is why the park rangers carry machetes). The good news? The reward seems that much better after all of the hard work.
Other Primates will inevitably Cross your Path
Uganda is a primate-lover’s dream. In addition to mountain gorillas, Mgahinga is home to another endangered species: the golden monkey. These furry, comical monkeys live high up in bamboo forests. Tracking golden monkeys is very similar to tracking gorillas, but the trek itself is not quite as challenging. Further afield, Bwindi has L’Hoest monkeys, gray-cheeked mangabeys, and blue monkeys. In Kibale Forest National Park, chimpanzees steal the show.
It’s easier to get a trek permit in Uganda
Visitors aren’t allowed to visit just any mountain gorilla troop on a trek. Only troops that have become habituated to the presence of humans (a process that takes park rangers about two years to complete) are visited on gorilla treks. Also, only one group of eight trekkers is allowed to visit each gorilla troop per day. This is done to minimize the disruption humans can have on the primates’ environment and daily habits. These rules apply in both Uganda and Rwanda.
Yet because Uganda has more gorillas and has subsequently undertaken to habituate more of its troops – the country’s authorities are able to issue more trekking permits per day.
In conclusion
While your main adventure attraction may be gorilla trekking in Uganda, you’ll find the country a fulfilling bucket list adventure destination. The possibility of seeing the great apes and observing gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural setting, combined with a savannah game viewing experience and highly sought-after birds like the shoebill, is an eclectic African safari mix that will leave you in awe.