Trekking to see mountain gorillas is one of the most done tourist activities in the world. A face-to-face encounter with a silverback gorilla in the wild is ranked the best wildlife experience in the world. Those who have trekked gorillas before ranking the experience as magical, thrilling and once in a lifetime that no traveler should miss it on his/her bucket list. Seniors book gorilla safaris as their retirement package, a proof that an encounter with gorillas is indeed a dream come true. Mountain gorillas share over 98% of human genes, which make them close relatives to people. The human-like characters of mountain gorillas within their families make their encounter remarkable and worth the effort. Whereas there are four gorillas species i.e. (mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas, western lowland gorillas and cross river gorillas), mountain gorillas are the most visited gorilla species. If gorilla trekking is your dream, Gorilla Trek Africa brings the four best places to see gorillas. These include:
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
A silverback gorila standing
Home to over 500 mountain gorillas, Bwindi forest in southwestern Uganda a first stop center for gorilla safaris in Africa. The impenetrable forest is home to half of the world’s mountain gorillas. 17 gorilla families have been habituated in the Bwindi forest to ease the trekking sessions. Uganda gorilla tours in Bwindi forest are best done during the dry season when rains are very minimal to trek through this thick forest. Bwindi forest is located roughly 5 hours from Kigali Rwanda, which makes it easy to do Rwanda Uganda gorilla trekking. More so, the Bwindi forest is divided into four sectors, which are Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, Nkuringo and Rushaga in the south. Habituated Uganda gorilla families in Bwindi Forest include Mubare, Rushegura, Habinyanja, Mishaya, Oruzogo, Nkuringo, Katwe, Christmas, Bitukura, Kyaguliro, Nshongi, Kahungye, Busingye, Bweza, Katwe and Christmas gorilla families. Each day, 126 gorilla permits are available in the Bwindi forest. The high number of gorilla families in Bwindi guarantees travelers’ availability of gorilla permits even for those who want to do last minute bookings. Bwindi is also a center for gorilla habituation experience in which wild gorillas are habituated to make them familiar with human presence. A gorilla habituation experience permit costs $1500 allowing travelers to spend four hours with the wild gorillas.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Also in Uganda, Mgahinga gorilla national park is home to the Nyakagyezi gorilla family. Mgahinga Park is located in the Kisoro district covering Uganda’s share of the Virunga Conservation area. In late 2019, Mgahinga gorilla Park received the Hirwa gorilla family, which migrated from Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Apparently, Mgahinga shelters 2 gorilla families inclusive of Hirwa from Rwanda. The money collected from Hirwa gorilla permits is shared between Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rwanda Development Board. Travelers to Mgahinga forest can also do golden monkey trekking, Batwa cultural trail and Virunga volcano hiking to have a full package.
NOTE: Uganda gorilla permits in Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga gorilla national parks cost $700 for Foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents and UGX 250,000 for East African residents per permit.
Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
Volcanoes National park in northwestern Rwanda is yet another gorilla destination in Africa. Volcanoes Park is an easily accessible gorilla park located roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes drive from Kigali international airport. The close connectivity from Kigali to Volcanoes makes it the best gorilla safari park for short time travelers. A 1-Day Rwanda gorilla trek starts at 4:30am with a pick up from Kigali. After the trek, travelers are dropped back in Kigali to connect with their return flights. Rwanda gorilla families are Sabyinyo, Amahoro, Umubano, Agashya, Umubano, Karisimbi, Hirwa, Kwitonda, Susa A, Ugenda, Bwenge and Titus gorilla families among others. Rwanda Development Board issues 80 gorilla permits out every day. Gorilla permit booking is recommended at least 6 months in advance. Rwanda gorilla tours are complemented by golden monkey trekking, Mt Karisimbi hiking, twin lakes tour, Chimpanzee trekking/canopy walk in Nyungwe forest plus big five game in Akagera National Park. A single Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 but the experience is worth it.
Virunga National Park
Trek Congo gorillas in Virunga National park in the central-eastern part of the country. Virunga Park is believed to house over 150 mountain gorillas, which have been habituated into 8 gorilla families (Rugendo, Munyaga, Mapuwa, Lulengo, Kabirizi, Bageni, and Nyakamawe gorilla groups). Each Congo gorilla permit costs $450 and hence the most affordable gorilla tour destination for budget travelers.
REMINDER: Virunga National park and Congo as a whole is prone to security threats and attacks. Travelers are cautioned to be responsible and careful during their gorilla trip to Virunga Gorilla Park.
Gorilla Trekking Rules in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo.
During the pre gorilla trekking briefing, travelers are introduced to the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking to ensure their safety and that of endangered gorillas. These include:
1. Do not trek Gorillas when sick
2. Carry your valid permit
3. Do not use flashlight cameras
4. Don’t litter in the park
5. Turn back your faces when coughing
6. Keep a distance of seven meters
7. Keep within your group
8. Speak at a low tone
9. Do not look directly into the eyes of the gorillas
10. Do not run when a gorilla charges
What to pack for gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo
The recommended packing list for gorilla trekking in Africa includes among others:
• Waterproof hiking boots/shoes
• Gardening gloves
• Long-sleeved shirts
• Long-sleeved blouses
• Hat
• Scarf
• sunglasses
• Rain jackets
• Insect repellants
• First aid kit
• Bottled drinking water
• Energy giving snacks
For better comparisons, travelers are advised to do combined gorilla safaris to Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo with Gorilla Trek Africa.
