A gorilla safari in Uganda is one of the best adventure travel experiences one can ever imagine. Encounter Uganda with the chance to spot some of the most amazing wildlife on the planet in its natural habitat. Mountain gorilla trekking is the driving force of tourism in Uganda even though the country is full of other safari games, many people combine excellent chimpanzees’ treks plus game drives making this the ultimate country for safari focused on great apes.
For a completely different kind of unforgettable safari experience, traveling to Uganda’s Bwindi Forest for a gorilla safari is once in a lifetime experience.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is one of UNESCO’s heritage sites best known for mountain gorillas and gorilla tracking. This rainforest also offers some of the finest montane forest birding experience in Africa and is a key destination for many birders visiting the Pearl of Africa.
Location
Located at the southwest corner of Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest together with Mgahinga region are believed to inhabit more than half of the remaining mountain gorillas on earth. That’s why they’re an endangered species under 24-hr protection.
Though it is best known for its outstanding gorilla tracking, it also provides refuge to elephant, chimpanzee, monkeys and various small antelope and bird species. The variant biodiversity is supported by the fact that Bwindi is extremely old and also its slopes extend over a broad altitudinal range of 1,447m above sea level, enabling habitats ranging from lowland forest to Afromontane vegetation.
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest
Without doubt one of the world’s greatest wildlife experiences is the thrill of a close encounter with the reclusive mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Uganda has the best chance of viewing these delightful apes with the fact that it boasts two parks where they have been habituated for human visits that is; the Mgahinga Gorilla and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks which harbour over half of the remaining world mountain gorillas. You can track gorillas in Uganda with a gorilla permit, at as low as US$ 700.
Gorilla Experience
On the day of gorilla trekking, visitors report at the park Headquarters, it can either be in Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo or Rushaga depending on which sector you were located. Here the tourists are given a small briefing about the gorillas and the forest. After the briefing, the tourists are led by the armed trained guide entering into the rainforest on foot searching for the great apes.
Sharing 98% of human DNA, mountain gorillas are susceptible to our infections, so visitors are asked not to trek if they are ill. Only 8 people per day are allowed to trek each gorilla family staying for a maximum of 1 hour in their presence.
What to pack
Hiking boots if attempting any hikes or climbs, wet weather clothing and warm layers for the evenings. It gets cold and damp at this altitude. Bring sunscreen and a sun hat, you may also want to bring waterproof bags to protect cameras and other equipment when hiking.
Apart from tracking gorillas and spending one hour with them, gorillas can also be habituated spending four hours observing them. Gorillas are not always so placid in the presence of people; it takes time and effort to habituate these creatures. Bwindi’s new magical Gorilla Habituation Experience allows you to be part of this process by tracking a group that is only semi-habituated.
Birding in Bwindi
Bwindi offers some of the finest montane forest birding in Africa as a key destination for birders, with over 400 species, including; western Green Tinkerbird, Chestnut- throated Apalises, White- browed Crombec, Woodland Warbler, Africa Hill Babbler etc.
Among the numerous possibilities are no fewer than23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemics, including spectacular, globally threatened species such as Shelley’s Crimson wing and the African Green Broadbill. Bwindi is one of the few national parks in Africa to have flourished throughout the last Ice Age and it is home to roughly half of the world’s mountain gorillas.
Community Tourism in Bwindi
A visit to the surrounding Batwa community of Bwindi is yet another experience one wouldn’t like to miss. From showcasing their culture, housing, food, ways of life art and crafts, demonstrating how fire was made in mediaeval ages, to tea growing on Kisoro landscapes, the Batwa and all other communities around shall inspire you.
Don’t miss the entertainment (singing and dancing) while at a camp fire staged nearby Bwindi forest. You may also pick a woven, sewed or curved souvenir to always remind you of your trip to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.