Choosing Between Gorilla Trekking And Gorilla Habituation? What You Need To Know

Mountain Gorilla trekking is the most fascinating activity in Uganda’s gorilla parks, Trekking the great apes in the Bwindi impenetrable forest National Park is top-notch by almost every visitor visiting Uganda. For as long as Gorilla Trekking is on your Itinerary and permits secured, you will automatically ascend into the Jungles in search for human Closest Relatives and absolutely fall in love with the rare species.

Securing a Gorilla Trekking permit costs USD 700 and can be purchased from Uganda wildlife Authority an organization responsible for protecting Uganda’s wildlife. Gorilla permits can now only be secured through a trustworthy tour Company which normally arranges most of all your travel plans in Uganda. As always, the demand for Mountain Gorilla tracking in most cases exceeds supply, therefore booking in advance is vital and will surely guarantee you space on your preferred date during your travel.

Gorilla Tracking starts from any part of the park entrances/regions of Bwindi forest national park or Mgahinga National Park while Gorilla families are allocated at the park headquarters by the park guides and rangers before departure for trekking on foot in the jungles. Bwindi forest which is 331 sq.kms big has 4 regions or entrances that are Buhoma on the west, Ruhija on the north, Rushaga and Nkuringo on the southern sector each with different Gorilla families as well as Mgahinga national which has only one habituated gorilla family and apparently shared by Uganda and Rwanda.

Upon finding the gorillas during Gorilla Trekking, Guests spend with the mountain Gorillas an hour only and return back to the starting point for debriefing and souvenirs. Gorilla Trekking is a guaranteed one hour when you find the Mountain Gorillas to conclude the timed visit and later park guides and rangers will lead you back to the headquarters. This is different from Gorilla habituation where visitors spend 4 hours with the mountain gorillas when they finally find them.

You will be briefed on the eve of the Gorilla Trekking by your guide  to be at the major Gorilla Trekking Briefing point approximately 7 or 7:30 am depending on distance or how far the accommodation you stayed at but it is very important to be early for Gorilla Trek briefing. Later with other guests from other lodges, the park guide will distribute 8 members for each gorilla family. Tracking starts at 8 am when you all descend or ascend into the Jungles in Search for the Gorillas with Ranger guides, Escorts guides and sometimes porters.

It is important that you communicate earlier of any possible physical or health problems to your driver guide as they will find the right Gorilla Family for you before the start of the trekking. Visitors with excuses like weaknesses, the old and physical disabled can be allocated gorilla families which are quite nearby and easy to reach or with easier terrains to reach. At worst case scenerios that you can’t walk or trek in the forests, There is an option of the “African Helicopter” that can get you to the mountain Gorillas. The African Helicopter is a local stretcher manned by 15 local persons from the Community rotating in turns and will take you to the Gorillas and bring you back. The service of the African helicopter would cost USD 300 distributed by themselves while an extra tip to them would be much appreciated.

Mountain Gorilla Tracking starts in the morning and the gorilla permit work for only one day. In case you miss the activity, the permit will be expired. That’s why for visitors who prefer to do Gorilla tracking and later add Rwenzori Hiking are advised to start with gorilla tracking, to avoid missing out the activity in case there are delays on the mountain.

Visitors going for gorilla tracking are given guidelines like keeping required distance between them and mountain Gorillas, packing enough drinking water, having good Hiking shoes, keeping voice low while in the jungle, avoid leaving things in the forest like empty bottles, taking photos without flash and much more. These rules are the same with Gorilla habituation activity.

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