Gorilla Trekking Tours in Bwindi and Congo

0

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in south-western Uganda; an untouched forest with thick vegetation like its name suggests. Covering over 33,000 ha, Bwindi is a true African jungle, with rays of sun light filtering through the thick forest cover, giving you the feeling of being in a real-world paradise. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994 because of its rich diversity in flora and fauna, and is home to half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, making it one of the most popular regions on Earth for gorilla trekking tours. Here is what you need to know if you’re thinking of tracking gorillas in Uganda.

The weather in Bwindi is chilly because of the extensive canopy, so visitors are advised to carry some warm clothing for evenings and long sleeved shirts and trousers for trekking. This also helps you to avoid scratches as you trek through the forest. You will also need to carry a rain poncho, seasoned boots, lots of water and lunch as sometimes it takes an entire day to locate the gorillas. If you want to track mountain gorillas you need to be in good physical condition to go up and down the terrain as it can be quite tough. Bwindi lies at an altitude of between 1160m-2607m above sea level. Because of this, many people suggest you hire a porter to help you with your belongings. You are advised to book your permit at least three months prior to secure your day USD 600, especially if you prefer a certain location. Only eight individuals from 15 years of age are permitted to visit a gorilla family per day. You also need to be in good health when visiting the gorillas, otherwise you will not be allowed to track, as humans and gorillas can easily pass diseases to each other.

You will be briefed by your guide before tracking, but guests are advised to stay at least 8 metres from the gorillas, not to use flash photography and not to look directly in the eyes of the gorilla for an extended period of time. The gorillas habituated for tourism are in families based at different trail heads. When you visit Bwindi, be sure to know which trail head you are allocated before you book your hotel. After knowing your allocated trail head, you can then make sure you book the hotel in that location. Currently 11 gorilla families are habituated for tourism. The trail heads include; Ruhija, Buhoma, Rushaga and Nkuringo.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of three destinations housing the world’s endangered mountain gorillas residing in Virunga national park. Congo gorilla treks are conducted in different Gorilla groups that have been habituated in the Virunga National Park which include; Jomba: KWITONDA group (8 visitors), Bukima – KABIRIZI group (8 visitors), HUMBA group (8 visitors), MAPUA group (8 visitors), Bikenge – RUGENDO group (6 visitors), MUNYAGA group (6 visitors). Regarding safety in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country is now very safe open for travellers to Virunga national park. All activities are done peacefully and travellers are greatly assured of great assurance. This gives you an opportunity to witness this incredible experience of being close to the rare and endangered Mountain Gorillas in Congo’s Virunga National Park. The time you will take searching these mystical apes is unpredictable but expected between 2-5 hours depending on their movements.

You might also like More from author

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.