Enjoy the affordable bespoke budget gorilla trekking tours in Uganda offered to you in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park that is positioned in the south west of Uganda support a minimum of 480 mountain gorillas that are close to a half of the critically endangered mountain gorillas. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the south-western Uganda and shelters about half of the wild mountain gorilla population remaining in the world today.
Southern Uganda hosts 15 gorilla groups in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and another one found in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The groups inhabiting the southern part of Uganda, in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, are: Rushegura, Mubare and Habinyanja – three families in the Buhoma area, Nkuringo family – one group in the Nkuringo area, Bitukura, Oruzogo and Kyaguriro – three families in the Ruhija area, Mishaya, Nshongi, Kahungye, Busingye and Bweza – five families in the Rushaga area
Mgahinga National Park hosts one gorilla family group, called Nyakagezi. In the past the Nyakagezi group moved between Rwanda and Uganda, but for the last two years these gorillas have been staying put in Uganda. The family group consists of ten gorillas, including four silver back males.
The park is one of the most scenic given that the park lies on the northern slopes of Mt. Muhabura, Mgahinga and Sabyinyo. These three volcanoes create an unforgettable regional backdrop. These peaks are three of the six Virunga volcanoes that mark the southern limit of the Albertine Rift Valley and are divided between Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo.
It takes 8 – 9 hours to drive southwest to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park from Kampala. The drive gives you a good idea of what rural Uganda looks like and passes through some beautiful scenery in parts. Alternatively you can take a short flight from Entebbe international airport near Kampala to Kisoro or by charter to Kayonza Airstrip, both near Bwindi. Once at Bwindi, this ancient and bio diverse forest can only be accessed on foot.
The major advantage of trekking in Uganda is that it is cheaper in terms of gorilla permits and you can combine gorilla trekking with other wildlife highlights in other national parks. A gorilla trekking safari can include spending time at beautiful Lake Bunyonyi close to Bwindi, game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park and chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park.
In Uganda the gorillas tend to be found deeper in the forest in groups of between 10 and 20, with at least one silver back (alpha male). The trekking itself is generally more challenging in Bwindi forest given that the gorillas are more tucked away and after viewing the gorillas you often have to ascend steep slopes out of the forests.
Trekking to find the gorillas is not always easy nor are you guaranteed to see them. The strenuous trek to the gorilla groups takes you through very dense vegetation, on narrow trails up steep and often muddy slopes. The search for gorillas can last several hours, since the gorillas move around in the thick undergrowth shifting deeper into the forests at times. Trekking expeditions start out early in the morning, driving to the boundary of the national park for formalities before continuing to a ranger’s station.
Once with the gorilla, the unique and intimate gorilla encounter unfolds. You have an hour to observe and watch these gentle apes at close range of about 7 metres in their natural state and take photographs of them. Watching the habituated gorillas feed, groom, parent, play and interact is spell-binding. The striking resemblance between the way the gorillas behave and relate with one another and their interaction of humans leaves many onlookers awestruck. After spending an hour with the gorilla family, you trace back at the starting point of the trek you transfer to your vehicle and make your way to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation.
Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to a wide array of wildlife, including elephants, hippos, buffalo and baboons. Offering magnificent views of the rift valley, it is also known for its tree-climbing lions. En route to your camp, you may opt to take a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. Upon arrival at your camp, take in fantastic park views of the Rwenzori Mountains.
Set out on morning and evening game drives in this majestic national park. Because the region occupies the main migration corridor between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, prolific plains game resides here, including Topi and Uganda Kob, as well as buffalo, hippos and some of the largest herds of elephants in the country. Spotted hyenas are common, and leopards occasionally glimpsed.
Take a scenic drive through rolling hills dotted with tea estates to Kibale National Park a primate capital, one of the most varied tracts of tropical forest in Uganda. Known for its 300 bird species and population of chimpanzees, Kibale is home to 13 primate species. You may also spot mangabey and a vast array of butterflies.
Wake up early in the morning and make the short hikes to the start of your chimpanzee trek. The chimpanzees feed high in the trees, so binoculars are a must. Barks of baboons occasionally pierce the forest silence as you make your way along the trail. Take a guided walk in the wildlife-rich Bigodi Forest swamp, an excellent chance to view birds, sitatunga, mongooses, bush pigs, otters and bush bucks.
