1 Day Uganda Gorilla Tour – Short Gorilla Trekking From Kigali or Kisoro

1 Day Gorilla Trek Uganda

Safari vacations and travel services’ 1 Day short Gorilla Tour to Bwindi Uganda takes you to a park hosting half of the remaining population of Mountain gorillas. The rest are found in Uganda’s Mgahinga gorilla park, Rwanda’s volcanoes national park and DR Congo’s Virunga National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park in Uganda is recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site for its breathtaking green/dense forests and creatures that live therein.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in South Western corner of Uganda at the edge of the East African Rift Valley. Bwindi became a full national park in 1994. Bwindi is covered by a large and diverse rain forest that is believed to be over 25,000 years old. Of the 324 tree species, 10 are only found in Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to 120 mammals including forest antelopes, elephants, baboons, chimpanzees, giant forest hogs and buffaloes. The park also has about 350 recorded species of birds and 200 of butterflies.  Mountain gorillas are the main attraction in the park. About half 1 Day gorilla tour in Bwindi of the remaining population of mountain gorillas in the world are found in Bwindi.

17 of the 36 gorilla families in Bwindi are habituated and open to tourism. Thousands of international travelers come to the park to take part in one of the world’s most fascinating wildlife experiences.

Bwindi is divided into four sectors – Nkuringo, Rushaga, Ruhijja and Buhoma. Each sector has some habituated gorilla groups, an office and a warden. Bwindi is perfect for gorilla trekking because the park has more gorilla groups than Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park or Virunga National Park in Congo. You can always find the perfect group depending on your interests. Gorilla permits in Bwindi cost $600.

Visit the Batwa pygmies if interested, Visiting the Batwa is a great opportunity to experience the culture of one of Africa’s indigenous tribes. The Batwa lived in Bwindi as forest gatherers and hunted for thousands of years before they were evicted to create room for the gorillas. The Batwa still struggle to adapt to life outside Bwindi forest. The government and development organizations are encouraging them to embrace tourism and take advantage of the opportunities it offers. They do this by showcasing their cultural heritage through music, dance and drama. Bwindi can be very cold at night and during the rainy season. June and July are the coldest months. The park can be visited throughout the year but most visitors avoid the months between March to May and September to November. These months fall in the rainy season which is characterized by very thick vegetation, slippery trials and mud thus quite challenging so it’s rewarding.

As already noted earlier, Mountain gorilla trekking is the main activity in Bwindi but visitors can also spot several other primates, mammals, reptiles and butterflies. Bwindi Impenetrable forest is one of the top birding spots in Uganda but not even that can compare to gorilla watching – the ultimate wildlife experience is!

Full-overview

You will wake up very early to have breakfast in your hotel. A guide/driver from Safari Vacations and Travel services will pick you up between 5am to 6am depending on whether your hotel is in Kisoro or Kabale. Request that the hotel/lodge staff wake you up on time and pack for you lunch, sandwich or other snack. Briefing at the park offices usually starts between 7:30am to 8am and is meant to guide you on how to act around the gorillas and what to expect.

You will be dived in groups of 8 (or less depending on season) and assigned different gorilla groups depending on your overall fitness and preference. There are 10 habituated gorilla groups in the park. Be mentally prepared for the trek as it could get tiring or go on for more hours than expected depending on the location of your assigned gorilla family that day.

Come along with the following;

• Boots
• long stockings
• Long sleeved shirt
• rain coat caps
• rain-proof pants
• camera

Park rangers will provide you with a trekking stick and be with you throughout the tracking and you are reminded to always Listen and follow what they have to say.

Porters for hire are available at about $15 to help relieve you of the burden of carrying extra heavy luggage so you focus on gorilla watching. You will only be with the gorillas for one hour so take as many photos and videos as you can as soon as you catch sight of them and are cleared. As soon as you are done watching the gorillas, our guide will pick you up and head for your hotel in either Kisoro or Kabale.

What is Included and Excluded?

Tour includes:

• Gorilla permits (each at usd600)
• Accommodation
• Bottled drinking water
• Park entry fees
• Fuel
• Experienced English speaking tour guide/driver
• Park ranger and guiding

Tour excludes:

• Individual expenses for example tips, cigarettes, crafts, and beverages(soft and hard drinks)
• Accommodation (can be arranged on request)

Note:

Safari vacations and travel services assists clients in arranging and clearly planning of the safari and continues to acquire the gorilla tracking permits for clients’ behalf, we ensure that no delays or any inconveniences on your trip, we arrange accommodation, and transport with a knowledgeable driver guide from our team.