Lowland vs Mountain Gorilla Trekking
Lowland vs Mountain Gorilla Trekking
Lowland vs Mountain Gorilla Trekking. Gorilla trekking in Africa is among the notable tourism activities. Therefore, you should not miss it while on your African safari. This will allow you to observe the different gorilla species in the different parks. There are notable gorilla trekking species that you can trek in Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda. They are mainly two and these are the lowland and mountain gorillas. Are you interested in participating in either of the activities in the park? This article will help you explore the differences between the lowland gorillas and the mountain gorillas. That is if you have a dilemma of choosing one of the two to trek.
Travelers will go for lowland gorilla trekking in DR Congo’s Kahuzi-Biega National Park. On the other hand, travelers trek mountain gorillas in Africa in Uganda’s Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks. Additionally, tourists can trek gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. You spend an hour in the presence of gorillas once you find them. In Uganda, you also have a chance to spend up to four hours with the mountain gorillas. This is through the gorilla habituation experience. This activity serves to help gorillas get used to the presence of humans or be ready for trekking.
You can also find gorillas in Virunga National Park. However, the area faces political instabilities which makes trekking gorillas sometimes difficult. The mountain gorillas and the lowland gorillas are quite different when you spend time with them. You will get to observe spending time with them which will make your gorilla safaris in Africa quite memorable.
Factors to consider while comparing Lowland vs Mountain Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla Trekking options
If you’re interested in having more options to participate in gorilla trekking in Africa, then mountain gorilla trekking is the best option. The activity takes place in Virunga National Park in Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Also, the activity takes place in Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks in Uganda. Therefore, there are more destinations to go mountain gorilla trekking. On the other hand, there is only one destination for lowland gorilla trekking in the world. This is the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in DR Congo.
Remember that only 8 people visit a gorilla family per day. This insinuates that to do lowland gorilla trekking, you need to book earlier because permits run out very easily. Thus, if you have a specific date, didn’t book early, and wanted to trek lowland gorillas, you may miss out. However, if you miss out on one park for mountain gorilla trekking, you may not miss out on the remaining 3 others.
The cost of the gorilla permits
As compared to the different destinations where you can watch the gorillas, lowland gorilla trekking is quite cheaper. You can obtain a gorilla trekking permit in Kahuzi Biega National Park for 400 USD. A gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda costs 1500 USD for foreign non-residents, 700$ for African Citizens, and 250$ for East African Citizens. A gorilla trekking permit in Uganda costs 800 USD for foreign non-residents, 500$ for African Citizens, and 300,000Ugshs for East African Citizens. Therefore, in terms of the cost of gorilla trekking, Lowland gorilla trekking is cheaper than mountain gorilla trekking.
Ease to access the gorilla species
The eastern lowland gorillas are easier to find while trekking as compared to the mountain gorillas which can be found in high elevations. While embarking on mountain gorilla trekking in Africa, you should at least physically and emotionally train your body. This will help you get ready to hike the mountain gorilla national parks in the Virunga mountains along the mountains. You can find mountain gorillas between elevations of about 8000 feet to 13000 feet.
Therefore, able-bodied people are the best option to participate in the activity. However, interesting about the activity is the fact that also disabled people can now track the gorillas with the introduction of sedan seats. These aid in carrying hikers to the habituated gorilla families. However, you can find lowland gorillas in sub-montane forests ranging from 490 to 5250 feet. This makes them easily accessible as compared to the mountain gorillas making the lowland gorillas easily accessible.
In terms of reaching the gorilla destinations, Mountain gorillas are more accessible. The roads in Congo to find lowland gorillas are poorer than those of Uganda and Rwanda.
When Is The Best Time To Book Lowland and Mountain Gorilla Trekking?
Gorilla trekking is open in gorilla national parks all year but the dry season attracts more bookings. The dry season is normally June, July, August, September, December, and January when the forest is also busy. The gorillas feed closer to the ground and other forest dwellers are quicker to spot.
Both parks’ forests are dense with a thick canopy. This allows less sunray penetration to the ground. The dry season allows more sunrays creating a perfect ambiance even for those wishing to take perfect photos of the gorillas and other forest dwellers.
Even though these tropical rain forests have a dense network of rivers that may flood in case rains fall heavily, during the dry season these flow within normal course. The trails in the forest while searching for the gorillas are drier allowing quick movement to find the gorillas. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park may include hiking steep slopes sometimes but in the dry season, the slopes are drier.
Due to the high demand for gorilla trekking permits in the dry period, the permits sell out in advance so one needs to secure the gorilla permits in advance.
Do not ignore the wet season which is March to May and November even though it is the low tourism season. For those wishing to have less disturbance during the time with the gorillas, this may be the perfect timing. In case you have a limited budget, the low season may be an opportunity to get an upgrade while on a gorilla safari.
Contact Safari Vacations and Travel Services for the best gorilla safaris. We can also combine gorilla trekking with wildlife safaris.
