Best place to see gorillas in Africa : The best spot to see gorillas in Africa is in Uganda, the Congo, and Rwanda. These three countries are responsible for the conservation of the critically endangered mountain gorilla. They are still around in places like the volcanoes national park in northwest Rwanda, the Virunga national park in the central part of democratic republic of Congo, the Mgahinga gorilla national park and Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in the south west part of Uganda.
An estimated 1063 mountain gorillas call the national parks home; no mountain gorillas exist in ‘zoo’ or other types of captivity. This makes Africa to be known for the gorilla trekking safaris.
“Where can I see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat? “The subject of where to see the mountain gorillas is one of the most frequently asked. The mountain gorilla trekking safari is the same across the three nations, and in order to prevent harassment of the endangered species, only a certain number of people are permitted to trek each family group and those are 8 members.
Uganda and Rwanda receive the most tourists for gorilla trekking safari, whereas Congo is currently experiencing political turmoil and receives the fewest tourists. Though now the country is free from any political turmoil so it’s safe for the gorilla trekking safari. And on the other side the country is a home of the eastern low land gorillas that are not found elsewhere whether Rwanda or Uganda. The eastern lowland gorillas are trekked in Kahuzi Biega national park.
Uganda is home to just 23 gorilla families across the country’s two national parks that is Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park. From Entebbe airport, a safari to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national parks can take 9-10 hours; in Rwanda, the safari to volcanoes national park takes no more than 3 hours.
However, the equator crossing and the undulating hills of kigezi are also worth seeing en route to Bwindi impenetrable national park for mountain gorilla trekking.
Gorilla permits in Uganda are issued on a first-come, first-served basis, whereas in Rwanda they are allocated according to the visitor’s age, health, and level of physical condition. Because of this, trekking in Rwanda is more popular than in Uganda.
Costs of permits.
Rwanda permits to see the gorillas in Rwanda cost $1500 usd each, whereas permits to see them in Uganda cost $700 USD each. Because of this, many people believe that Rwanda is more expensive than Uganda for gorilla trekking safari.
In Rwanda’s volcanoes national park, the forest and main vegetation are made up of bamboo with short grass, allowing for better viewing of the gorillas and facilitating photography. In Uganda’s Bwindi forest, known as the impenetrable, on the other hand, the tall trees in the forest have led to poor viewing results and made photography of the gorillas extremely challenging.
Uganda Gorilla Habituation in Rushaga/Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Mountain gorillas can be seen on a Uganda, Rwanda, and the Congo safaris. Although it’s only Uganda among the three safari destinations where the for gorilla habituation safari takes place so that’s where the gorillas have been habituated. Only four nations’ national parks are responsible for safeguarding the world’s last mountain gorillas. That is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Only in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, specifically in the Rushaga sector in Uganda, is the 4-hour gorilla habituation safari experience permitted. Tourists visiting Rushaga have the unique safari opportunity to witness gorillas being habituated, creating a memory they will never forget in their life.
While there are habituated gorilla families in each of Bwindi’s sectors, only two of these families are now in the Rushaga area, making them suitable for habituation. Rushaga, in Bwindi’s southern sector, has the greatest concentration of gorilla families, making it the most popular location for gorilla trekking safaris that is Ruhija, Buhoma and Nkuringo are a few of the other areas.
Two years are spent habituating mountain gorillas so that they can interact safely with humans while still being able to go about their normal, wild lives. The visit to the mountain gorillas under the gorilla trekking safari is limited to one hour, and only a maximum of eight members / trekkers are permitted to visit a gorilla family.
Trekking habituated gorilla families is called “gorilla trekking,” while “gorilla habituation” involves spending four hours in the wild to train and educate mountain gorillas. While gorilla trekking permits a maximum of 8 persons for a 1-hour encounter, gorilla habituation permits a maximum of 4.
Since the landscape of Bwindi is mountainous, a high level of physical fitness is recommended before venturing into the forest. Permits for the Gorilla Habituation safari Experience cost US$ 1500, which is significantly higher than the standard Gorilla trekking permit price of US$ 700. It’s well worth your time to visit Bwindi to see the mountain gorillas in their natural environment and to explore the surrounding forest in search of other primates, birds, and trees.
If you want to participate, you should be at least 15 years old. Due to the limited availability of permits, planning ahead to secure one is highly recommended if you want to have a rewarding gorilla habituation safari experience in Rushaga Sector.
