Meet the Mountain Gorillas & Chimpanzees in Uganda
Are you planning to visit Uganda for a memorable experience? Mountain Gorilla trekking and Chimp tracking are regarded as one of the most exhilarating safari activities one should not miss when on a Uganda safari. As named by Sir Churchill “The Pearl of Africa”, Uganda is considered among the commonly known and thrilling destinations to visit on the African continent.
Uganda is geographically located in the Eastern Africa, it shares borders with Kenya in the East, Rwanda in its south western side, Tanzania in the South, Democratic Republic of Congo in the West and South Sudan in the North.
Many travelers have different reasons as to why they spare their precious time and visit this amazing destination. The main reason is its diverse Wildlife species including Wild animals, Primates, insect species, reptiles plus the many bird species that recorded in the country. Wildlife and other physical touristic features are the main reasons why the first European explorer Sir Winston Churchill decided to declare this country as “The Pearl of Africa”.
Some of the major key attracting factors that lead to high flow of tourists from multiple countries include ease of accessibility, wide range of attractions, favorable climatic conditions, hospitable people, good service providers, flexibility, stable financial status and stable security.
How to reach Uganda
The main entrance to Uganda is by air transport and Uganda’s main airport is Entebbe international airport. The airport is located 37kms south west of Kampala Uganda’s capital city. Uganda can also be accessed via its border posts including Bwela boarder from Congo, Tanzania from Mutukula boarder, Kenya from Malaba, Rwanda from Katuna and Cyanika Boarder, here one can use road transport. In order to be issued with entry permission in Uganda you must have three documentations required at the customs, these documents include valid passport, valid yellow fever vaccination card and entry visa which costs $50 USD per person. Usually in Uganda a passport is considered to be valid only when it’s still six months or more to its expiration date.
Gorilla trekking.
Mountain gorilla trekking is one of the key activities done in Uganda, this activity involves meeting with our closest relatives the endangered Mountain Gorillas deep in the Jungles. The activity is re-chargeable and each person is required to pay $700 per trekking. Gorilla trekking is one of the expensive but selling activities done by very many people who come on a Uganda safari. In order to get a gorilla permit, you are required to book a gorilla permit in time in order to avoid disappointments of last minutes booking,
Gorilla permits are sold on first come first come basis. Owning a gorilla permit is a guarantee for trekking, but it’s not a guarantee for sighting, since mountain gorillas are wild animals they are very difficult to predict, meeting them depends on where they last spent their night from or on were they last fed from. Gorilla trekking is often started in the morning with a briefing which is first conducted at the park offices or starting point to highlight the group of trekkers about how to behave, the dos and don’ts while in the Jungle and in presence of these shy endangered mountain gorillas and also gets you allocated to the ranger range.
After this short briefing from the park wardens, you will follow the ranger guide and an armed officers to start the Journey following the permanently established trails heading to the Jungle in search of these endangered apes (each group is assigned to eight members). Park rangers regularly communicate with Gorilla trackers via radio calls to know where these apes spent their last night.
The trek is unpredictable, it can go from 2 -8 hours passing through steep and sloppy hills and once you locate these apes in the Jungle, tourists are allowed to stay in their presence for only one hour. See them playing with their young ones, feeding, laughing plus taking photos and videos of them. Get to know that you are not allowed to use a flush camera. Once the activity is done, the next session is to leave the forest back to the offices for certificate award. It’s advised to come with packed food and bottled water when you are going for your Gorilla trek, this is because most of the time, lunch time reaches when you are still in the forest. Gorilla trekking is regarded as incomparable activity one should not love to miss.
Chimpanzee tracking.
Without any doubt, chimpanzee trekking is another thrilling adventure tour one should not love to miss when on a Uganda safari. Chimpanzees are known as the second closest relative to human sharing almost 97% of human DNA make-up. Like mountain gorilla trekking, the activity requires some levels of physical fitness as the trek may go from 1-6 hours while in the jungle searching for them. The activity involves moving in a group following the permanently established routes heading to the Jungle in search for these primates. In the process of searching them, you are advised that you move slowly and maintain your voice at low tone while in the Jungle such that you do not scare these primates. Once the gorillas are met, you are strictly allowed only one hour with them learning their behaviors as well as taking as many photos as possible, however you are not allowed to use flash cameras, the chimps may feel threatened. Watch them feeding, laughing, swinging in tree branches it’s a great experience.
In order to participate in this wonderful experience, one requires a permit that goes for $200 USD per person in Kibale Forest National Park and one is advised to book this activity in advance to avoid disappointment of last minute booking.
Where to trek the endangered mountain gorillas.
Two places in Uganda hosts these endangered apes, one is bwindi impenetrable national park and the other is Mgahinga gorilla forest national park. These parks offers exciting gorilla trekking experience and many visitors to Uganda come specifically to see these endangered apes in their natural habitat deep in the jungle. Both parks are located in the South western part of Uganda along Uganda’s border with Democratic Republic of Congo.
When comparing the best gorilla trekking destination among the two parks, bwindi Impenetrable National park takes it all, the park has the biggest percentage of Uganda’s remaining Gorilla population with the biggest number of gorilla families (over 12 habituated gorilla families that enjoy the cool atmospheres in its four major sectors which include Buhoma sector, Nkuringo, Ruhija and Rushaga sector. Each sector has more than two Gorilla families.
Where to trek our closest relatives the Chimps.
Uganda has very many exhilarating places to go for the chimpanzee primates while on a Uganda safari these include Murchison falls National Park in Budongo forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kyambura gorge side, Kibale Forest National Park where variety of Chimpanzee primates are habituated. Other places include the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary a home to orphanage gorillas. It is located on the waters of Lake Victoria on Ngamba Island which is part of Koome group of islands
