How safe is Bwindi impenetrable forest national park during gorilla trekking?

How safe is Bwindi impenetrable forest national park during gorilla trekking? With different policies and guidelines put in place, Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is very safe for mountain gorilla trekking so there is no need to worry about the safety in the jungle while trekking mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is the most famous place in the world for hosting more than half of the mountain gorilla population in Africa. Other places where mountain gorilla trekking can be done in Africa are Mgahinga national park in Uganda, Virunga national park in DR Congo, and the Volcanoes national park in Rwanda.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park simply means having some good time with mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. Trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi national park start with a briefing early in the morning where rangers teach the trekkers about the rules and regulations of the trekking activity. All the trekkers must be ages 15 and above and must possess gorilla trekking permits issued out by Uganda Wildlife Authority. After the briefing, the rangers communicate with the trackers about the location of the assigned mountain gorilla family and from here you use different trials of the park to find this mountain gorilla family. During the trekking, the trekkers have opportunities of seeing some of the park bird species, plant species, and animals such as elephants, buffaloes, giant forest hogs, monkeys, baboons, and so many others. When the trekkers meet the mountain gorillas, they are given a maximum of 1 hour to be around them as they make watch them do daily activities, learn about their habits and take photos. After all this is done, the trekkers can have their lunch in the jungle and thereafter trek back to the starting point where they are awarded trekking certificates.

Mountain gorillas share 98% human DNA so trekking them means you have met your closest relatives. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is home to more than half f the mountain gorilla population n in the world which guarantees you 99% chances of meeting them when you visit the park. according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, only 8 people are allowed to trek a single habituated mountain gorilla family a day in all gorilla national parks. To trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi, you must be safe from transmittable diseases such as flue, and cough and u must be aged 15 years and above. The gorilla trekking permits for any of the 4 sectors of Bwindi are bought from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or can be got from a trusted local tour operator like Africa Adventure Vacations.

How many gorilla families are in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park?

It’s on record that Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has the highest population of mountain gorillas in the whole and as well as the highest number of habituated mountain gorilla families. There are 2 mountain gorilla families in Bwindi that are going through habituation and these are Bushaho and Bikingi gorilla families in Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors. There are over 18 habituated mountain gorilla families spread in different sectors of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and all these mountain gorilla families are open for trekking at any time of the year.

The habituated mountain gorilla families in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park are Orugozo gorilla family, Bitukura gorilla family, Kyaguriro gorilla, Mukiza gorilla family, Nkuringo gorilla family, Rushegura gorilla family, Muyambi gorilla family, Habinyanja gorilla family, Katwe gorilla family, Mubare gorilla family, Nshongi gorilla family, Mishaya gorilla family, Kahungye gorilla family, Bweza gorilla family, Mucunguzi gorilla family, Kutu gorilla family, Christmas gorilla family, and Busingye gorilla family.

What’s the gorilla trekking permit price in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park?

Uganda wildlife authority sells gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi impenetrable forest national park at a fee of $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 foreign residents, and shs250,000 East African citizens. The gorilla trekking permits for all national parks are sold to persons above the age of 15 years old and the permit allows trekkers to be around mountain gorillas for a maximum of 1 hour.

We strongly advise people to book their trekking permits in advance of 3-4 months to avoid inconveniences because the permits do sell out quickly most especially in the high season of December to February and June to September. You can book your gorilla trekking permit direct from Uganda Wildlife Authority or from a trusted tour operator. Africa Adventure Vacations can help you in booking a gorilla trekking permit as well as transport and accommodation facilities on a safari. By booking with Africa Adventure Vacations, we shall ask for the dates you would like to travel and from there we shall check for availability with Uganda wildlife authority and the permits are available for that day we shall ask you to pay and on receiving the money we shall book fir you a permit and send you scanned copies for conservation.

What is the best time to trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park?

The drier months are the best time to visit Bwindi impenetrable forest national park although you can visit at any time of the year for mountain gorilla trekking. The drier months in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park are June, July, August, September, December, January, and February. The dry season is characterized by little or no rainfall since Bwindi impenetrable forest is a tropical forest, thin vegetation cover giving clear views of animals, dry trekking trails and roads leading to the park are passable. Travelers intending to visit Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in the high season should book their trekking permits in advance of 3-4 months so as to avoid disappointments.

Budget travelers can visit Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in the rainy season of October to November and March to May to enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities. The disadvantage of trekking mountain gorillas in the rainy season is that there is heavy rainfall in the park, the roads leading to the park are impassable, the trekking trails are muddy and slippery and the vegetation cover in the park is thick giving unclear views of animals and bad photography.

Accommodation in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has several accommodation facilities where travelers to different sectors of the park can have a comfortable stay while on a safari. The accommodation facilities in Bwindi range from budget options to mid-range to luxury and where to stay depends on your budget. The accommodation facilities in the 4 sectors of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park include

Rushaga sector- Gorilla Safari Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla havens lodge, Gorilla Heights Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Four Gorilla Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Nshongi Camp, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Bwindi Backpackers Lodge, and Rushaga Gorilla Camp.

Ruhija sector – Bakiga Lodge, Gorilla Mist Camp, Cuckooland Tented Camp, Ruhija campsite, Broadbill Forest Camp, Ruhija Safari Lodge, Gift of nature lodge, Agadi Eco Lodge, Ruhija Community Rest Camp, and Trekkers Tavern among others.

Nkuringo sector – Nkuringo Gorilla Safari Lodge, Bwindi Back Packer’s Lodge, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Safari Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Heights Lodge, and Crested Crane Bwindi lodge among others.

Buhoma sector – Buhoma Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Trekkers Tavern, Engagi lodge, Jungle View Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Bwindi View Lodge, Lake Kitandara Bwindi Camp, Gorilla Conservation Camp, Gorilla resort, Jungle View Lodge, Mahogany Springs, and Volcanoes Safaris Bwindi Lodge among others.

Getting to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park by both air and road transport?

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in southwestern Uganda can be accessed by both air and road transport.

By air transport, travelers can access Bwindi impenetrable forest national park by using chattered flights from Kajjansi airfield or Entebbe international airport to Kihihi airstrip for travelers to Buhoma and Ruhija region or Kisoro airstrip for travelers to Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors taking only 2 hours.

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park can also be accessed by road transport either from Kigali or from Entebbe or Kampala. From Kigali in Rwanda to Bwindi impenetrable forest, it takes only 4-5 hours and this is by using Cyanika in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale. Travelers from kampala/Entebbe can use kampala-masaka-kabale-kisoro road and get to the park taking them 9-10hours. The journey is very long but it’s rewarding with a stopover at the equator, beautiful views of the countryside, smiling people, rivers, lakes, mountains, hills, and passing through different vegetation cover.

What to do with Africa Adventure Vacations?

Africa adventure vacations is a tour company based in Uganda licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board and a member of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators. Booking with Africa adventure vacations provides you safety and confidence during your safari courtesy of well-trained safari driver guides who are well conversant with all routes and tourism destinations in Africa. You can book with us any of the activities you want to do in Africa such as mountain gorilla trekking, mountain gorilla habituation, birding, game drives, hiking Dian Fossey Tomb, nature walks, and community tours among others. Booking can be done at any time of the year and if you still have any clarification on how safe is Bwindi impenetrable forest national park during gorilla trekking, just contact our safari experts for detailed information.