Trek Mountain Gorillas In Uganda From South Africa

It’s very possible to trek mountain gorillas in Uganda from South Africa. Uganda is one of the countries in the world that do harbor mountain gorillas and what makes Uganda famous from others is the fact that 2 of her national parks do harbor these gentle primates. the national parks in the country with mountain gorillas include Mgahinga national park in Kisoro and Bwindi impenetrable forest national park.

Travelers from South Africa that need to trek mountain gorillas in South Africa can contact Africa adventure vacations limited so that we organize a whole safari for you including booking the permits, accommodation, and transport. The trekking of mountain gorillas is done at any time of the year in Uganda due to the good nature of the climate and it’s only done by those that do possess the gorilla trekking permits from Uganda wildlife authority.

Where in Uganda can people from south Africa trek mountain gorillas?

People in South Africa can trek mountain gorillas in only 2 places in Uganda which are lucky to be harboring these peaceful primates. Mountain gorillas in Uganda can be found in Mgahinga national park and the Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in Kabale, Kanungu, and Kisoro districts of southwestern Uganda. The parks have more than half of the mountain gorilla population left in the whole world so Southafrican people have 99% chances of meeting these gorillas on a safari.

People from South Africa need to know that Bwindi impenetrable forest national park alone has 19 mountain gorilla families that are open for tourism and they are spread in the 4 sectors of the park. The four sectors of the part where people from South Africa can trek mountain gorillas from include Buhoma in the north, Nkuringo and Rushaga in the south, and Ruhija in the east. Mgahinga national park has over 80 mountain gorillas with only 1 mountain gorilla family but the trekking experience is the same as of Bwindi.

Mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda from South Africa

On the day of mountain gorilla trekking, trekkers including those from South Africa will be expected to wake up very early in the morning and gather at the sector or park offices. It’s from these offices that they will be briefed about the dos and don’ts of the mountain gorilla trekking activity after which grouping will be done and the different ranger guides will lead them into the jungle to start looking for the assigned mountain gorilla family.

While passing through different park trails, the trekkers will be lucky when they come across different park animals such as elephants, duikers, hyenas, giant forest hogs, buffalos, monkeys, birds, and different plant species. on meeting the mountain gorillas, the trekkers are given 1 hour to be around mountain gorillas, and during this time they get a chance to learn about their behaviors, they watch them do daily activities and take photos. After spending time with mountain gorillas, the trekkers descend back to the starting point where they collect their trekking certificates and get back to their accommodation facilities for resting or travel.

How to book mountain gorilla trekking permits in Uganda from South Africa?

Africa adventure vacations limited is here to help people from all over the world as well as those from South Africa on booking gorilla trekking permits for either Bwindi impenetrable forest national park or Mgahinga national park. Once you have been chosen as your tour operator fr your gorilla safari in Uganda. We expect to get an email from you indicating the dates you want to trek mountain gorillas or the days of your safari so that we help you plan accordingly.

Using the dates given, we check for the availability of the permits with the Uganda Wildlife Authority and after finding the permits available, we do send you an email letting you know about it and also containing the different ways of payments on how you can send the money for the permit. After sending money and we have received it, we go ahead and book you a permit and thereafter send you scanned copies for your reports.

How much are the gorilla trekking permits in Uganda from South Africa?

Mountain gorilla trekking permits for Mgahinga national park and Bwindi impenetrable forest national park are of the same price no matter the country you are coming from. Tourists from South Africa can get their trekking permits from the Uganda Wildlife Authority at a fee of $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 foreign residents and shs250,000 East African citizens. The permits are sold to people above the age of 15 years and on a first come first serve basis.

We usually advised clients from south Africa most especially those planning to visit Mgahinga national park or Bwindi impenetrable forest national park for mountain gorilla trekking to book their trekking permits at least 3-4 months before the final trekking activity to avoid disappointments reason being the permits are sold on a first come first serve basis at Uganda Wildlife Authority.

What is the most appropriate time Trek Mountain Gorillas In Uganda From South Africa?

Tourists in South Africa intending to visit Uganda for a mountain gorilla safari can do so at any time of the year but there are months that are better than the rest and these are the drier months. The drier months do happen in June to September and December to February and are characterized by little or no rainfall, the trekking trails in the park are dry, the vegetation is thin giving a clear view of the mountain gorillas and the roads to the park are passable.

Tourists in South Africa can also visit Uganda for mountain gorilla trekking in the rainy season so as to enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities. The rainy season in Uganda occurs in March to May and October to November and during these months, there is plenty of rainfall, the trekking trails in the park are muddy and slippery, the vegetation is thick giving unclear views of the park animals and the roads to the parks are impassable.

Accommodation on a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda from South Africa

Mgahinga national park accommodation – Mount Gahinga Safari Lodge, Nkuringo Safari Lodge, Amajambere I’wacu Camp, Lake Chahafi Resort, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Mountain Gahinga Rest Camp, Traveler’s Nest Hotel, Ikoro Hotel, and Mountain Gahinga Lodge among others.

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park accommodation – Gorilla Safari Lodge, Jungle View Lodge, Jungle View Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Safari Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Gorilla Heights Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Engagi Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Bakiga Lodge, Gorilla Heights Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Ruhija Safari Lodge, Bwindi View Lodge, and Volcanoes Safaris Bwindi Lodge among others.

Accessing Uganda to Trek Mountain Gorillas From South Africa

Travelers in South Africa can easily get to Uganda and trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga national park by taking flights to Entebbe international airport or Kigali international airport. After arriving in Uganda, South Africans can access the parks by either road transport or air transport.

By air transport, the tourists from south Africa can access Mgahinga national park or Bwindi impenetrable forest national park by taking flights to different airstrips. The flights start from Entebbe international airstrip or Kajjansi airstrip and head out to Kisoro airstrip for those visiting Mgahinga national park and the southern sectors of Bwindi while those visiting Buhoma and Ruhija sector will use Kihihi airstrip.

By road transport, tourists from South Africa to Uganda for mountain gorilla trekking can use Kampala/Entebbe – Masaka – Mbarara – Kabale or Kisoro and get to the parks. The journey from Kampala/Entebbe takes 8-9 hours of beautiful views of the scenery. Tourists from Kigali can access bwindi and Mgahinga national park using cyanika border in Kisoro and katuna border in kabale.