Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Gorilla Trekking Tour
Did you know that gorilla Trekking in Bwindi National Park is the most popular tourism activity in Uganda. The activity takes you for a special encounter with Mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas can be found in four national parks – the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in DR Congo, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Park. Uganda hosts half of the remaining population of mountain gorillas. Uganda is also the only country where mountain gorillas can be found in two different national parks.
Located in Southwestern Uganda, Bwindi impenetrable forest National Park is the best place to see mountain gorillas. The park is called impenetrable because of the thick tree canopies found in the park that prevent sunlight from penetrating to the ground. There are 17 habituated gorilla groups in Bwindi which is the highest anywhere.
It is important to note that Bwindi impenetrable national Park is divided into four main sectors – Rushaga, Nkuringo, Buhoma and Ruhija. Rushaga and Buhoma have more gorilla families than other sectors. They are also more popular for gorilla tracking. Visitors who are interested in a gorilla habituation experience can do it from Rushaga. There is currently only one gorilla group under habituation. Whereas a gorilla trekking permit costs $700, the gorilla habituation permit costs $ 1500. Only four permits are issued for the gorilla habituation experience each day but over 170 gorilla permits are available daily for normal trekking.
Gorilla watching in Bwindi is done throughout the year but the dry/peak season is the best time to visit gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Park. The peak season falls in the dry months of December to February and June to August. The wet season is in March to May and October to November. Tracking gorillas during the rainy season is more challenging because of the overgrown vegetation and muddy trails. However, visitors shouldn’t be discouraged from booking tour during the rainy season. The rainy /low season attracts discounts for gorilla permits. There are also less crowds in the park hence allowing visitors more valuable time with the gorillas. It is important to note that Bwindi is a rain forest. One should expect rain at any time regardless of season.
However, Bwindi impenetrable forest park is not just about the gorillas. Visitors can also visit the Batwa pygmy community, take forest walks, spot birds and view other primates like monkeys. Bwindi is one of the few national parks in the world where mountain gorillas and monkeys live together. These may be sighted while tracking the gorillas.
Vibrant Holiday Safaris has different packages carefully designed to get you a perfect gorilla trekking tour in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.