Gorillas In Africa
Are you the one who wants to experience extreme wildness? Have you ever thought of finding a gorilla? After bonobos and chimpanzees, gorillas are the largest great apes and share the closest genetic features with humans. Gorillas are facing the threat of extinction, and only 900 mountain gorillas are left on earth. Luckily, the number of Gorillas is increasing due to conservation, the censuses show that there are more than 1,000 gorillas from 250 when conservation efforts began around 50 years ago. Trekking into their native forests is the only way to see these giant primates. While tracking down the best place for gorilla safari, your eyes will fall on Africa. Going deep into Africa’s rainforests will help you to fulfill your wild craving. This may be your one life chance of seeing them. Ecotourism is the only way which you can visit gorillas by ensuring their protection. The financial assistance provided to locals for safeguarding the gorillas comes from the revenue of these national parks. The real task is to find out which place in Africa you should choose. We are here to help you out. Here are the ten best places to see gorillas in Africa.
It is very important to note that one requires a gorilla permit before going for any gorilla activity and tour operator companies like Vibrant Holiday Safaris is licensed to providing these permits.
Gorillas in Africa are found in the countries listed below;
Uganda
Gorillas are comfortable in their natural environment only. In Uganda, you can encounter them in their natural habitat. There are two places in Uganda you can find gorillas:-
1. Bwindi forest national park
2. Mgahinga national park
Uganda has the half of the worlds remaining gorillas. The treks in Uganda are constructed to ensure the safety and health of gorillas. Gorillas in Bwindi prefer to live in lower terrain, while those in Mgahinga prefer to stay in high landscapes. With their high number, gorillas in Uganda are relatively wild than in Rwanda. In Uganda, you can participate in the Gorilla habituation experience. Uganda will offer you the best gorilla safari. For gorilla trekking in Uganda, you can choose anytime; visitors usually prefer two dry seasons: January to February and June to September. Even in Uganda, the time taken for a gorilla trek is same as Rwanda that is 5 hours. And this depends on various factors like weather, the fitness capabilities of the visitors, and the distance to the gorilla families.
Where you can see the Gorilla – Bwindi forest national park and Mgahinga national park are the two places you can have the best gorilla safari in Uganda.
How to reach the location – Entebbe International Airport is the nearest airport to both locations.
Gorilla permit in Uganda – Both Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park charge USD 700 for foreign non-residents, USD 600 for international residents, and UGX 250,000 for East African nationals for a gorilla trekking permit.
Accommodations nearby: There are several game lodge options near these parks. Some of them are Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Mount Gahinga Lodge, and Community Campground.
Type of Gorilla – The mountain gorilla – The only gorilla species present in Uganda is the mountain gorilla, which faces the most threat of extinction. On the slopes of the Virunga Mountains in Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi National Park, you can see the world’s half of the mountain gorilla population.
Number of gorillas – There are 14 habituated gorilla families and around 320 gorillas in Uganda.
Rwanda
Land of a Thousand Hills, Rwanda, is the best place in Africa to see gorillas and for getting the best mountain gorilla safari. You will be able to find gorillas in the mountains of Rwanda especially volcanoes national park. It is situated in the northwest direction of Rwanda and covers 160 square kilometers, which consists of 8 volcanoes and several rain forests. The treks provided by Rwanda are customizable with the length and difficulty level. The best time to visit gorillas in Rwanda is during the dry seasons, from June to September. The time taking for gorillas seeing in Rwanda is 5 hours. And this depends on various factors like weather, the fitness capabilities of the visitors, and the distance to the gorilla families.
Where you can see gorillas – In Rwanda you can see gorillas in Volcanoes national park.
How to reach the location – There are two ways to reach the Virunga mountains. One is from Congo, using Goma airport. This will take an hour’s drive. Otherwise, visitors can fly into Kigali airport of Rwanda and cross the Goma border by driving through Gisenyi town.
Gorilla permit in Rwanda – Gorilla permit price in Rwanda is 1500 dollars, this is the fixed price for whole year. A gorilla permit also includes admission to the national park, the ranger guides who will be with you, an hour-long gorilla adventure, taxes, and a certificate for gorilla trekking.
Accommodations nearby: There are many accommodation options nearby Virunga Mountains. Some include Fravan eco resort by apogee, Virunga homestays, and wilderness bite.
Type of Gorilla – In Rwanda, you will be able to see mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are a subspecies of the eastern gorillas. These gorillas differ from western and eastern lowland gorillas that they have long hair and shorter limbs, in addition to having muscular arms, a large chest, and broad hands and feet.
Number of gorillas – There are 12 gorilla families that is more than 600 species is present in Rwanda.
The Democratic Republic Of Congo
The democratic republic of congo has both mountain and lowland gorillas. Congo is a good place to see mountain gorillas. Because of its long civil war and internal conflicts, most people didn’t prefer the DRC for a gorilla safari. There are four different habitual groups of gorillas in DRC. You can also access the Virunga mountains from here. The virungas or volcanoes are the rainforests covered across the borders of Rwanda, Uganda, and the democratic republic of congo. In this area, you will find several mountain gorillas. The best time for congo is the dry season, from June to September or December to February. DRC also have the same trekking time as Uganda and Rwanda that is upto 5 hours and this depends on various factors like weather, the fitness capabilities of the visitors, and the distance to the gorilla families.
Where you can see the Gorilla – Kahuzi Beiga National Park in DRC will be the best place in Congo to see different types of gorillas.
How to reach the location – The most convenient way to get to Kahuzi Beiga National Park is taking a flight to Kigali Airport and driving 7 hours through Nyungwe Forest national park.
Gorilla permit in DRC – Gorilla permit in Congo is starting from 400 dollars. Anyone who is 15 years or older can get a gorilla trekking permit. This legal permit allows you to spend an hour with a gorilla group. With this, you can also do mountain trekking to see gorillas in any national park.
Accommodations nearby: Various accommodation options like luxury, budget, etc. Some possibilities are Coco Lodge Bukavu, Hotel Begonais Bukavu, Panorama hotel, etc. are available.
Type of Gorilla – Western lowland, Eastern lowland, and Mountain gorillas – Only in DRC you can find Grauer’s or eastern lowland gorillas. Kahuzi-Biega National Park is home to about 250 Grauer’s gorillas, is the perfect place to see them.You can also see western lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas in DRC.
Number of gorillas – There are 4 habitual groups around 300 gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Those are the countries in Africa where one would go for gorilla activities.
Gorillas In Africa