Tracking gorillas in Uganda via Arusha
This voyage is possible through a flight from Arusha to either Kigali or Entebbe where you embark on another journey to mountain gorilla’s habitats. These are Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park in Uganda. In Rwanda the mountain gorillas are found in Volcanoes national park. This destination is close to the Kigali international airport. Therefore with all this accessibility it is easy to embark on a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda after a safari in Tanzania.
Alternative modes of transport from Arusha to Uganda
Usually after a safari in Tanzania and one has interest or has a booked safari in Uganda they travel by air from Kilimanjaro airport in Tanzania to Entebbe international airport in Uganda where they proceed by road to either Bwindi impenetrable national park or Mgahinga national park.
Alternatively; tourists on budget can travel to Uganda by bus via Nairobi, Kenya then to Kampala, Uganda using Tahmeed traveling services. This is a 12 hour journey. From the bus stop a guide will pick you and take you to either Mgahinga national park or Bwindi impenetrable national park to have the gorilla trekking experience.
Why this safari?
The gorilla trekking experience in Uganda is exceptional as it comes with bonuses like extra activities like bird watching, nature walks, boat rides. One has to acquire a gorilla permit before participating in the activity. Uganda is one of the only three countries with mountain gorillas in the whole world that provides an affordable safari therefore it is the best choice. The other reason is because Bwindi impenetrable has the highest chance and opportunity to present to you a wide range of gorilla families compared to the other destinations with mountain gorillas in East Africa.
How to get a permit?
This is through sending an email or contacting either Uganda Wildlife Authority or Rwanda Development Board. In Uganda a gorilla permit costs just $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents and 250,000Ugandan Shillings for East African nationals. The less inconveniencing way though is through contacting Wild Epic Safaris with the dates you desire to trek and you will be informed about the availability of the permits. Wild Epic Safaris will take care of the entire process from acquiring the permit to picking you from the airport on your day of arrival. You will not even have to worry about accommodation or transportation for Wild Epic Safaris will have you sorted.
Best time to trek in Bwindi?
Anytime of the year is good for gorilla trekking however the best time is the dry season which is during the months of June, July, August, September and December. This is because the tracks are dry making it easy to move through them.
Trekking parking list
Rain jacket
Long-sleeved clothes
A camera with extra batteries
A pair of binoculars
hiking boots
hat
garden gloves
Water
energy drinks
walking stick (available at the park offices
Other activities in park include;
Bird watching
Bwindi impenetrable has over 300 bird species that a birder can add to their checklist during the safari. Some of the birds include; Chapin’s Flycatcher, Dusky Twin Spot, short-tailed warbler, Western Green Tinkerbird, Kivu Ground-Thrush, Africa Green Broadbill, Black-breasted Barbet, Collared, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Africa wood owl, Handsome Francolin, strange weaver and many others.
A visit to the Batwa people
The Batwa are immigrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo and they live the Echuya Forest reserve. They migrated to Uganda after they were displaced from the land to use it for industrialization. The Batwa are hunters who have an amazing relationship with the forest. A visit to the Batwa is really an adventurous experience as you see how they hunt down small animals for food.
Tracking smaller primates
While in Bwindi one can also track other primates in the forest that are not gorillas like; blue monkeys, bush babies, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, colobus monkeys. Other animals in the forest include the African forest elephants, forest hogs, bats, leopards and many others.
Accommodation
The area around Bwindi presents a wide range of accommodation facilities right from luxurious to midrange to budget. With the help of a tour consultant from Wild Epic Safaris you will able to choose a facility that is suitable for you. Some of the facilities include; Mahogany springs, Rushaga gorilla camp, Nkuringo Bwindi gorilla lodge, Gorilla forest camp, and Volcanoes safari Bwindi lodge.
