The best budget gorilla trekking safaris at unbeatable prices

Gorilla tracking refers to as tourism activity carried out in the national parks of Bwindi forest national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park both in Uganda, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and virunga national park in Congo. Gorilla tracking encompasses hiking in the jungles though the thick woods in search for the mountain gorillas and endangered species. The go gorilla trekking safari is carried out under the guidance of the game rangers who are trained and are well acquainted with the tactics of getting along with the gorillas, the activity kicks off in morning and it can take from 30 minutes to 8 hours to find the gorillas. Gorilla walking safaris are carried after prior booking with travel agencies, such as Uganda budget safaris/ affordable Uganda safari, who ensure that the tracking prerequisite such as the gorilla permits and accommodation are booked.

What should I pack when heading for gorilla trekking?

One ought to have an ample preparation before, engaging in gorilla trekking, we recommend having trousers, long sleeved shirts, long pair of socks stocking the trousers in, hiking boots, a hat, insect repellents and drinking water or an energy giving foods to boost you one during the hike since, gorilla trekking involves strenuous hikes.

What is the gorilla trekking age limit?

Gorilla trekking in both Uganda and Rwanda has got age limits which is 15 years, the same applies to golden money trekking in Uganda But golden monkey trekking age limit in Rwanda is 10 year and above, endeavor to make sure all the participants are above the ages of 15 years to make sure incidents clients being refused from are tracking. Other primate trekking such as chimpanzee trekking age limit is 12 years and above.

What does gorilla habituation entail?

Alongside budget gorilla trekking, for travelers who want to spend more time with gorilla, it takes place at bwindi forest national park at Rushaga sector. The habituation experience gives trekkers 4 hours with the gorillas, the gorilla habituation experience cost 1500usds at bwindi forest national park. For a successful gorilla habitation one still has to make prior reservations. As Uganda budget safaris we make sure the entire gorilla experience in Uganda and Rwanda are made smooth.

Help me get to know bwindi forest national park.

Bwindi forest national park is located in south western part of Uganda; it spans 3 districts of Kabale, Kisoro and Kanungu District. The national park contains three tracking places to mention Buhoma ( North) in the district of Kanungu, Ruhija (Ruhija) in Kabale district , Rushaga and Nkuringo (south) in Kisoro district. Gorilla habituation experience only takes place in Rushaga. I case one intends to do gorilla trekking/ Uganda budget gorilla trekking, he or she has to put into consideration which area to track from hence obtaining the gorilla trekking permits for the specific area as well as the accommodation or lodge in the specific area.

What is the appropriate time to book gorilla permits?

Firstly knowing that all gorilla permits cost the same price in Uganda irrespective of the type of safari i.e. budget gorilla trekking safari, luxury gorilla trekking safari or even mid- range gorilla trekking. Its recommended for one to book gorilla permits 3 or more months earlier before tracking, this because permits could easily run out especially during high season when the demands are high.

What does a gorilla trekking permits entail?

A gorilla permits is special pass in form of electronic card obtained from Uganda wildlife Authority, that solely grants one access to the tracking exercise, it give one a maximum of 1 hour to stay with the gorillas while studying them, taking photos and interacting with them.

How long does gorilla trekking in Uganda take?

Gorilla tracking can take from 30 minute to 7 hours, one has to be prepared to take both the time frame, it entails searching for gorillas / or tracking gorillas where they have previously spent a night to where they will be at the particular moment. Uganda gorilla tracking or Rwanda gorilla tracking partially depends on the gorilla family you have been assigned, some gorilla families are always on the move thereby leading to more time of tracking to find them while other gorilla families are stationed in one place thereby taking short time to find them.

How many people are allowed to trek a gorilla family?

In gorilla tracking, a maximum of 8 people per day are allowed to track each gorilla family, this is applicable in bwindi forest national park in Uganda, Mgahinga national park in Uganda and volcanoes Rwanda national park. On scenarios where more than 8 people are allowed to track is the park management has to give an account. For gorilla habitation experience it takes a maximum of 4 people per day.

What chances do I have for seeing gorillas?

This is the prime frequently asked questions, many people are more inquisitive on knowing what chances are have for seeing the mountain gorillas when they are out on a gorilla tracking safari. We have to affirm that the chances of viewing the gorillas stand at 98% over whelming and out weighing the chances of not seeing the mountain gorillas. The fact stands the gorilla trekking safari /gorilla tracking exercise in bwind forest national park, Mgaghinga national park and volcanoes Rwanda park is conducted I away that a group of ranger move earlier to the where the gorillas slept earlier to ascertain where they are actually situate and then they communicate with the team at the tracking point telling them where the gorillas can be possibly found. Then the team at the gorilla tracking point will move into the jungles following the clues being communicated to them till they arrive at the gorillas there by finding them.

When is the best time to trek gorillas?

Whoever has intentions of getting self in a gorilla safari in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo, want to have the best of the activity and the first question that rings I their mind is ascertaining the most convenient time to do gorilla tracking. Gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda can be tracked throughout the year making it flexible, but the dry months of June, July, August, September, December, January and early February more Favorable and preferred for gorilla trekking. But also given the fact that bwindi forest national park is a rain forest, it is not guaranteed that it will not rain entirely during the dry months therefore one ought to prepare for the sudden rains during the dry rains. The same rain cycle and applies to volcanoes Rwanda national park.

How much is gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo?

Gorilla trekking permits In Uganda cost 700 usds for foreigners, 600 usds for foreign residents and 250,000 ugx for east African citizens. Gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda cost 1500usds and the low season gorilla trekking permits cost 1050usds in Rwanda. In Congo the gorilla permits cost 450usds.

Is it possible to trek Uganda gorillas via Kigali?

Given the fact that bwindi forest national park is situated near Rwanda, is very possible to track Uganda gorillas from Kigali, one has to fly to Kigali international airport, depending on the time they arrive. If the arrival is to Kigali is early, one can transfer to bwindi and if you arrive late you can opt for accommodation in Kigali then transfer the following day optionally after doing Kigali city tour.

Important information about booking a budget safari in Uganda

It might seem convenient and easier to book you safari from an international tour operator, but is much cheaper if you book your safari from a local tour consultant or operator. The local tour operator will not hike up your safari charges, this is because the tourism businesses in Uganda are interconnected and also the local tour operators get fast hand information about accommodation, national parks and others. Plus, the tour operator will help you connect to a group of other tourists; a group is less charged than an individual visitor. Most important thing about booking from the local tour operator is, you directly support the local economy, which in turn comes back to you. If at all you are planning a best budget safari to Uganda, you need to put all you interests in one national park; this will help you not to pay a lot of dollars on park entry. However, this requires you to choose wisely the game reserve to book for; look for the national park that can make your wishes fulfilled and all your interests in a Ugandan safari fulfilled.

To note; you can get the information about different national parks from the tour consultant or form the different Uganda websites. Planning to visit more than one national park, might change your budget safari due to increases park fees of national parks in Uganda. You might have an ideology that if you get involved in all the activities with in the national park, is the best safari experience, but if at all you want to plan a good budget safari, you will need to choose, from a list of activities, the activities that perhaps take the core position in your interests in a safari experience. This doesn’t mean that you can enjoy, for some activities are done hand in hand, for example, you can enjoy the bird watching during the boat ride to the bottom of the falls in Murchison falls national park, so you can cut out the charge for birding if you add a boat ride to your itinerary, thus, staying within the budget for your safari.

An African safari should be a must do, at least once in a long time, for everyone who loves adventurous itineraries. The safari into the African wilderness provides an opportunity to relax and also try out the new environment away from the daily routine and work stress. It also offers a golden chance to see extremely unique flora and fauna in Africa, like the tree climbing lions, chimpanzees, giraffes, mountain gorillas in bwindi impenetrable national park, and a lot more animals in their natural habitats, and thick natural forests with the oldest tree species like budongo forest and maramagambo forest among others in Uganda.

Uganda National Parks

Despite the size of Uganda, the interaction of nature in the national parks makes it unique in an extra ordinary way. No matter how hard it has been, Uganda still stands out and stretches to greater heights in the tourism industry of the whole world. The features of Uganda and the natural endowment in the national parks, also in other protected areas, perfectly narrates the factual story, which justifies the reason why Winston church hill had no other choice, but to appreciate Uganda to the extent of calling it the “pearl of Africa” Though no so famous among the travellers to Africa, the travellers that have had a chance to visit Uganda can tell a positive story about the harmonious interaction of nature. Uganda has about ten known national parks, each with unique features that makes It hold a position on the tourism list in Uganda. A Uganda safari is all you need to have the whole African wild experience in on piece.

Queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park stands on top as the most visited national park in uganda. Queen Elizabeth national park is located in kasese district southwest of kampala capital city. It is a three to four hours’ drive over a distance of about 370km from kampala to queen Elizabeth national park. The natural endowment in Queen Elizabeth national park is the main reason as to why is stands as the best tourist destination for the visitors that com to uganda. Queen Elizabeth is gifted with a unique selection of wildlife; it has over 90 species of mammals, 600 bird species some of which are unique and endangered, and 10 species of primates found in kyambura gorge and maramagambo forest.

Activities

• • Game drive is the core activity for most visitors to queen Elizabeth national park. the game drive to queen Elizabeth national park are unique and are the reason as to why the national park receives the most tourist annually. The game drives include seeing the tree climbing lions in ishasha sector of queen Elizabeth national park; the tree climbing lions make the highlight of any queen elizabeth national park safari.
• • The boat cruise at kazinga channel follows as the second recommended activity in queen Elizabeth national park. the boat cruise is a chance to see all the game in queen Elizabeth national park along the showers of kazinga channel and lake George. Most visitors have regarded the kazinga boat cruies as magical because it allows you to see almost all the bird species and other animals along the shores kazinga channel.
• • Experiential tourism is yet another activity in queen Elizabeth national park that supplements its uniqueness. Experiential tourism is sometimes called research tourism. It involves real research activities like counting animals and learning about their behaviors closely while recording the varied findings. Queen Elizabeth national park offers three types of experiential tourism; lion tracking, hippo census and mongoose tracking. These activities are conducted by a few visitors and professional researchers from the uganda wildlife authority (UWA).
• • Chimpanzee trekking is interesting in kyambura gorge, also known as the valley of comedy by some authors. Kyambura gorge has one habituated chimpanzee family which you get an hour of interactiona with during the chimpanzee trekking activity in Queen Elizabeth national park.
• • Other activities include; birding in maramagambo forest, plantation tourism, community walks, scenic viewing, crater hikes, visiting katwe salt works among others.

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison falls national park is the largest protected area in uganda and contributes a lot to the existence of the Murchison falls conservation area. Murchison falls national park is locates in pakwach district north east of kampala capital city. Murchison falls national park is famous because of the falls on the victoria Nile formed with the action of the large water masses squeezing through the narrow gorge, and falling down over a high cliff of about 45 meters to the bottom of the falls, where it continues to flow gently eastwards to the albert delta, and finally, it joins with lake albert.

Activities

• • Hiking to the top of the falls is the highlight of safaris in Murchison falls national park. the top of the falls can be reached by a car, however, the hike to the top of the falls starts from the bottom of the falls. For this matter, the boat cruose to the bottom of the falls is combined together with the hike to the top of the falls through the Winston churchill trail.
• • Bird watching is done along the shore line of the Victoria Nile during the boat cruise to the Albert delta. The boat ride to the albert delta is a chance for you to see the “sought for” prehistoric shoe bill stork and other birds like; horn bill puveli illidopsis, the yellow footed king fisher among others.
• • Game drives in Murchison falls national park are conducted in the south, paraa, side of the park. the game drive offers you an opportunity to see the rothschilds giraffes, lions in the savannah plains along buligi truck, buffaloes, elephants, kobs and hippos among other animals.
• • Chimpanzee trekking is another activity you can do during your Murchison falls national park safari in uganda. Chimpanzee trekking is done in budongo and kaniyo pabidi eco site. Kaniyo pabidi eco site is managed by the jane goodall institute of research; will help you get all the information you want about chimpanzees before diving into the forest for your trekking.
• • Other activities include; hot air ballon, sport fishing, nature walks in kaniyo pabidi forest, plus white rhino trekking. However, rhino trekking is not done inside Murchison falls national park but in ziwa rhino sanctuary an en- route to Murchison falls national park located nakasongola district near nakitomi village. Ziwa rhino sanctuary is s private managed project, however, safaris to Murchison falls national park are the possible way to see the few white rhinos in uganda.

Kibale National Park

Kibale national park is famous for the various primates it harbors, but most especially, the endangered chimpanzees. Kibale national park is referred to as the primate village of Uganda and others call it the world’s primate capital. Kibale national park is located in south western Uganda, it is a tropical rain forest and it harbors over 1400 chimpanzees; it is always the best option for chimpanzee trekking activities and habituation.

Activities

• • Chimpanzee trekking is the famous activity in kibale national park, in fact, it is the mainly or core activity in kibale national park. The tall trees in the forest ease the adoptability of the chimpanzees, and other primates, to the environment of kibale national park. The chimpanzee trekking activity in kibale national park gives you an opportunity to see other primates like the black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys and the red tailed monkeys among the rest.
• • Birding is also awesome in kibale national park has over 370 recorded bird species, and perhaps it is the reason why visitors call it the birders paradise. Along the chimpanzee trekking trails you can spot a number of forest bird like the weever birds are common in the forest. During the birding activity in kibale national park, you see a lot of bird species including the sought after African pitta, plus other birds like the blue headed bee - eater, nahan’s fracolin, the masked apalis and the cassins spine tail. When you visit the national park in November to January, you stand a chance to see the migratory birds.
• • Nature walks in kibale national park will give you a chance to spot the unique features of the forest, which not all visitors get to see. The nature walks in kibale national park are done at night. The tourists and the guide use powerful large flashlights while walking in the forest. The night hiking in kibale national park gives you a chance to see nocturnal animals like the bush babies, potto, nightjar, civet

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Bwindi impenetrable national park is famous in Africa and the whole world because it harbors half of the world’s mountain gorilla population. Bwindi impenetrable national park has over seven habituated families of chimpanzees that tourists visit. However, mountain gorillas are not the only ones in Bwindi impenetrable national Park; you can also see the other primates like monkeys along the trails.

Activities

• • Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park is the highlight of any African safari so it is the main activity in the national park. The gorilla trekking permits are competitive in Uganda and it is better to book your permit in advance at least four months prior your safari. However, when you book with the tour company is the best idea to book your gorilla trekking safari in bwindi impenetrable forest.

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake mburo national park is located in western uganda along masaka mbarara road. Lake mburo national park is so depopulated because of severe poaching and clearing the land for farm land leading to migration of the animals. Lake mburo national park is called the park at a glance by a number of visitors.

Activities

• • Birding in Lake Mburo national park is a home of about 350 bird species including, batelear, coqui fracolin, grey crowned crane among others. Birding is done on foot in Lake Mburo national park; it is the only national park where you can do a nature walk freely in all the national park with no strict rules.
• • The launch trips on Lake Mburo expose you to spectacular view of the undulating land scape and animal along the shoreline of the lake. A lot of animals gather around the water bodies in lake mburo national park during the dry season; the launch trip your chance to see the national park at a glance.
• • Sport fishing is yet another activity done in Lake Mburo national park. Lake mburo national park has over 13 small lakes with in the lake and they are good spots for sport fishing in the national park.
• • Game drives are your chance to see a number of animals in the antelope family playing in the national park. Lake mburo national park is not so large but is has unique wildlife collection; zebras, eland, buffaloes, oribi, deffassa, waterbucks, leopard, hippo, hyena, topi, and reedbucks among others.

Kidepo National Park

Kidepo valley national park is bigger than bwindi and semliki national park, it is located in the north eastern region of uganda. The inselbergs in kidepo valley national park rise up and stand out in the open savvannh of the national park, giving it a spectacular scenic view.

Activities

• • Game viewing is spectacular in kidepo national park with over 80 mamal species, 28 of which are special to only kidepo valley national park, for example, the bat-eared fox, aardwolf, caracl, cheetah and the hanting dogs. You can also spot lions, leopards and hyenas I kidepo national park.
• • Hiking is so interesting in kidepo valley national park, it is done on lamoi mountain,a long kidepo river, borassus palm forest and kanangoroko hot springs spice up the hike to superb.
• • Birding is also availbe in kidepo valley national park. kidepo national park has over 58 species of birds such as the verreaux eagle, pygymy falco, Egyptian vulture among others.
• • Other activities include cultural encountersand performance such as the emuga dance at naporere and lakaraka dance. Kidepo nvalley national park is also ideal for outdoor camping.

Mountain Elgon National Park

It is located on the border of uganda and Kenya found in the eastern region of uganda. Mountain elgon national park has a caldera on the summit of the mountain which covers over 40km. the highest peak of mountain elgon, waggagai, is 4321m above the sea level and is the second tallest peak after margharita of rwenzori mountain.

Activities

• • Hiking and nature walks are the most famous activities that give visitors a chance to learn about the mountain vegetation and the way it succeeds on another with an increase in altitude.
• • Birding is another activity done in mountain elgon national park. it gives you a chance to spot the sought after and endangered lammergeier. You will also get a chance to spot other bird species like the vultures, Jackson’s francolin’s, white starred forest robin among others.

Semliki National Park

Semliki national park is found in western uganda in bundibugyo district in a considerable distance from queen elizabth national park. semliki national park was before a forest reserve in 1932, however it was upgraded and it was turned into a national park in 1993. Semliki national park holds a position on among the small sized national parks with about 300sq.km.

Activities

• • Birding is the major activity in semliki national park, despite of its small size. Semliki national park has over 400 bird species some of which are restricted to only this area such as the ejacis guiness and the isolana congolana.
• • Nature walk through the mineral enriched swamp to the hot springs is a walk to remember. You can tell the location of the hot springs even before you reach them by detecting the rise in the temperature as you get close to the hot springs.

Mgahinga National Park

Mgahinga National Park is found in the border that joins three countries; uganda, Rwanda, and the democratic republic of congo. It is among the smallest national parks in uganda covering an area of 33sq.km. is is also famus for gorilla trekking and it only has one family of mountain gorillas with two silver backs, an adult female two juveniles and about 3 infants. However, this gorilla family is so mobile and makes trekking it so hard.

Rwenzori National Park

Rwenzori national park is located in the south western uganda on the rwenzori mountain ranges, the national park is a good option for hiking and mountain climbing. It covers an area of 996sq.km, which is a reasonable size. The tourists that visit rwenzori national park love climbing up to the highest peak called margharita peak. Birding is one of the famous park activities in rwenzori national park; the park is blessed with over 200 bird species plus 70 mammal species including bats and primates such as the golden monkeys and the colobus monkeys of different types among others