Guide to gorilla habituation experience in Uganda 2024; Gorilla habituation experience is one of the popular activities that attracts many tourists to visit Uganda and it involves visitors moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the mountain gorillas and once found spend four hours with them in their habitat. Gorilla habituation experience is a process where the wild mountain gorillas are trained to get used to human presence for trekking and its only done in rushaga sector southern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park. gorilla habituation experience takes a period of 2 to 3 years to be complete and it involves a team of researchers, gorilla doctors, park guides, park rangers among others.
Gorilla habituation experience
Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi impenetrable national park starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will start gorilla trekking in the jungle with a team of researchers, park rangers, park guides among others which takes a whole day. During trekking you will be able to spot different bird species, primates, plant and tree species among others and once the gorillas are located, you will be allowed to spend four hours with them in the natural environment which gives you an opportunity to learn and monitor their behaviours, watch them carry out their daily activities, engage in the naming process, take photos and record videos.
Best time to go for gorilla habituation experience
Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi impenetrable national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this period there is less rainfall in the park therefore access roads and trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes gorilla habituation easy compared to the rainy season when the trekking trails are muddy and slippery which make gorilla habituation difficult.
Cost of a gorilla habituation permit
A gorilla habituation permit in Bwindi impenetrable national park costs 1,500 USD per person for foreign non residents, 1,000 USD per person for foreign residents and 750,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
How to book a gorilla habituation permit?
A gorilla habituation permit in Bwindi impenetrable national park can be booked through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact our tour consultants with the date, month and year when you wish to visit the gorillas. After contacting us, we will check for permit availability through Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and if there are permits available, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. When we receive the money, we will be able to purchase the permit on your behalf and send you a scanned copy of the receipt as confirmation.
Gorilla habituation permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park should however be booked 3 to 6 months in advance before the trekking date because they are competitive and usually get sold out quickly especially during the peak season in the months of June to September and December to February therefore in order to avoid last minute disappointments, you are advised to book in advance.
Where to stay during your gorilla habituation experience
Bwindi impenetrable national park has a number of accommodation facilities ranging from budget, midrange and luxury where you can stay during your gorilla habituation safari including Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge, Bwindi Jungle Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Bweza Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Nshongi Camp, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Safari Lodge, Wagtail Eco Safari Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Gorilla Leisure Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge among others.
What to pack for gorilla habituation experience?
There are a number of items that you should pack for your gorilla habituation safari in Bwindi impenetrable national park including long sleeved shirt and trouser, waterproof rain jacket, hiking shoes, garden gloves, insect repellent, face masks, energy snacks and drinking water, walking stick, warm sweater, camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, back pack among others.
How to get to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in south western part of Uganda and can be accessed by air transport means where you will book scheduled or charter domestic flight with Aero link Uganda from Entebbe international airport to Kisoro airstrip and then connect to Rushaga sector by road transport means which takes about 1 to 2 hours’ drive.
Bwindi impenetrable national park can also be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala via masaka, Mbarara, Kabale and then to the park headquarters which takes about 9 to 10 hours’ drive in a safari vehicle.
You can as well access Bwindi impenetrable national park from Kigali Rwanda where you will fly to Kigali international airport and then cross to Bwindi impenetrable national park via Katuna border in Kabale or Cyanika border on Kisoro district which takes about 4 to 5 hours’ drive.
Gorilla habituation is an exceptional activity in Bwindi impenetrable national park that can be combined with wildlife viewing, boat cruise, sport fishing, horseback riding among others in Lake Mburo national park. For more information about gorilla habituation experience, you can reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website to book a combined safari package.
In summary, this article entails a guide to gorilla habituation experience in Uganda 2024
