There are close to ten places where you can trek gorillas in Africa but the most popular of these gorilla trekking locations are in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda and Rwanda have ranked the prime gorilla trekking destinations mainly because of security and accessibility issues.
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There are five most popular gorilla trekking places on the African continent; two are found in Uganda, two in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and One is found in Rwanda.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda
The Bwindi impenetrable national park is Uganda’s leading gorilla trekking destination bragging of four gorilla trekking locations in the same park. That is; the Buhoma sector, Rushaga sector, Nkuringo sector, and Ruhija sector.
Each of these four gorilla trekking locations has its unique topography which makes the gorilla trekking experience quite different from one sector to another. In instances where the topography does not differ a lot, the uniqueness of the gorilla families plays relatively a big role in enhancing the sector experience.
It is more fan to trek gorilla families with many juveniles because they are more active than the older gorillas.
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is very accessible regardless of the weather. However, it is important to note that on a rainy day, some roads might get poor given the fact that its park roads are not tarmacked.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda
It is not common for tour operators to recommend Mgahinga gorilla national park above Bwindi impenetrable forest national park partly because Mgahinga only offers one family option for gorilla trekking while Bwindi offers over 19 options in terms of gorilla families.
But regardless, Mgahinga is highly recommended because of its proximity to the Rwanda border, the magnificent views of Kisoro on your way to the park, and lastly the clear view for the gorillas. Mgahinga is mainly Bamboo making its gorillas more visible unlike in other locations where the rangers have to clear bushes for you to see gorillas.
With that said, these two gorilla trekking locations are in Uganda. Therefore before you make up your mind on where you are going to trek the gorillas, also consider the other places you wish to visit and make an informed decision based on your itinerary. In both places, you will see the gorillas, therefore apart from a few technical issues, you can trek gorillas in any of the two parks.
Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda
Volcanoes national park; Rwanda is the only gorilla trekking location in Rwanda. The same park has a Ugandan extension known as Mgahinga gorilla national park. Actually, sometimes gorillas cross from Rwanda to Uganda and vice versa. Of course, they do not need visas and passports to cross the borders, they are free to reside in any country they wish.
Without passports, Visas, and other travel documents, there are also laws that govern gorillas crossing from one country to another and that is sharing the money for trekking a migrant gorilla family between the two countries.
Rwanda has positioned itself as a luxurious gorilla trekking destination with the most expensive gorilla trekking permit in the whole world. Sometimes people are left wondering whether the trekking experience is worth the money. There are mixed responses; some say it is worth the money while others leave cursing.
In order to better understand the gorilla trekking experience is to understand that the cost of the gorilla trekking permit is prohibitive. It is well known that many people around the world would love to stand before the gorillas face to face. In order to avoid the issue of congestion common in Serengeti national park, the gorilla trekking permit price is always prohibitive to keep the tourist numbers at bay.
Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Virunga national park is among the cheapest yet most popular gorilla trekking destinations. Its conservation efforts have mainly been affected by the continuous civil wars in the Kivu province. But putting aside the civil wars, the gorilla trekking experience in Virunga national park is simply unique.
The park extends into Uganda to form the Mgahinga gorilla national park and also into Rwanda to form the Volcanoes national park. Unlike Volcanoes and Mghinga gorilla national parks that offer the option of visiting the gorillas all year long; in most instances, Virunga national park is often closed due to civil unrest.
Therefore before you make your decision to trek in Virunga national park due to its cheap gorilla trekking permits, always consider inquiring and confirming whether the park is open.
Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic Of Congo
Kahuzi-Biega national park is the only place in the whole world that still host the endangered Eastern lowland gorillas. Unlike the above four popular locations that specialize in mountain gorilla trekking, Kahuzi-Biega national park offers a unique subspecies of gorillas.
Given the civil unrest in Congo, tourism in Kahizu-Biega national park has still failed to pick up to the degree of the four other prime gorilla trekking locations in East Africa.
Where to Stay?
There are over one hundred accommodation options around or near the gorilla national parks. Where to stay will depend on where you are going to trek the gorillas. Some locations have more expensive accommodations than others.
Only book accommodation after securing gorilla trekking permits. In order to get permits in your desired location, always consider booking at least six months in advance
When to Go Gorilla Trekking in East Africa?
You can track gorillas at any time of year, although many trekkers prefer the dry season because the rainy season tends to make the trekking trails more difficult to navigate and Gorillas tend not to be active due to much coldness.
The dry season extends from December to February and June to July. The wet season is from September to November and March to May.
How to Get to Gorilla Destinations?
The easiest way to get to any of the listed five gorilla trekking destinations is by flight. But this might be way above most people’s budgets. Therefore if you prefer to travel by road, still some gorilla trekking destinations are more accessible than others. For instance, Bwindi and Mgahinga are close to 9 hour’s drive away from Entebbe international park.
In Rwanda, the gorilla trekking location is with in a two hours drive from the capital to the gorilla trekking destination.