Gorilla trekking in Uganda is an unforgettable and unique experience. The gorilla trekking experience cannot get any better than trekking gorillas in a country that is home to more than half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Encountering these majestic creatures in their natural habitat is an incredible opportunity.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!However, that is not where all this starts. To Understand what it is like to gorilla trek in Uganda, we have to break down the whole gorilla trekking experience in a nutshell.
Transfer To Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park
Your gorilla trekking experience will be relatively affected by your time of arrival in Uganda. The arrival time will determine whether you will have to encounter some sort of traffic jam at your Kampala exit. Traffic is often thick in the evening and in the morning. Therefore those who exit Entebbe in the mid-morning often have a better travel experience.
Once you exit Kampala, the rest of the road will be open. But it will be a full-day transfer. Many people break it in half by making a stop in Lake Mburo which also enhances their gorilla trekking experience altogether.
Many people tend to complain about the long transfer but if you prepare for it beforehand by making stops at other parks, you will likely have a better experience. This transfer plays a very big role in your gorilla trekking experience. Some people find themselves fatigued due to the full-day transfer while others have better-planned itineraries that enhance the whole experience altogether.
Flying to Kisoro or Kihihi is also a good option to reduce the transfer time which in return also enhances your gorilla trekking experience. However, this denies you the opportunity of seeing what most of western Uganda is like.
Gorilla Trekking Accommodation
Your accommodation plays quite a huge role in the total gorilla trekking experience. Though it is very tempting to simply think of comfort, the most important thing that often enhances the gorilla trekking experience is the fact whether you prefer to interact with the community or simply visit the gorillas.
Many people tend to better experience gorilla trekking if they spend a night at a lodge that is a walkable distance from the starting point. Some people prefer to spend a night at a lodge that grants them an opportunity to go through a village and interact with the community. This is all part of the gorilla trekking experience.
Encountering the Gorillas
Encountering the gorillas is often what most people refer to as the gorilla trekking experience but this is simply a portion of the whole gorilla trekking experience. Your gorilla trekking experience will be affected if you have to get a proper meal the day before trekking. Or if you do not pack food to eat during your trek. There are a number of things that affect your gorilla trekking experience.
This portion of the gorilla trekking experience typically starts early in the morning, with a briefing from the park rangers on the gorilla trekking rules and regulations. You will then be allocated a gorilla family to visit and a guide who will lead you through the forest to find them. Sometimes there are also traditional dances before the trek. After the briefing and verification of permits and identity documents, your journey through the thick forest starts.
The main aim of the journey is to encounter the gorillas. So less information will be given to you regarding the forest. Do not expect to see a lot of other animals other than the gorillas. Though it is possible to see other animals during your trek, it is not very common because other animals will often identify you as a danger, so they will try as much as possible to keep away from you.
The trek can take anywhere from 1 to 6 hours depending on the location of the gorilla family and the difficulty of the terrain. You will be hiking through thick vegetation, steep slopes, and sometimes muddy paths, so it is important to be physically fit.
Once you locate the gorilla family, you will spend up to one hour observing and taking photographs of the gorillas. During this time, you will have the chance to see the gorillas interact with each other, feed, and possibly even witness their playful behavior.
At the end of your one hour, you will transfer back to the park offices where you will be awarded gorilla trekking conservation certificates. It is at this point that you can review your gorilla safari experience since everything that happens after this point will likely not be attributed to the gorilla trekking experience.
It is important to note that gorilla trekking in Uganda is a conservation effort and the number of visitors allowed to see each gorilla family is limited in order to reduce the stress on the animals and their habitat. Therefore, it is advisable to book your trekking permit well in advance.
Overall, gorilla trekking in Uganda is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that offers a rare opportunity to observe these gentle giants in their natural habitat.