Is Uganda or Rwanda better for gorilla trekking?
Is Uganda or Rwanda better for gorilla trekking? Choosing between Rwanda and Uganda for your gorilla trekking expedition depends on your travel style, budget, and preferences, as each destination offers an extraordinary mountain gorilla viewing experience. For an affordable and broader wildlife safari, Uganda is preferable. Rwanda too is better if your aim is having a luxurious stay, easier trekking, and maximizing gorilla viewing. Deeper into the particulars of the different homes of the endangered species in each country will help you decide which destination suits your preference.
Where to find Mountain Gorillas.
The world’s remaining mountain gorilla species are found in the mountainous forests of Southwestern Uganda, Northwestern Rwanda, and Eastern DRC. Majorly, gorilla tracking is done in Uganda and Rwanda. Trekking in DRC is rare due to political instability and insecurity. If you wish to see mountain gorillas, visit the Volcanoes National Park in Uganda to find them in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park, and DRC visit Virunga National Park. However, this article emphasizes gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda.
Mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and Mgahinga National Park are part of the same ecosystem as they both lie in the Virunga ranges that are shared by Uganda, Rwanda and DRC. In this scenario, the gorillas have fenceless boundaries and can move to either country, so whichever country you opt for your adventure, the experience is equally the same.
Gorilla tracking in Uganda Vs Rwanda.
When it comes to comparing gorilla tracking activities in both Rwanda and Uganda, you will come to learn that there’s almost no big difference. This is backed by the following views.
Accessibility to the park.
Both Uganda and Rwanda are land-locked countries that always face transportation problems. Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda is in proximity to Kigali International Airport. When you choose to use air transport, it only takes you 30 minutes to reach the park. By road transport it is only a two and a half hour drive from Kigali city. Both means are cheaper but not so adventurous, especially for nature lovers. For those on a brief holiday, you can do a one-day trekking safari to the Volcanoes from Kigali then return after the trekking.
However, when traveling from Entebbe International Airport to either Bwindi or Mgahinga National Parks, you will have to take 1:30 hours to reach the Kihihi airstrip. From there you will have to use the road to access the park. When using road transport, the journey is over 501 km and takes 9-10 hours. It’s too long but too scenic and adventurous because when you use Kampala-Mubende – Kasese road through Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will get a chance to see the miraculous tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector. Since the roads connecting Kampala to Bwindi and Mgahinga are not smooth, travelers are advised to travel with driver guides who know the regions.
Cost of gorilla trekking permit
The price of a gorilla permit is another factor that brings a difference and comparison as to which place one should go for the gorilla trekking excursion. The cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda is $1500 and in Uganda it is $800. In this situation, one should opt for trekking in Uganda to save almost half of the Rwanda price. Both charges give a chance to spend one hour of encounter with the gentle giant apes in their natural habitat, Bwindi National Park, Mgahinga National Park and Volcanoes National Park respectively.
Bwindi offers the gorilla habituation experience at $1500 and is only carried out in the Rushaga sector. This experience provides a 4 hours interaction with the human cousins thus making it worth the cost.
Ease to obtain gorilla permit
Trekking to a particular gorilla family in both Uganda and Rwanda is done once a day and a permit is valid for a single trek on a particular day. Trekking is only done with habituated gorilla families that are already used to human interaction.
Some specific rules and regulations that must be followed for trekking in both countries and governing bodies in both countries have the mandate to issue all permits to the park daily.
Booking permits in both countries is easy but when it comes to last-minute permits, it may not be easy to obtain them in Rwanda yet in Uganda’s Bwindi National Park, there may be chances of obtaining one.
Which country offers the easiest trek?
Uganda and Rwanda offer great opportunities for a gorilla trekking adventure, but your trekking destination depends on your interests and budget. In Rwanda, the terrain of the gorilla park is open and less surrounded by jungle vegetation. It is mainly covered with bamboo trees that do not make a thick undergrowth. Such vegetation provides clear views of these magnificent creatures. Difficult comes when the family to be trekked resides in high altitudinal areas. Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park reside on the slopes of Mount Karisimbi and Bisoke, thus a problem for some young and elderly hikers.
Uganda has an underdeveloped road infrastructure which makes gorilla trekking more challenging. Bwindi National Park is found in a tropical rainforest that receives rainfall throughout the year, even in the dry season rain falls unexpectedly. Such conditions make the tracking trails slippery which calls for the need for the best tracking gear. Gorilla families in Bwindi always move in vast territory as the park has a wider coverage thus making the trekking hours longer and tracking time varies from day to day, from two to six or seven hours.
The vegetation cover in Bwindi Forest National Park is thick, making Impenetrable for trekkers but the activity remains a success as park guides move with machetes to clear vegetation to make a clear path for the trekkers. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park is done along the steep slopes of Mount Gahinga but still, the activity yields success. Slopes are steep and there are fewer trails, so gorilla trekking in Uganda requires determination and a great love for adventure.
However, in both countries, all trekkers are provided with walking sticks to help support them as they trek. The weak and elderly are given a chance to request to be allocated to families that live close to the park headquarters. The elderly are also advised to hire sedan chairs where they can be carried to and from the gorilla family. Porters are always available for hire at the park headquarters.
Time allowed for tracking
The chances of seeing the gorillas in the gorilla parks, Volcanoes, Bwindi and Mgahinga are equally estimable at 98%, and the time trekkers are allowed to stay and interact with the great apes(gorillas) is one hour. The difference in timing comes when one opts for the gorilla habituation excursion in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has the gigantic activity of gorilla habituation where a tourist is allowed to spend 4 hours with the mountain gorillas. The gorilla habituation permit costs $1500 which is equal to the gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda.
The best time to visit the gorilla parks
Gorilla tracking is an activity that can be carried out at any time of the year depending on one’s budget and preferences. Countries with habitats for mountain gorillas experience two seasons of the year though it’s not easy to predict the beginning and end of the dry and the wet seasons. In Uganda and Rwanda, the dry season is always from December to February and from June to September. Many tourists always take advantage of this weather condition to visit the gorilla parks as the trekking trails are always dry and passable. During this time, the jungles are a bit cleared with little undergrowth and the gorillas can be seen easily and photography can be done to the best. However, hikes take longer as the gorillas move deeper into the jungles to look for food. The rainy seasons in April, May, and November are also favorable for trekkers with tight budgets. The tracking trails are always muddy and slippery, but hikes tend to be shorter, and the gorillas are easily spotted as they don’t move long distances to look for food in the deeper jungles. Transport and accommodation costs are a bit lower in the wet season, thus an advantage to travellers. When you visit the gorilla national parks, expect rain to fall at any time of the day regardless of the season because the forest parks lie in the tropical rainforest zones. Be prepared with the necessary trekking equipment for a memorable safari.
Cultural experience on a gorilla tour
While on a gorilla trekking safari to Bwindi National Park, don’t miss out on an amazing encounter with the Batwa Community. The Batwa are short people (pygmies) who lived in Bwindi Forest before it was gazetted and protected as a tourism venture. They were slowly introduced to living a normal life outside the forest. When you visit these people, you learn their traditions and culture through their tales, listen to their songs, and enjoy their dances. The cultural tour costs $20 which helps to support the development of their community.
Likewise, within Volcanoes National Park is the Ib’yiwachu Cultural Center, another home of the Twa people who also lived in the park jungles but were forced out for gorilla conservation purposes, this place is a nice spice to your gorilla trekking safari that immerses you into Rwandan culture and history. In this place, you will get information about Rwanda’s food, music, dances, traditional marriage practices, herbal medicine, and many other traditional practices in Rwanda.
What else to do in Rwanda and Uganda
Uganda and Rwanda have a lot of tourist attractions that can be tailored to gorilla trekking. in Rwanda, the reintroduction of the big five animals into Akagera National Park in line with other activities like fishing, guided nature walks, game drives, and other cultural experiences, making it a favourable extension of your safari.
From gorilla tracking in the Volcanoes National Park, you can also drive to Nyungwe National Park for Chimpanzee tracking or relax on the beautiful beaches of Lake Kivu.
Uganda has more developed adventures like enjoying a cruise along the Nile in Murchison Falls National Park, enjoying the tree climbing lions, boat cruises along the Kazinga channel, game drives, and other activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Uganda has other eight National parks that offer different activities in which travelers can get involved in more expeditions and memorable adventures.