Best time to go visit gorillas in Uganda
Best time to go visit gorillas in Uganda : Uganda is situated in the South-Eastern part of Africa crossed by the equator with a warm pleasant tropical climate throughout the whole year. It is therefore essential for one to be well informed about the weather when preparing for a gorilla trekking safari to Uganda.
Uganda’s weather differs with two different seasons and that is the rainy season and the dry season. The dry season in the months of December to February, June to July with less rain then the wet season in the months of September to November and March to May.
Gorilla trekking and habituation in Uganda is done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park both positioned in the South-Western part of Uganda. Tourists visit these destinations with the purpose of meeting the gentle giants, the mountain gorillas.
Gorilla trekking and habituation can be done all year round since climate change does not affect the movement of gorillas through the best recommended time to trekking and habituating gorillas is during the dry seasons.
The dry season is in the months of December, February to March, and the rainy season in the months of June to September.
Dry season
Gorilla Safaris The dry season is perfect for capturing photos of the gorillas and the trails are less slippery.
The dry is season is also is a high tourist season and there come to some disadvantages including scarcity of permits due to high demand, increased number of tourists, and high lodge prices.
Rainy season
During the rainy season, the trails are muddy and slippery but with beautiful views of the green vegetation. The rainy season is the low season and therefore less expensive than the dry season. In this period, there are fewer tourists, lower lodge rates and the permits are readily available due to low demand
With the location of both Uganda’s gorilla habitats which are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park just adjacent to the other two gorilla parks in the neighboring countries of Rwanda and Congo, the best time to go gorilla trekking for Rwanda gorilla tours and Congo gorilla safaris is almost the same seasons.
All other tours including Uganda wildlife safaris, chimpanzee trekking, bird watching (best time in November and April), and all other kinds of safaris can be undertaken during the same seasons when it is the best time to go gorilla trekking Uganda.
Uganda Safaris is one of the tour companies that pride itself on organizing Africa tour packages beyond gorilla trekking. Also customize wildlife safaris all through the East African region including Kenya safaris as well as Tanzania safari tours.
Gorilla Habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Most probably you have heard much more about gorilla trekking compared to gorilla habituation. This is because mountain gorilla trekking is a much more popular activity compared to the very amazing gorilla habituation. However, the gorilla habituation process is more thrilling as it helps you to get a better understanding of the behavior and ways of life of these gentle giants.
Gorilla habituation does not have a true definition but it can be understood as the process of gently introducing or making the wild mountain gorillas familiar and comfortable to human presence, a process that takes between 2 to 5 years to complete. Gorilla habituation is crucial for the continued research, care, and conservation of the highly endangered mountain gorillas.
Unlike gorilla trekking which takes up to an hour interacting with the mountain gorillas, the gorilla habituation experience takes between 3-4 hours, costing about $1,500 per person. Just like the gorilla trekking experience, the habituation experience is restricted to persons of 15 years and above. Bikyingi gorilla group is one of the gorilla groups that are present for a gorilla habituation experience. The other group is the Bushasho gorilla group.
During these two to four years, conservationists and researchers visit the mountain gorillas every day in a process where they identify the members of the gorilla group, their characters, behaviors, and all they can learn about the gorilla group. It is during this time that the group is made familiar to people gradually. After a certain period of time when the family is thought to be familiar with human presence, other people including tourists are allowed to join in the process of habituation.
It is only until a gorilla group is fully familiar with the human presence that it is opened up for Uganda gorilla trekking safaris.
Mountain Gorilla Habituation starts at 7:30 am local time which is earlier than 8:00 am for gorilla trekking. Therefore, if you book for the experience, ensure to wake up early and transfer to the park headquarters for the start of the activity, Best time to go visit gorillas in Uganda.
Requirements for Gorilla Habituation in Bwindi Forest National Park.
Just like the gorilla trekking experience, the minimum age for a gorilla habituation experience is 15 years. This is because persons below the age of 15 are thought to be unpredictable and their behavior after seeing the mountain gorillas may not be appropriate.
For any person to undertake gorilla habituation, they must have purchased a permit. The gorilla habituation permit costs about US$ 1500 each. Only 4 permits are available for each day and therefore tourists should book early to avoid missing out, Best time to go visit gorillas in Uganda
Book your gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through a trusted and well-experienced tour operator.
Uganda Safaris have expertise in planning the top primate trekking tours in East Africa with the best itinerary recommendations. They plan bespoke Uganda gorilla safaris, chimpanzee trekking safaris, wildlife safaris, bird watching safaris, white water rafting, and all adventure trips.
Other requirements can even include the kind of clothes that one chooses to carry for the activity and this as well can help one to have a focused mindset while on the tour,.
one can get to have this mind thrilling activity for themselves through making bookings with one of the best and well trusted tour company in order to make early bookings and preparations for the trekking and the habituation.
