Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest National Park from South Africa: Going gorilla climbing in the Pearl of Africa’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a wonderful experience. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a once-in-a-lifetime event that must be planned ahead of time with a skilled tour operator.
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest National Park from South Africa.
Bwindi Forest national park lies in the Kanungu region of southern Uganda. Half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas live within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is divided into four sectors: Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, Rushaga in the south, and Nkuringo in the south. The park’s gorilla trekking begins early in the morning with a briefing on the trip’s expectations, rules, and restrictions.
Following your briefing at the park, you will enter Bwindi impenetrable forest with a park ranger and guide who will brief you in detailed about the mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking excursions in Bwindi forest national park last between 2 and 6 hours or more, depending on the location of the gorilla family. Once you have located your gorilla family, you will spend one hour with the gorillas learning about their routines and activities, shooting several images with a flashless camera, and preserving the moments.
Mountain gorillas are trained to get acclimated to human presence at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. You will go with a team of researchers and guides during the gorilla habituation procedure and partake in the habituation process, which allows you to spend four hours with the gorillas, as compared to one hour with the gorillas during gorilla trekking.
What you need when planning your gorilla trekking safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
A Valid Passport
You should make sure you have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond your scheduled travel dates.
Uganda/ East African Visa
You should look at the Ugandan travel requirements. Tourist visas are required for South African citizens to enter Uganda. You may apply for a Uganda visa quickly through the Ugandan Embassy in South Africa, but you can also receive it on arrival at Entebbe International Airport.
The visa permits you to stay in Uganda for up to 30 days. If you want to visit any East African nation other than Uganda, you must apply for an East African visa.
A Valid Yellow Fever Card.
A valid yellow fever vaccination card is required in most countries. Yellow fever is a deadly illness that can afflict mountain gorillas, making vaccination extremely important.
Have an Itinerary for your Gorilla Trekking Safari.
This is the moment at which you pick how many days you want to spend on your vacation and what things you want to do. You can go gorilla trekking for two to three days, depending on the availability of your gorilla trekking permit and the gorilla family.
You should think about working with Explore Rwanda Tours. We can assist with permits, transportation, lodging, and guides.
Book your Gorilla Trekking Permit.
Any person interested in gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park should be able to book a gorilla permit well in advance of the required dates. A gorilla trekking permit is a necessary travel document for gorilla trekking. You should be aware that if you do not have one, you will be unable to go gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking permits are issued by the governmental agencies that oversee the national park.
Because tour operators are on the ground, they may book your gorilla trekking permit for you. Permits for gorilla trekking cost 700 USD for foreign non-residents, 600 USD for foreign residents, and 250,000 Ugx for East African residents.
Pack right clothes for gorilla trekking.
Pack proper clothes and equipment for the walk, such as strong hiking boots, long trousers, a rain jacket, and layers to accommodate changing weather conditions. You should also bring a binocular and a camera.
How to plan for gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest National Park from South Africa?
Traveling to Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport from South Africa allows for mountain gorilla trekking. After that, you’ll board a domestic aircraft to the airstrips of Kihihi or Kisoro, which are near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
There is also the option of driving to either park, however this would require a 9-10-hour travel to either park, hiking gorillas, and then driving back to Kampala or Entebbe. It is also possible to reach Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks via Kigali, Rwanda. Fly into Kigali International Airport, then drive for 3-5 hours to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park via the Cyanika or Katuna borders, or for 4 hours to Mgahinga National Park via the Cyanika border.
When you book through a tour operator, you will contact us with the dates, month, year, and location where you want to go gorilla trekking, and we will check for permit availability depending on the dates you give. When a gorilla trekking permit becomes available in that area, you will be asked to pay a deposit.
When a gorilla trekking permit becomes available in that area, you will be asked to pay a deposit. Once your payment has been received, you must email us your scanned passport copies in order for us to process the permission.
We will book your gorilla trekking permit and email you scanned documents as confirmation, which you will receive when you arrive for your safari.
A gorilla trekking permit in any gorilla national park such as Virunga National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Mgahinga National Park, and Volcanoes National Park, on the other hand, should be obtained 3 to 6 months before the trekking date to avoid disappointment, as gorilla trekking permits are competitive and usually sell out, particularly during peak season.
Best Time to go gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest National Park from South Africa.
The month of December to February and from June to September is the optimum month to go gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park from South Africa.
There is less rainfall in gorilla destinations during the dry season, resulting in shorter grass in the rain forest and clearer viewing of the gorillas, passable access roads to national parks, and passable gorilla trekking trails in the tropical rainforest, as opposed to the wet season, when the trails are wet, muddy, and slippery, making gorilla trekking difficult.
