04/23/18

5 Tips to Plan a Gorilla Trip By Independently

How To Plan A Gorilla Trip By Yourself / Independently

Rwanda and Uganda are one of the three countries in the while World to undertake gorilla safaris (the other is Democratic Republic of Congo) but if you ever make up your mind to undertake the trip from this remarkable country, make sure to plan by yourself / independently because it is cheaper than doing it through the tour operator because most of them charge a commission. Therefore if you plan for Uganda safaris and tours by yourself, you will save a lot of money and yet it is very cumbersome and involves a lot of legwork.

Gorilla trekking within Rwanda is more expensive than it is within the other mentioned countries because permits cost $1500 per person while in Uganda it is $600 yet in the Democratic Republic of Congo it costs $400 but if you plan the safari by yourself, there are high chances that you will save more money if you plan or book for it independently.

Nonetheless, booking a gorilla safari by yourself depends on the period of time you will be spending within the gorilla destination in that if you have less time (1-3 days), you are advised to use the services of tour operators while if you are spending more days (6-10) days, it is advisable to plan or book for it by yourself. Therefore, the following are the important tips to allow you plan for the gorilla trekking safari in Uganda or Rwanda independently;

Do some Research (Gather enough Information) on the price of gorilla permits and pay in advance

The first step of undertaking a gorilla safari is by first inquiring on the availability of gorilla permits because this is your ticket to participating in this activity. This information can be accessed from the website of Rwanda Development Board, sending an email to reservation@rwandatourism.com or calling the reservation office on +252 57 65 14. For Uganda permits, information is available at Uganda Wildlife Authority (info@ugandawildlife.org, Telephone: +256 414 355000 and +256 312 355000). After being sure that permits are available for the date you wished to track the gorillas, book by paying 30% and this should be done at least 6 months in advance due to the high demand for the activity. Permits currently cost $1500 per person in Rwanda and US$600 per person in Uganda, paid in Bank or by cash and can be obtained from the RDB / UWA Head offices. The balance for gorilla permits is paid 3 months to the tracking date.

Get convenient transport means to the Gorilla detonations

In Rwanda, there are usually several local bus companies with comfortable buses leaving Kigali City for Ruhengeri and there is particularly a bus station in Nyabugogo where tickets can be booked charging from 2000 to 3000 francs per person and the journey takes at least 2 hours. Because the buses just stop at Ruhengeri, you will need to get private transport means (300 to 500 francs) especially special hire vehicles to Kinigi Park Headquarters lasting 20 to 30 minutes.

In Uganda, there are many bus companies from Kampala to Kisoro where you can easily connect to Mgahinga national park and Southern Bwindi National park. The journey is approximately 10 hours and charges between 25.000 and 35.000 Uganda Shillings. From the bus station, you can connect to your pre-booked hotel or to the gorilla park by private car hire.

Booking for a place of Stay

Intending gorilla trekkers are always advised to book for accommodation within or near the Park Headquarters and not very far away from the gorilla trekking starting point. Just like the gorilla permits, tourists are advised to deposit for the room in advance to avoid disappointment, then complete on the day of checking in. There are many gorilla safari Lodges within all gorilla parks in Rwanda and Uganda. In Volcanoes National Park Rwanda, Kinigi Guest Guest House is highly recommended because it is opposite the park Headquarters, less than 5 minutes walk to the headquarters.

Pack the right items

Any tourist planning to track the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi or Mgahinga National Parks needs to be prepared for life in the jungles-extreme coldness, dense vegetation and slippery/muddy ground during the rainy season. Therefore, make sure you don’t leave out the long sleeved shirts, long trousers, rain jacket, snacks, bottled water, waterproof hiking boots, hut, non-flash camera, binoculars, cotton socks, heavy sweater, gardening gloves and a backpack among others.

Self drive Rental and Camping

If you are a family, a group of friends or a couple planning a gorilla trip independently, you can save a lot of money when you rent a car without driver and drive your own adventure. Here, you share the cost of transport, fuel and accommodation. In other words, its cheaper to travel in group than sole. Please note, it must be a 4×4 car, and these are available from US$40 per day, for instance, Toyota Rav4, Land cruiser, Mini-vans, Prado, Suzuki Escudo, Honda CRV and many others.

Additionally, some car rental agencies rent out  cars with a full camping gear, thus saving money on accommodations. A full camping gear is from US$5 per day and it includes a water proof tent (some times roof top tent), sleeping bags, mattress, camper table, chairs, kitchen ware, crockery, cooler box, storage box, jerrycan, lam and torch.

With the tips above, it is very possible to plan for a gorilla trip by yourself with enough information and booking for permits in advance, getting convenient transport means to from the airport to the gorilla parks, booking for a place of Stay and Packing the right items.

02/19/18

Gorilla Tracking: Uganda Vs Rwanda

Uganda and Rwanda feature the three only destinations where mountain gorilla trekking is conducted in the whole world. In Uganda, gorilla trekking is only conducted in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park while in Rwanda it is carried out in the Volcanoes National Park. The two are considerably the best areas when it comes to mountain gorilla safaris in Africa. The other destination is the Virunga National Park in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, both destinations require a strong 4×4 car with some experience of off-road driving. If you make your own arrangements to the gorillas, you are advised to hire a 4×4 car with driver in Kampala or Kigali for a safe and successfully gorilla safari. Note that, this must be a 4×4 Car such as Land cruiser Prado, Rav4, Nissan safari, Nissan Patrol and others.

Gorillas in Bwindi National Park

A face to face encounter with these apes in the wild is such a magical experience that you can find anywhere in the world, not even in the zoo except only in the thick tropical rain forests of Africa. Whereas gorilla trekking has been described as a lifetime experience, most tourists still wonder or do not know which destination to visit for their safaris. Others ask is gorilla trekking in Uganda better than Rwanda. Depending on what your interests are but you can visit one or even both as each destination comes with unique encounters beyond mountain gorillas. With this, below are some of the factors that can guide you while selecting which destination you want to visit for mountain gorilla trekking.

Considering the cost of gorilla permits, both Uganda and Rwanda a permit is a must to have for this lifetime experience. However, the difference comes on the cost of a permit. In Uganda, gorilla permits are sold at $600 per person for foreign non residents, $500 for foreign residents and shs.250000 for East Africans. While in Rwanda permits are issued out at $1500 per tourist. But the visitor experiences thereafter are equally exhilarating. A permit at hand allows you to track one habituated gorilla family.

Uganda is known to offer refuge to the largest number of mountain gorillas compared to the rest of destinations. About 480 individuals thrive within Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park. These also feature over 16 habituated gorilla groups that have been set for visitor experiences and in Rwanda there only ten groups that have been set for gorilla trekking. More gorilla families mean more permits for visitors. Uganda today issues about 128 permits for visitors to track mountain gorillas compared to 80 in Rwanda.

Another difference can also arise especially when it comes to the general gorilla safari plan. For Rwanda, the Volcanoes National Park is situated about 125 kilometers away from Kigali city centre and this makes it one of the most accessible gorilla destinations by road. Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are located far away from Kampala city centre at approximately 527 and 519 kilometers respectively requiring about 9 to 10 hours’ drive.

However, the distances have been reduced by use of direct flights from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro airstrip where visitors can easily connect to the park or their choice. This also means that you need at least 3 days to have a gorilla safari in Uganda and yet Rwanda Volcanoes National Park can be visited within one or two days. The long distant drives to Bwindi or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park come with spectacular scenery especially at the Equator area at Lake Mburo National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park which also come with stunning wildlife species, magnificent terraced mountains with Rivers and much of remoteness.

And this may not be in Rwanda if you are starting your safari from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park. A stopover at Queen Elizabeth National Park for instance allows you to explore its big game which includes the African lions and not to forget the rare tree climbing lions, African elephants, Buffaloes and Leopards as well as several wildlife species that will come your while on wildlife viewing or boat cruise along the Kazinga channel. While a stopover at Lake Mburo National Park comes with views of Rothschild giraffes, topis, buffaloes, impalas, Burchell’s zebras, warthogs, Defassa waterbucks, leopards and many more or alternatively visit Igongo cultural centre for cultural museum which comes with collective tribes of southwestern Uganda, traditional restaurant, cultural village and stunning gardens and many more. And after gorilla trekking, visitors usually complete their safaris at Lake Bunyonyi which features as the second deepest Lake in Africa with all 29 distinct islands that are confined in it. The Lake offers spectacular views of the area as well as distinct birdlife.

Mountain gorilla treks in Rwanda and Uganda begin with morning briefing from park official who takes visitors through how they are supposed to behave while in the forest with gorillas. The difference comes where the morning briefing in Volcanoes National Park is accompanied with a cup of coffee or entertainment from local dances and performances by local people. For Uganda, you have to go for cultural encounter as a different activity to visit the Batwa community. Batwa encounters are exceptionally dramatic experiences one should go for while on gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga National Park.

In conclusion, mountain gorilla trekking in both Uganda and Rwanda is exceptionally the most thrilling experiences that come once in lifetime. While on safari, you can visit one or both and destination to help you make your own comparison in terms of experiences.