Uganda: Best Gorilla Destination

Why Uganda is The Best Gorilla Destination of All?

Gorillas are one of the most sought after wildlife species. A legion of tourists come to Uganda to watch the gorillas in their natural environment. Gorilla trekking is one of the reasons as to why there is an increasing number of tourists coming to Uganda year in year out.  Uganda is one of the three countries in the world where a person can go gorilla trekking. There has been a debate which of the three countries of Uganda, Rwanda and DR. Congo command the best gorilla trekking experience. Different opinions about the experiences have been spilled out by tourists and conservationists but a unanimous decision has not been made on which destination brings out the best experience.

Nonetheless basing on the remarks from the tourists who have trekked the gorillas, Uganda stands to be the best gorilla destinations of all. Here are the reasons as to why Uganda is the best gorilla destination of all.

Uganda is a cheaper gorilla safari destination

Apparently the gorilla permit in Uganda is at USD 600.00 though it will be at USD 700.00 come next year in July 2020. But still it will be cheaper than that of Rwanda at which is a huge rate of USD 1.500.00 per person. This makes Uganda a suitable gorilla trekking destination of all people from different walks of life.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is more adventurous

Gorilla trekking in Uganda gives a tracker the real jungle experience. It requires walking long distances in the dense forests of either Bwindi impenetrable forest or Mgahinga forest in search of the gorillas. However as the trackers search for the gorillas, they get a chance to see other wildlife species and beautiful physical features for instance trackers encounter a variety of bird species, interesting reptiles, African elephants and also eye catching waterfalls and streams. With all the mentioned adventure, it makes a gorilla trekking experience in Uganda a more exciting one.

The gorilla patrons are more informed and vibrant

Gorilla patrons are personnel that guides and help the gorilla trackers to meet the gorillas in their habitats. It should be noted Uganda was the first destination to carry out gorilla trekking in the world henceforth it has more experienced personnel in gorilla trekking than any other destination. The gorilla patrons in Uganda are very eloquent in English and also have vast knowledge about the gorillas, for example, the taxonomy of the gorillas and also the rich background of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla Park.  These gorilla patrons make the trackers’ experiences more educative, insightful and exciting.

Pre-Briefing from Gorilla Guides / Rangers
Pre-Briefing from Gorilla Guides / Rangers

Uganda is a safer Destination

In most of these forests especially on the Congo where the gorillas are, there are rebel groups that hide in them. These at times create insecurity situations in these areas yet life and security always come first in the tourism industry. However, in Uganda, the forests of Bwindi and Mgahinga are safe and sound. A tourist can enjoy his/her gorilla trekking without any fear.

Uganda has a wider range of gorilla families and habitats. Uganda has one more gorilla national park compared to its counterparts that have one each. It has Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park. More to that, it has more gorilla families with a whopping number of 19 families and these are located in different sector areas. Therefore a tourist interested in double gorilla trekking, Uganda would be a perfect match since he/she can have a gorilla trekking experience with two different families in two different areas.

Extra / Optional Activities

The gorilla trekking in Uganda comes with additional tourism activities.  Other than gorilla trekking, the tourists can engage in other tourism activities like in Uganda. At Mgahinga, there is golden monkey trekking, The Batwa Trail, caves exploration, and hiking the mountains and these are also some exciting activities to do. At Bwindi, there is a Batwa experience in Buhoma sector, community tours and also a nature walk in the Bwindi forest. These added activities add more flavor to the gorilla trekking experience.

With no doubt, Uganda is the best gorilla destination of all and this is why Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park is one of the most visited national parks in the whole of Africa.