Types of Gorillas in Uganda

There is only 1 type of gorillas in Uganda that is the Mountain gorillas. Mountain Gorillas in Uganda are a major tourist attraction which is done throughout the year and the type of gorillas in the country are the mountain gorillas. These live in the high altitude in forests and are black in color with muscular arms, big nostrils, short arms, thick fur. They feed on bamboo shoots, stems, fruits and other plants.

Destinations where gorillas in Uganda can be seen in their natural habitat include Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and also Mgahinga Gorilla national park. Both these locations are popular among tourists visiting Uganda.

Gorilla permits are the documents which are required for tourists to be able to engage in seeing gorillas in Uganda. Booking of gorilla permits for Bwindi national park or Mgahinga national park can be done with help of Elephant Whispers Safari who is a licensed tour operator. These permits are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and only acquired through a local tour operator. These permits must be booked at least 5 months before the trekking date because permits are very competitive especially during the peak seasons, that is during the dry season (June to September), the gorilla permits tend to be sold out since it is also a high season for tours in Uganda.

In Bwindi impenetrable national park, permits for seeing the gorillas are issued for the different sectors including Rushaga, Buhoma, Nkuringo and Ruhija while Mgahinga gorilla national park only has one group the Nyakagezi family which tourists interact with during gorilla trekking.

Some of the items on your packing list for a gorilla adventure in Uganda include;

• The tennis shoes/hiking boots
• Long light pants, long sleeved shirts and long stockings (to tack in your pants),
• Rain poncho/waterproof Jacket
• A hat and sun glasses
• Good gardening gloves/Gaiters
• Sun cream and insect repellent
• Camera and binocular
• You also need to pack both light and warm clothes as the weather can change often.

Gorillas in Bwindi national park

Bwindi national park is a destination which is famous for gorillas in Uganda and the national park is located in the south western part of the country. Bwindi national park is home to half the population of mountain gorillas in the world which can be seen in the different sectors of the national park.

The different sectors where gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park is carried out include Buhoma sector in the northern part of Bwindi, Rushaga and Nkuringo sector in the southern part of Bwindi and Ruhija sector in the eastern part of Bwindi national park.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park costs 800 USD for foreign nonresidents, 700 USD for foreign residents and 300,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans. The fee for a gorilla permit in Bwindi park is inclusive of guide fees, park entrance fees and also a contribution for the community development.

During a gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi national park, the activity starts with briefing at the park headquarters which is followed by dividing the tourists into groups and assigning ranger guides to each group.

After rangers have been allocated, tourists can trek into the Bwindi impenetrable forest to begin their search for the gorillas. An amount of 1 hour is spent with the mountain gorillas in Bwindi national park during gorilla trekking.

When visiting Bwindi national park, tourists can not only engage in gorilla trekking but also gorilla habituation which is carried out in the Rushaga sector of the national park. Gorilla habituation involves introducing the gorillas to human presence in their natural habitat. This activity is also done by researchers and it promotes conservation as the tourists also get to learn and observe the behavior of the gorillas.

During gorilla habituation in Bwindi national park about 4 hours is spent with the gorillas which makes it an exciting experience. A gorilla habituation permit costs 1500 USD for foreign, 1000 USD for foreign residents and 750,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans, Types of gorillas in Uganda

In Bwindi national park, apart from seeing the gorillas, tourists can also engage in cultural tours with the locals, do nature walks, hike and also engage in bird watching.

Tours to Bwindi national park can be done by road or by flight. Flights to Bwindi national park can be got from Entebbe international airport to Kisoro airstrip or Kihihi airstrip. By road it takes about 8 to 9 hours to get to Bwindi national park using the Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale route.

Gorillas in Mgahinga national park

Mgahinga national park is another destination where gorillas in Uganda can be seen during a tour. The Nyakagezi family is the gorilla family which can be visited during gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park. Mgahinga national park is located in south western Uganda in Kisoro district and it is also part of the Virunga conservation area.

The price of a gorilla permit for Mgahinga national park is also similar to that of Bwindi national park which is 800 USD for nonresidents, 700 USD for foreign residents and 300,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans.

This national park is also home to golden monkeys and other attractions to see during safaris in Mgahinga national park include the Virunga volcanoes (Mount Muhabura, Mount Mgahinga and Mount Sabinyo).

Mgahinga national park can be accessed by driving using the Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Kisoro route which takes about 9 to 10 hours and alternatively, tourists can access the national park from Rwanda via the Cyanika border. By flight Mgahinga national park can be accessed from Kisoro airstrip.

Activities to do around Mgahinga national park include Golden monkey trekking, Golden monkey habituation, nature walks, hiking, bird watching and also cultural tours.

Best time to see gorillas in Uganda

Gorillas in Uganda can be seen all year round and the best time to see the gorillas in Bwindi national park or Mgahinga national park is during the dry season.

There are 2 dry seasons in Uganda including June to October and also December, January and February. During the dry season, conditions are favorable for seeing the gorillas in Uganda.

However, some tourists can also see gorillas in Uganda during the rainy or wet season which takes place around March, April and May and also during the month of November.