Bwindi Gorilla Habituation Safari Experience
Bwindi Gorilla Habituation Safari Experience: In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, visitors can spend more than four hours on a gorilla habituation safari with the semi-habituated mountain gorillas. From Entebbe International Airport, it takes more than nine to ten hours by car to get to the park, which is in southwest Uganda. It is a renowned destination for having the highest concentration of mountain gorillas worldwide. The only place in the world where gorilla habituation safaris are possible is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Besides gorilla habituation, gorilla trekking is the famous activity that defines Bwindi due to quite a large number of mountain gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. This is attributed to the annual growth in the number of mountain gorillas.
It takes two to three years for the members of a mountain gorilla family to undergo a habituation process before they are completely acclimated. Tourists might visit Bwindi for habituation activities since it appears that one mountain gorilla family is going through habituation. Only four persons per day are permitted to see the Bikingi gorilla family in the Rushaga area, which is the only family in Bwindi that is open for trekking.
Bwindi gorilla habituation safari experience
Following the Bwindi gorilla habituation safari experience, only the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is used for the gorilla habituation experience. Visitors arrive at Rushaga headquarters early in the morning for a briefing, where rangers instruct them on the activity’s laws and restrictions. Along with armed ranger guides, medical professionals, and a group of researchers, up to four trekkers participate in habituation. Visitors are driven from the briefing locations to the trek’s beginning points, where they enter into the jungle in search for potential mountain gorilla locations. Depending on the group’s location, the nature of the trails, and the trekkers’ pace, the mountain gorilla search can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours.
Trekkers are allowed to spend up to four hours with members of the semi-habituated mountain gorilla family when they are spotted. They engage in activities that help the mountain gorillas become accustomed to having people around them during this period. Trekkers get the chance to film and snap photos of mountain gorillas. Trekkers can also learn about gorilla habits from this location. After the gorilla habituation is complete, trekkers leave the woods and allow the mountain gorillas to carry on with their regular activities. Trekkers can encounter a variety of park attractions as they emerge from the rainforest, including, to name a few, animals, birds, water sources, and plants.
Cost of a gorilla habituation permit in Bwindi
During the Bwindi gorilla habituation safari experience, visitors must get a gorilla habituation permit in order to go on a gorilla habituation safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The Uganda Wildlife Authority, a government organisation in charge of overseeing all park operations, provided this information. The gorilla habituation permits for visitors who wish to enter the park may only be purchased by authorised tour companies. Permits for mountain gorilla habituation cost UGX750,000 for citizens of East African member states, $1500 for non-foreign residents, and $1000 for foreign residents. Tourists who plan to visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park must reserve their gorilla habitat permits three to four months in advance, or possibly more, as there are only four permits available each day.
The ideal time to have a Bwindi gorilla habituation safari experience
In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, gorilla habituation safaris are possible throughout the year; however, certain months are better than others. The optimum periods for travellers to go on habituation safaris are during the dry season, which runs from June to September and December to February. This is due to the months’ pleasant weather, which includes lots of sunshine and little precipitation.
Trekkers can travel more easily when looking for the semi-habituated family because the trekking paths are drier and easier to traverse during the dry season. The park’s foliage is typically sparse and short, allowing visitors to see the attractions, especially the mountain gorillas, clearly. Trekkers ultimately benefit from crisp photographs and high-quality videos.
During the rainy season, which impacts low-budget tourists and people who detest crowds, gorilla habituation operations can still be conducted in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Lodges lower their rates during off-peak hours to draw in a few park visitors. However, visitors should be aware that there is little sunshine and a lot of rain. The park’s trekking trails are muddy and slick during the rainy season, which makes it difficult for hikers to move around while looking for the family of semi-habituated mountain gorillas.
Additionally, due to the rapid growth of the vegetation, trekkers are unable to see the mountain gorillas clearly when they are tall. It becomes challenging to take pictures and film recordings if the mountain gorillas hide in the dense vegetation.
Accommodation in Bwindi during gorilla habituation
Visitors who want to experience mountain gorilla habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park should be aware that this activity is only feasible in the Rushaga sector, which is located in the park’s southern section. This implies that lodging should be reserved in the Rushaga area. A few of the lodges are Rushaga Havens Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Bweza Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, and Gorilla Leisure Lodge.
Accessing Rushaga for gorilla habituation.
Both air and road transport are available to reach the Rushaga sector, located in the southern region of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The shortest option for visitors to reach the park is by air, as flights take around two hours and driving to the lodges takes around an hour. There are flights to Kisoro Airstrip from Entebbe or Kajjansi. Another route for visitors to reach the Rushaga region of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is by road. Although it is inexpensive, the drive to the lodge in the Rushaga area of the park takes nine to ten hours. Travellers go to the park via Entebbe via Kampala, Mpigi, Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, and Kisoro.