Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Or Rwanda
Gorilla trekking is of the thrilling moments that one shouldn’t miss before living planet earth. Under normal circumstances, gorilla trekking go on differing from country to country and experience differs as well. Some of the rampant questions under the spot light here include; which is the best place to do a gorilla trek Uganda or Rwanda? Which is more viable and cheaper: Bwindi or Volcanoes National Park? Is gorilla tracking in Rwanda better than Uganda? So such questions are some of the many that we are going to digest under this article.
Call it gorilla trekking or tracking or whatever comes in your mind, but it’s one of those really delightful, lifetime experiences you should take time for, before you leave planet earth. But where should you go is it Uganda OR Rwanda for Gorilla tracking! Let’s compare relating on gorilla permits, number of people to track pre-day, major challenge with tracking gorillas.
Gorilla Permits
The animation attached to the first setting eyes on a wild mountain gorilla is difficult to describe. Yet in the same sense, that magical one hour spent with the gorillas is worthy a million experiences in either Uganda or Rwanda. Although the experience is the same, it does not come cheaply considering that a permit goes for US$1500 in Rwanda and US$800 in Uganda – but it is unusual to find someone who regretted the financial outlay.
Number of people to track Gorillas
Only 8 persons can visit a given gorilla family per day. In Uganda, twenty gorilla families have been habituated in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP, and so can host 80 persons tacking the mountain gorillas on any day.
Rwanda can also take 80 persons per day. All else being equal, Rwanda’s Volcanoes Park has a slight edge over the rest because its gorillas are the most wholly habituated, and they are often found in bamboo than the dense forest which makes photographing easier.
The major challenge with tracking gorillas
The price of a gorilla permit in Rwanda is undoubtedly at US$750 compared to Uganda’s US$600 per permit. However, Rwanda’s pride is in the ability for one to do the gorilla trek even in one day and fly back home which is impossible for Uganda. Volcanoes National Park is located 116 km from Kigali and can be driven in just 2 hours.
However Uganda’s Bwindi National Park is located 500 km from Kampala/ Entebbe Airport and a drive can take 8 hours plus. In that sense, you will spend at least 3 days for your gorilla trek tour to – one travelling to Bwindi, another doing the gorilla trekking and the other driving back to Kampala/Entebbe. If a tour operator is making you a tour package, he/she will definitely have to consider this cost and include it in your tour cost.
However, the long drive to Bwindi is quite entrancing with great sceneries all through like the Equator at Kayabwe, Lake Mburo National Park, terraced mountains with flowing rivers, and a lot of rural Africa. This is not so really the case for the drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park.
Some tourists have also opted for flying over from Entebbe to towns near to Bwindi National Park (Kihihi and Kisoro) to track the gorillas. A round flight ticket costs $300 with AeroLink Uganda. In that case you will need to arrange your transfer from the airstrip to Bwindi, and back as well
You will certainly need to spend more on transport and time to track the mountain gorillas in Uganda than it’s for Rwanda although this cost is compensated for by a cheaper gorilla permit most especially in the low season( April, May and November) where the gorilla permit will go down up to US$350.
At the end of the day – the ultimate jury are those who are looking as to which country to visit in order to track Gorillas – it is not Rwanda, not Uganda but where their pockets and hearts choose. If you precisely want the mountain gorillas and nothing else, go for a one-day gorilla trek especially in Rwanda but if you are a one who wants it and all of it, go for the long drive in Uganda – you won’t regret.
