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Where to go gorilla tracking in Africa? There are only three countries in the world where you can experience Mountain Gorilla trekking safari trips. These African countries include Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In these sites/destinations are four national parks that are a natural habitat for the gentle giants thus where you can go for your African budget Gorilla safari adventures:
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the most famous East African destination for spotting Mountain Gorillas.
Bwindi National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site holds almost half of the Mountain Gorillas on Earth (1,063).
Many of the Gorilla safari tours in Uganda at Bwindi Forest occur in the Buhoma Sector in the North. However, trekking in Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo sectors is also great.
Children above the age of 15 can also have Gorilla safari adventures in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest since the park is favorable for child-friendly tours. This is especially because of the relatively lower altitude of the Bwindi Forest terrain compared to other destinations.
You can inquire from your trusted tour operator about the experiences in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and they can also help with booking your Gorilla permits.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest/Bwindi National Park is also a birder’s paradise. There are over 350 birds in the park with over 90% of Albertine Rift Endemic bird species.
Note that Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the only park among all the tracking destinations where you can do the Gorilla habituation experience.
The Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi National Park is an experience that allows you longer hours with the Mountain Gorillas and it is only done in the Rushaga sector in the South of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and it is currently being done by the Bikingi Group.
Your trips to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be combined with game-viewing experiences in Queen Elizabeth National Park which is one of the few places in the world where you can view the tree climbing Lions.
Volcanoes National Park is the only wildlife destination to experience Rwanda Gorilla trips!
Volcanoes National Park protects the highest number of Mountain gorillas in the Virunga Conservation Area. Other national parks in the Virunga Conservation Area are Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park and Virunga National Park in Congo.
There are about 12 habituated families for Gorilla trekking in Rwanda at Volcanoes National Park.
On your budget Gorilla trekking in Rwanda at Volcanoes National Park, you can go for a hike that takes you to the tomb of Dian Fossey. Dian Fossey was an American primatologist who fought to protect the Mountain Gorillas to prevent their extinction and died in the process of protecting them. Her grave is inside Volcanoes National Park
Additionally, you can consider Golden Monkey trekking or hiking Mount Karisimbi or Mount Bisoke.
To experience an unforgettable Gorilla safari, you can undertake a relaxation adventure at Lake Kivu after your tracking in Volcanoes National Park.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda is an alternative destination for your African budget Gorilla trekking tours.
There is one habituated group in this park with the highest number of Silverbacks which are 4 out of 9 members.
You can also add a golden Monkey trekking adventure to your African budget Gorilla trekking safari in Mgahinga Park, or hike one of 3 volcanoes in the park. These are Mount Muhabura (4127m), Sabinyo (3669m) and, Gahinga (3,474m).
A relaxation boat trip and tour at Lake Bunyonyi usually follows your Uganda budget Gorilla tours in Bwindi National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla NP.
The Bunyonyi Lake boat cruise and exploration will thus give you time to relax and contemplate your amazing trip as you relax on one of the most beautiful lakes on the African continent.
Virunga National Park of DR Congo is also another spot where you can enjoy your budget Gorilla trekking safari trips in the African continent.
A tour operator will advise you on the safety measures to consider if you plan to visit Virunga NP for your Gorilla safari tours. This is because Congo is considered one of the unsafe African countries.
Therefore unless for the need to explore both the Mountain Gorillas and the Eastern Lowland Gorillas which are only found In Congo, we advise that you undertake either a Uganda Gorilla trip in Bwindi national park or a Gorilla tour in Volcanoes National Park.
Before deciding to undertake a Gorilla trek in Congo, it is therefore advisable to first inquire about the safety.
This experience is a thrilling adventure no matter where you decide to undertake it; Bwindi National Park, Virunga NP, Volcanoes NP, or Mgahinga NP.
On the tracking day, you will have your delicious breakfast and head with your packed lunch to the park headquarters where you will receive a briefing about the dos and dont’s of the activity.
You will not just receive these guidelines but also spend time learning about the history of the park and the activity being done. The ranger will divide you into groups of 8 depending on your physical abilities, fitness, health history of the kind of experience that you would like to have.
Your ranger will allow you to get a porter or walking stick if you need one to make the experience less strenuous.
Afterward, a knowledgeable guide will lead you to the beautiful forest where he will enlighten you about the different wildlife like plants, birds, primates, and other animals.
Finding a group will take long hours of about 2 to 6 hours and upon meeting a Gorilla family, you will spend a thrilling one hour with them as you study their way of life like feeding, young ones playing, challenging each other, picking fruits, and many others. You will also notice the human-like features of the Mountain Gorillas as awe at the teeth of the especially the Silverback.
After one hour, you will return to the park headquarters to receive your certificate for completing such an amazing activity.
You will then be reunited with your driver guide who will lead you to your next destination.
Tracking Rules and Regulations in Uganda Rwanda
For every budget Gorilla trekking safari adventure in Uganda Rwanda, there are guidelines that you ought to follow to have a memorable experience!
The rules are set and put in place by professionals to protect both you and the primates and they include the following.
Travelers on budget adventures should note that each country has a different cost for the Gorilla permit. Additionally, the permit charges are different for each kind of citizen be it citizens of East Africa, Foreign residents, and foreign non-residents.
Below are the costs of the Gorilla permits for foreign residents
Mountain Gorilla trekking is quite more expensive than other African activities like wildlife expeditions, and chimpanzee trekking adventures among others.
Nonetheless, it is an experience that you ought to undertake.
Imagine the beautiful experience of meeting the great apes closely! It is considered among the top highlights for African trips that adventure lovers ought not to miss.
Various travelers intending to undertake trips on the African continent should consider the costs of travel.
Why Gorilla safari trips are quite expensive can be contributed to the factors below:
The money paid by the tourists is used for conservation purposes to protect the Mountain Gorillas and their natural habitat from harm.
Additionally, the park rangers are also paid due to the funds collected from the activity.
Similarly, 10% of the revenue collected goes back to the surrounding communities to help develop different community projects like rural electricity, building schools, roads, and different health centers.
Different factors determine the cost of your safari to track the giant primates and you can use them as cost reduction measures for your trip. Below are some of these factors that sum up the overall cost of your trip.
The duration of the trip:
The longer your Gorilla safari trips are, the more expensive they become because you will have to spend a lot more than during the short trips.
Choice of activities to undertake on the Gorilla safari tour:
More activities done on the rip mean higher costs. For example in Uganda, you undertake game viewing, boat cruise or nature walks in other safari destinations like Queen Elizabeth National Park after your Gorilla tour.
The size of the group:
The larger a group size is, the better the chances of having a well-planned financial plan for lesser expenditure as everyone in the group will contribute to their share of the adventure during their Gorilla tour.
Fixed costs may only be on park entrance and activity costs like Gorilla permits while shared costs will be on the accommodation and the transportation from one place to another.
The type of vehicle to use during the safari:
With some vehicles having a higher fuel consumption, the costs are usually higher than the vehicles with a lower fuel consumption.
For instance, the land cruiser consumes more fuel than the safari van.
For detailed information about the costs of your African safari, kindly inquire and contact us.
An affordable Gorilla trek in Uganda is a minimum of 3 days and you will consider different factors for a better cheaper experience for example booking a low-priced accommodation.
Let us look at the approximate cost of your 3-day tracking adventure in Uganda.
A 3-day budget Gorilla trekking tour costs between 490 USD to 520 USD excluding the cost of the Gorilla permits. The rates are however inclusive of the accommodation costs, a professional guide, transportation, driver guide, and other different hidden costs.
Note that the minimum number of days to have an exclusive Uganda Gorilla tour either in Mgahinga or Bwindi national park is 3 days.
There are different factors to consider when choosing cheap Gorilla trekking tours, with the major factor being the cost of the Gorilla permits.
A Rwanda Gorilla permit costs $1500 while that in Uganda is at $700. Thus, Uganda Gorilla trips are cheaper as you get to save $800 on the Gorilla permit.
Tourists on these adventures in Uganda and Rwanda always strive to lessen their expenses and therefore many seek possible cost reduction measures for their trips.
With a long experience in the industry, we bring you the different ways in which you can travel on a reasonable financial plan for your Gorilla trekking safari tours.
Continue reading below to find out more about the different ways in which you can undertake a budget Gorilla trekking tour.
Even though you can have low-priced adventures all year round, the low rainy season from late September to November and March to May has few tourists in the protected areas thus making some services like accommodation carry low discounted rates.
Even though this is uncommon, it is also possible to get discounted Gorilla permits in the low season thus visiting in the low season is among the important cost reduction measures.
To cut costs, travelers on a budget Gorilla tour can sleep in cheaper lodges with cheap facilities but very comfortable facilities.
Both Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla tour destinations have various budget lodges to stay in, so avoid high end safari lodges while on a low-priced trip. Your tour operator can help you to book one of them.
Traveling in a group is one of the ways in which you can undertake an affordable Gorilla expedition. This is because some of the costs are shared among the travelers as each person contributes to their share.
You can for instance easily share the costs of transportation and accommodation, among others as there is a chance to get low discounted costs.
Travelers on affordable Gorilla trips in Uganda and Rwanda can opt for public means of transport even though it is not recommended, especially because of the delayed departures and the lack of good time management.
Travelers can choose Uganda to enjoy reduced costs of the permits which is $700 compared to the cost of the Gorilla permits sold in Rwanda which is $1500.
Although flights are more comfortable than road transport, it is not favorable for travelers on a fixed financial plan, thus avoiding them will lessen the cost of your trip.
Other tips to consider while booking your budget Gorilla tours include
Budget Gorilla safari trips do not mean that you are going to have a terrible travel experience.
A low cost trip being an affordable Gorilla expedition, expect to use budget lodges with very comfortable facilities for your budget Gorilla safari.
Additionally, expect to explore more as your budget may also allow you to visit other destinations like Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Your tour operators in Uganda and Rwanda can help to organize for you the best budget Gorilla trekking tours!
Contact us today for this amazing budget Gorilla safari trip in Uganda and Rwanda.
The following key items to carry on your budget Gorilla tour will enable you to have a more memorable Gorilla safari tour – Carry them for your trip.
Various budget lodges and mid range hotels in Bwindi national park, Volcanoes National Park, and Virunga NP will provide comfortable low cost needs with great accommodation facilities for your trip.
Below are some of the best budget lodges or accommodation facilities for your budget gorilla tour:
In your accommodation facilities, enjoy very comfortable facilities in any of the above budget lodges that any of the professional tour operators can book for you for your excursions.
You can have your cheap adventures in Uganda and Rwanda all year round.
Nonetheless, being an experienced tour company with over ten years in organizing primate trips, we suggest that you visit in the dry season from around Mid-December throughout February and from around June to August for purposes of the best weather. This also works for other destinations that you can explore before or after your trekking adventure depending on your itinerary, for example, Queen Elizabeth National Park.
However, the low rainy season for late September to mid-December and from March to May is ideal for budget travel. This is because this is the season when accommodation facilities, even those at a high cost usually become relatively low and thus favorable for travelers in terms of manageable costs.
Therefore, even the discounted accommodation rates for your accommodation facilities will help to save a lot of money as you plan for your trip.
Whether tracking is hard or not is a common inquiry among travelers coming to undertake budget Rwanda Gorilla trips.
However, the difficulty in the tracking experience will depend on your level of physical fitness.
This activity is an adventurous one taking you to the moist rainforest, valleys, and hills of the country. Thus, in preparation for this thrilling activity, it is advisable to do physical exercises for a less strenuous and more enjoyable adventure.
Different top and best budget Gorilla tour packages to Uganda and Rwanda offer the best experiences!
Most of them combine the famous wildlife viewing experience in national parks like Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo NP in Uganda.
Below is a list of the best budget Gorilla trekking tours that you should have in Uganda and Rwanda:
A professional and reliable tour operator for your experiences is one of the factors that guarantee beautiful experiences. The top African safari companies below will enable you to book cheap Gorilla trekking safari together with other expeditions to savannah destinations like Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Budget Gorilla tours ranks among the best encounters to have for your trip in Rwanda, Uganda, or the DR Congo.
We shall help plan for the most memorable and affordable tracking, allowing you cheaper trips to the tracking destinations and wildlife tours to savannah destinations like Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Inquire today by emailing us and meet a professional responsive team.
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Samuel
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