Things to Consider for a Gorilla trekking destination

Mountain Gorilla Trekking is an exceptional safari adventure to do while on safari in Africa. The Gorillas are distributed into different sections and subspecies i.e the Mountain Gorillas, Eastern Lowland Gorillas, Western Lowland Gorillas and Cross River Gorillas.

These are trekked in Uganda at Bwindi Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park, Rwanda at Volcanoes National Park, DR Congo’s Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park.

Watching the Gorillas is exceptional in their natural forest vegetation habitat is exceptional for a period of 3 to 5 hours and after a while trekking along the trails, you meet the Gorillas and stay in their presence taking photos for an hour.

Gorillas are one of the most endangered animal species in the world due to increased human settlement and encroachment on habitat, illegal hunting, etc hence travelers from all over the globe should not miss out on visiting these countries to trek and watch the Gorillas in their natural vegetation habitat.

Gorilla Natural Vegetation habitat is like?

Gorillas are known o inhabit the thick vegetation habitats of three different countries in Central and Eastern Africa. There are over 1,000 Gorillas in the wild around the world and are found in Africa.

Gorillas can be trekked anytime around the year however, the Best Time to trek Gorillas is in the Months of July and August as the rails are navigable, offering clear photography etc.

Things to consider when choosing a Gorilla trekking destination

When going for Gorilla trekking, you have to choose a destination you prefer to trek the Gorillas as these range from Uganda, Rwanda and the DR Congo. These differ in terms of budget, Habitat and time you spend trekking to watch the Gorillas in Rwanda.

1. Price

The Prices to watch the Gorillas vary from one country to another i.e Uganda, Rwanda and the DR Congo as these offer varying prices of the Gorilla Trekking Permits to let you trek the Gorillas. These include; US $1500 per person in Rwanda, US $700 per person in Uganda and US $400 per person in the DR Congo.  

It is important to get enlightened about the price you prefer to watch the Gorillas and this should be within your planned budget hence making it easier for you to trek the Gorillas in your preferred destination on vacation holiday.

2. Vegetation Habitat

When interested in watching the Gorillas in their natural vegetation habitat, you should consider looking into the vegetation habitat type as this is similar in all destinations i.e Uganda, Rwanda and the DR Congo although slightly varies in terms of distance, hiking challenges as you follow differing trails in the green forest searching for the Gorillas.

Vegetation habitat in Bwindi Forest National Park

For instance, the vegetation habitat of Bwindi Forest National Park is thick and impenetrable requiring all travelers to be physically fit, determined and focused to get to watch the Gorillas. In the thick forest, you follow through thick routes, traversing rivers and wetlands especially in the valleys making watching the Gorillas in Bwindi Forest very difficult and challenging despite the fact that when you get to them, the trek is worthwhile.

Vegetation habitat in Mgahinga National Park, Volcanoes National Park, Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park.

In Mgahinga National Park, Volcanoes National Park, Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park, the vegetation habitat is navigable as you follow different trails as the vegetation in the park is not thick inclusive of Bamboo regions which are fond to inhabit the Gorillas as the juveniles are found playing along the branches here.

If you are a traveler looking for clear photography while watching the Gorillas, these National Parks are your Best gorilla Trekking destinations in Africa. The Gorillas here tend not to be so difficult to trek and watch.

3. Gorilla Trekking Families

When considering to choose a destination to trek the Gorillas, lookout for a destination with multiple Gorilla trekking Families especially if you are looking to trekking these majestic Primates twice in their natural vegetation habitat. There are destinations with many Gorilla Trekking Families and these include; Bwindi Forest National Park with 19 habituated Gorilla families that can be trekked here, Volcanoes National Park Rwanda has 10 habituated gorilla families, Virunga National Park with 8 habituated Gorilla Groups where as Mgahinga National Park has one Gorilla trekking Group hence limiting your adventure.

4. Time it takes to meet the Gorillas

When planning to go Gorilla Trekking in Africa to the Destination of your choice, make sure to consider the time it takes you to trek and meet the Gorillas in their natural forest vegetation habitat. In some sectors in Bwindi Forest National Park like Nkuringo Sector, the Mountain Gorillas are trekked in the hills/ highlands hence very challenging for all travelers. In Bwindi Forest National Park, watching the Gorillas is quite challenging making it almost unachievable to watch the Gorillas.