Bwindi gorilla holidays

Bwindi gorilla holidays: Bwindi is one of the places where mountain gorillas are found in the whole world. The national park is located in southwestern Uganda together with Mgahinga national park which also harbors mountain gorillas. Other national parks to see mountain gorillas include volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in DR Congo. Mountain gorillas are endangered species of primates that share 98% of human DNA with human beings and for this reason, they attract a lot of travelers who love to see how these mountain gorillas look like and behave.

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is open of the most visited national parks in the country harboring mountain gorillas in an area that covers 331 sq. km. The national park comprises thick tropical vegetation cover where mountain gorillas have found comfort and food. The national park is located about 530 km away from the capital city Kampala and can be accessed within a single day in 9-10 hours using road transport and 1:45 using air transport.

Gorilla tours in Bwindi will take you to the different sectors of the park which are Nkuringo in the south, Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, and Rushaga in the south and this depends on the gorilla permits you purchased. When you book the gorilla permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the card indicates the gorilla sector you will trek mountain gorillas from and that is where you need to visit and even book accommodation in that region. A gorilla trekking permit for Nkuringo can’t allow you trek mountain gorillas for Rushaga sector therefore after getting your permit you need to look at which sector you are to visit.

Encounter juvenile gorillas in Bwindi Forest

Bwindi gorilla holidays are done any time of the year however the dry months are the best because they are characterized by little or no rainfall. When it’s the dry season in Uganda, it’s always winter in the countries found in the northern hemisphere and this forces travelers from there to leave their homes, and come to Uganda to enjoy summer while encountering mountain gorillas. Being a season that attracts a lot of travelers, we advise those that want to have Bwindi gorilla holidays to book early in advance of 3-4 months to avoid inconveniences.

Travelers that want to have gorilla tours in Bwindi don’t have to rush booking the gorilla permits although it’s advised to proper planning of the safari. During the rainy season, there are a few travelers that are willing to visit the park and for this reason, it’s called the low season. A few people visit the park and these are mostly budget travelers that want to enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities. During the low season, there is plenty of rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery affecting the speed of trekkers and photography is not clear because of rainfall that can sometimes spoil your equipment.

How to book Bwindi gorilla holidays

To book Bwindi gorilla safaris, you can use a local tour operator or decide to do it yourself especially if you have visited the country before. Think about booking a gorilla permit first because this is a ticket that will help you encounter mountain gorillas and therefore minus this permit your Bwindi gorilla holidays can’t go on. Booking Bwindi gorilla holidays would be good if you use a local tour operator although they add extra cost for their services. Here we are going to look at booking Bwindi gorilla holidays by yourself or a local tour operator.

Booking Bwindi gorilla holiday by yourself

You need to first get the dates of the month and year you want to have the holiday, see how to secure yourself a gorilla permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority. What you do is contact the reservations office via email and tell them the dates you want to trek gorillas. they will use this information to check for the availability of the permit and in case they are available, you will be asked to pay money, and then your permit will be secured.

After securing a gorilla permit, you can go ahead to book the car which you will use during the safari. You will have to decide whether you need a driver or drive yourself which we don’t normally record because you can easily get lost. You will contact the car hire service providers, pay some amount of money and get your car booked. After you will look at the different accommodations in Bwindi based on your budget and then book one which you can afford and that has best services. When you arrive in the country for Bwindi gorilla safaris, you will move to UWA head offices pick up your gorilla permit, and then move to the park for your safari.

Booking Bwindi gorilla holidays using a local tour operator

The best way to book Bwindi gorilla safaris is using a local tour operator and they should be licensed to carry out tourism activities unless if recommended by a friend. First, you should contact different local tour operators, tell them the dates of the month and year you want to travel, number of days you want the safari to happen, the number of people on the safari, and then your travel budget. They will do a quotation for you and the fact that you would have used different tour operators, it will help you to choose the cheaper one with the best activities.

If you confirm a local tour operator, you will pay a certain amount of money for confirmation, and part of this money will be used to book the gorilla permits which are the most required things for this safari to happen. Gorilla permits are bought from Uganda Wildlife Authority at a fee to travelers that are above 15 years old and above. When a tour operator is done sending the money for the permit, they go ahead to book accommodation based on your budget and for transport, most of them have their own safari vehicles.

See a female Gorilla carrying her baby in Bwindi Forest

Best time to have gorilla tours in Bwindi

Bwindi gorilla holidays can be done at any time of the year however there are certain months that are better than the rest. The dry months are the best to have gorilla tours in Bwindi and they happen from June to September and December to February. They are characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails stay dry, the vegetation is short and thin with good views of the mountain gorillas and the roads leading to the park are in good condition.

Travelers especially budget travelers can have Bwindi gorilla safaris in the rainy season of March to May and October to November to enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities since lodge owners cut the price to attract few travelers to the park. The reason as to why a few travelers have Bwindi gorilla holidays in the rainy season is because there is plenty of rainfall in the park that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, vegetation is tall and thick with unclear views of the mountain gorillas and the roads leading to the park are in poor conditions.