Bwindi gorilla trekking from Jinja

Are you looking for Bwindi gorilla trekking from Jinja city? Jinja is one of the newest cities in Uganda that has attracted a lot of people working and staying in the area. The people in Jinja are capable of trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi gorilla park a home to the highest population of mountain gorillas. Africa adventure vacations is one of the local tour companies you need to contact to organize a gorilla safari for you from Jinja to Bwindi. All you have to do is give us an idea of what you want your trip to look like, your budget, and we shall organize an unforgettable safari for you.

Bwindi gorilla trekking from Jinja is a safari that starts from Jinja and takes you to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. Bwindi gorilla trekking from Jinja starts from Jinja passes you through Kampala or Entebbe and takes you to Bwindi using road transport or air transport. The park is found in the southwestern part of Uganda in Kabale, Kisoro, and Kanungu. A gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi gives you an opportunity to trek any of the 21 gorilla families that live in Bwindi gorilla park for 1 hour or 4 hours depending on the gorilla permit you bought.

Bwindi gorilla park is one of the oldest forests in Africa hosting over 160 tree species, 120 mammals, 10 primate species, and 350 bird species. Gorilla trekking is the main activity that can be done by people from Jinja in the park but there are other activities that can be combined with the activity. Other activities to do in Bwindi apart from gorilla trekking include birding, habituation, hiking and nature walks, and Batwa cultural tour.

Things to expect on a gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi from Jinja.

The gorilla trekking activity in Bwindi starts early in the morning in all sectors of the park. The activity begins with trekkers waking up for morning breakfast and meeting their driver guides to transfer them to the sector offices. At the sector offices, they gather and wait for the park wardens to check gorilla permits if they are valid, teach the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity, and group people not exceeding 8.

Each of the groups is led by an armed ranger guide into the jungle who take the trekkers through different trails of the park while searching for the mountain gorilla family assigned. The search in all sectors takes 2-7 hours of meeting different ark mammals, primates, and birds. When the gorilla group is located, the trekkers are given 1 hour to be around the family and this enables them to see the gorillas do daily activities, take photos, and learn about their habits. Later the trekkers get out of the jungle and collect their gorilla trekking certificates.

A female Gorilla in Bwindi Forest National Park

Booking gorilla permits for Bwindi from Jinja

Travelers in Jinja can book gorilla permits directly from the Uganda Wildlife Authority and pick them up at their offices in Kampala when they are going for a safari. To book directly with the Uganda Wildlife Authority, you will have to contact the reservations office via email. The email should contain the dates of the months and year you want to travel and this information shall be used to check for the availability of the permits. When the permits are available you will be sent an email containing different banking details and you will use the easiest to send money. After you will send a scanned copy of the receipt and your permit will be booked.

Booking gorilla permits for Bwindi from Jinja is the best way because it saves you from collecting the permits at the UWA offices. Africa adventure vacations limited is one of the local tour companies that help in booking permits for Bwindi gorilla park. To book with us, you will simply send us an email containing the days of the month and year you want to travel and this information will be used to check for the availability of the trekking permits. when the permits are available. We shall send you an email containing different banking details and you will use the easiest way to send money for the permit. Once we have received it, your permits will be booked.

Gorilla permit prices

From Jinja, a traveler can buy a gorilla trekking permit at $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 for East African citizens. Each gorilla trekking permit allows a traveler to be with any of the fully habituated mountain gorillas in Bwindi for only 1 hour. The price includes park entrance fees, ranger guide fees, and community development fees. Travelers from Jinja that are interested in staying around mountain gorillas for 4 hours can buy gorilla habituation permits at $15000 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents, and UGX750,000 East African citizens.

When to go gorilla trekking in Bwindi from Jinja

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi from Jinja can be done at any time of the year but there are months that are good to visit the back and better than the rest. The dry months are the best to visit Bwindi from Jinja and they occur from June to September and December to February. They are characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, the vegetation is short and thin with good views of the gorillas and the roads leading to the park are in good condition.

Travelers from Jinja can still visit Bwindi gorilla park in the rain season to enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities. During the rainy season, which occurs from March to May and October to November travelers should note that there is little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, the vegetation is tall and thick with unclear views of the gorillas and the roads leading to the park are in poor condition.

What to pack for Bwindi gorilla trekking from Jinja?

The packing list for gorilla trekking includes a facemask, sanitizer, insect repellents, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved pants, gardening gloves, a hat, sunscreen, a rain jacket, a sweater, a light backpack, cotton stocks, waterproof hiking shoes, a camera, a pair of binoculars, energy-giving snacks, and drinking water bottle.

Lodge at Buhoma Lodge in Bwindi Buhoma gorilla trekking sector

Accommodation on a gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi from Jinja

Travelers visiting Bwindi from Jinja don’t have to worry about where they will stay because the park has a lot of accommodation facilities spread in different sectors of the park. They offer different prices and are of different prices.

Buhoma sector accommodation: Buhoma Lodge, Engagi Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Bwindi Forest Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Ride 4 women Guest House, Silverback Lodge, Buhoma Rest Camp, Haven Lodge, and Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge.

Rushaga sector accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Bwindi Jungle Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, Nsongi Camp, Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Resort, and Wagtail Eco Safari Lodge.

Nkuringo sector accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Heights Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Backpackers Lodge, Mutanda Eco Community Centre, Nshongi Camp, Crested Crane Bwindi Hotel, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, and Virunga Campsite

Ruhija sector accommodation: Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, Ruhija Community Rest Camp, Bakiga Lodge, Gorilla Mist Camp, Broadbill Forest Camp, Agandi Lodge, Gift of Nature Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Cuckoo Land Tented Lodge, Ecomarvels Gorilla Lodge, and Trekkers Tavern.

Accessing Bwindi from Jinj: Travelers from Jinja can access Bwindi gorilla park by driving to Kampala/Entebbe first. Those going to fly to Bwindi will drive to Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airstrip and catch a flight to Kihihi airstrip if they are to visit Buhoma sector or Kisoro airstrip If they are to visit Nkuringo sector, Ruhija sector or Rushaga sector. To fly to Bwindi, you need to book in advance with airline companies such as Bar Aviation Uganda, Aerolink Uganda, or Uganda airlines.

Travelers that enjoy traveling long distances or those that can’t afford flights to Bwindi will drive from Jinja via Kampala, Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, or Kisoro and connect to different sectors of the park. The journey takes more than 10 hours full of great views of the surrounding areas and different stopovers.