Bwindi gorilla trekking from Nairobi
Bwindi gorilla trekking from Nairobi: Travelers from Nairobi can now have an amazing gorilla trekking experience in Uganda by visiting Bwindi gorilla park. The national park is located in southwestern Uganda and from Nairobi it can be accessed by flying to Kigali international airport or Entebbe international airport. Kenya is a good safari destination with a lot of wildlife but Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has the unique mountain gorillas that cant be found in Kenya.
A safari from Kenya to Bwindi gorilla park will take you to any of the 4 sectors of the park – Nkuringo, Rushaga, Ruhija, or Buhoma to spend some time with the endangered mountain gorillas. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is a place to meet the highest population of mountain gorillas in the whole world and the park has about 19 gorilla families open for trekking while 2 are open for habituation.
For travelers in Kenya to trek any of the mountain gorillas in Bwindi, they will have to first book a gorilla trekking permit with a trusted local tour operator or the Uganda Wildlife Authority website. After booking the permit, they will pack for their safari and then choose the best way to access Bwindi. Visiting Bwindi from Nairobi can be done at all times of the year.
How to book Bwindi gorilla permits from Nairobi?
Booking Bwindi gorilla permits from Nairobi is very easy and can be done within a few hours while using the internet. Booking a permit using a local tour operator or direct from Uganda Wildlife Authority are the only ways to book Bwindi gorilla permits from Nairobi.
Booking yourself
Booking yourself Bwindi gorilla permits yourself is easy but can be challenging sometimes because Uganda Wildlife Authority might delay replying to you. To book a Bwindi gorilla trekking permit direct from Uganda Wildlife Authority, you will have to send an email to the reservation’s office showing the date of the month and year you want to trek and this information shall be used to check for the availability of the permits. When the permits are available you will be asked to send money and a permit will be reserved for you.
Africa Adventure Vacations limited is one of the local tour operators to trust and book with them a trekking permit from Nairobi. What you will do is 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 permits with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. If the trekking permits are available, you will be sent different banking options and see which to use to send the money. Once we have received the money, your permit will be booked.
A female Mountain Gorilla in Bwindi Forest National park
How much are Bwindi gorilla trekking permits from Nairobi?
Bwindi gorilla permits from Nairobi costs the same as those of travelers from other parts of the world. A single gorilla trekking permit for Bwindi from Nairobi is $700 for foreign residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 for East African citizens. Travelers from Nairobi that would want to spend 4 hours with mountain gorillas can buy a habituation permit that costs $1500 foreign non-residents, $1000 foreign residents, and UGX750,000 East African citizens.
Accessing Bwindi from Kenya
There are a lot of ways travelers in Kenya can get to Bwindi and trek mountain gorillas. Travelers can use road transport or air transport to get to Bwindi from Kenya. Travelers in Kenya can fly to Entebbe international airport or Kigali international airport and then connect to Bwindi gorilla park.
From Kigali city, travelers can use road transport to get to Bwindi gorilla park by driving to Cyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale and then cross to Uganda where they will connect to different sectors of the park. Those that fly to Entebbe international airport will drive from Kampala/Entebbe via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, or Kisoro where you will connect to different sectors of the park.
Luxury travelers can fly to Entebbe international airport from Nairobi and then use chartered flights to get to Bwindi gorilla park. There are flights at Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport by Aerolink Uganda, Bar Aviation Uganda, and Uganda airlines. The flights land at Kihihi airstrip for those trekking gorillas in Buhoma and for those going to trek mountain gorillas in Rushaga, Nkuringo, and Ruhija land at Kisoro airstrip.
Bwindi gorilla trekking experience from Nairobi
The gorilla trekking activity in Bwindi is done in 4 different sectors which are Nkuringo, Ruhija, Buhoma, and Rushaga. In all the four sectors, the trekking activity starts early in the morning at 7 am so trekkers must wake up early and take breakfast then connect to the briefing point with their driver guide. At the briefing centre, armed ranger guides teach the trekkers about the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity and form groups of trekkers not exceeding 8.
The groups are led by armed ranger guides who take them into the jungle to search for the mountain gorilla family assigned. The search takes 2-7 hours of going through thick vegetation, meeting different park animals such as buffaloes, bush pigs, duikers, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, jackals, pottos, elephants, birds, and different plant species among other.
When the mountain gorilla family is located, the rangers give trekkers 1 hour to be around the mountain gorillas and this enables them to learn about their behaviors, take pictures, record moments and watch them do daily activities such as coupling, grooming young ones, playing, climbing, nesting, eating, breastfeeding among others.
packing list for Bwindi Gorilla Safari
What to carry for Bwindi gorilla trekking from Nairobi?
Some of the items you need to carry for Bwindi gorilla trekking from Nairobi include waterproof hiking shoes, cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, long-sleeved pants, long-sleeved shirts, a rain jacket, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellents, sanitizer, a camera, a pair of binoculars, gardening gloves, drinking water bottle and energy-giving snacks among others.
The most appropriate time to trek Bwindi gorillas from Nairobi
Trekking Bwindi gorillas from Nairobi can be done throughout the year but there are certain months that are better than the rest. The dry months are the best to trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi from Nairobi because they are characterized by little or no rainfall. During the dry months that happen from June to September and December to February, the trekking trails in the park are dry, the vegetation is short with clear views of the park animals and the roads leading to the park are passable.
Travelers can still have Bwindi gorilla tours from anywhere in the rainy season of March to May and October to November to enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities. However during the rainy season, The trekking trails are muddy and slippery, the vegetation is thick and tall with unclear views of the park animals and the roads leading to the park are in poor conditions.
Where to stay in Bwindi gorilla park on a gorilla safari from Bwindi?
There are lots of accommodation facilities in Bwindi gorilla park so travelers from Nairobi shouldn’t worry about where they will sleep. Bwindi has 4 gorilla trekking sectors and each has accommodation facilities for travelers to stay.
Accommodation in Buhoma sector
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.
Accommodation in Rushaga sector
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.
A view of Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge
Accommodation in Ruhija sector
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.
Accommodation in Nkuringo sector
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
