Bwindi gorilla trekking in August
Bwindi gorilla trekking in August: August is one of the months when countries especially those located in the northern hemisphere are in summer and most of the people are home relaxing on holidays. It’s one of the months that travelers decide to travel to take advantage of the long holidays and then get to enjoy the warm weather out of their home countries.
A lot of tour companies including Africa Adventure Vacations of limited are always available to help travelers have memorable gorilla trekking safaris in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. The park is always one at any time of the year including the months of August. Travelers who visit the national park in the month of August will enjoy the good weather since the month is characterized by little or no rainfall making the trekking trails stay dry and passable compared to trekking in the rainy months.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in the month of august can be done in any of the four sectors of the park. Bwindi gorilla park has over 19 mountain gorilla families all available for trekking activities in its four sectors. Gorilla trekking can be done in Buhoma sector in the north, Ruhija sector in the east, Rushaga sector, and Nkuringo sector in the south.
Booking a gorilla safari in Bwindi in August
See gorillas in Bwindi in August
August being one of the high season months, you need to book your safari early in advance with a local tour operator or even by yourself. Before booking anything else, you need to secure a gorilla trekking permit for yourself. The gorilla trekking permit can be got from a trusted local tour operator or Uganda Wildlife Authority.
To get a permit you need to first get the dates of the month and the year you want to travel. You will contact either your local tour operator or reservations office at Uganda Wildlife Authority via email that should contain the dates you want to trek. They will use this information to check for the availability of the gorilla permits and if they find them available, you will be contacted to send the money for booking. You will be given different banking details and once you are done sending it’s better you send a scanned copy of your receipt of payment for confirmation. Your gorilla permit shall be booked and those that used UWA will pick them up at their offices.
After securing the gorilla permit, then you can look at how you will get to the park and then where you will stay. Travelers that have a gorilla safari in Bwindi and use a local tour operator don’t have to worry about booking other things like transport and accommodation because all that is done for you. If you want to organize the safari for yourself then you need will have to book the accommodation and transport by yourself again.
How much are Bwindi gorilla permits in August?
Uganda wildlife authority has no month where gorilla permits are at a discount and therefore travelers that are interested in trekking mountain gorillas in august will buy them at a fixed price. Each gorilla trekking permit cost $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 foreign residents, ad UGX250,000 citizens of East Africa. Gorilla habituation permits in august will still cost $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 foreign residents, and UGX750,000 citizens of East Africa. Travelers intending to have a gorilla safari in Bwindi in august should consider booking their permits in advance because travelers are so many and they sell out quickly.
The gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi in August
August is a dry month therefore expect little or no rainfall during your trek in august. Gorilla trekking activity starts early in the morning at the sector headquarters where trekkers gather to learn about the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity from the park wardens. The park wardens also group trekkers not exceeding 8 people based on age and physical fitness. Armed ranger guides are assigned each group to lead them in the jungle.
At the start of the trekking point, you will pick a walking stock to help you balance while passing through rugged terrain and there are also porters ready to help you carry luggage at an extra fee. The search for mountain gorillas takes you to the thick jungle where you spend 2-7 hours searching for the assigned mountain gorilla family. The time taken to meet the mountain gorilla family normally depends on the location of these apes as well as the speed of trekkers.
During the whole gorilla trekking exercise, trekkers do get an opportunity to meet different park animals such as chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, giant forest hogs, duikers, buffaloes, elephants, bush pigs, birds, and different plant species. The moment you set eyes on the mountain gorillas, armed ranger guides ask you to keep your voices low and you will be given 1 hour to be around these apes, watch them do daily activities, take photos and learn about their habits.
How difficult is Bwindi gorilla trekking in August?
August being a dry season, there is no difficult in gorilla trekking unless there is little or no rainfall that day. The dry months where august falls are characterized by little or no rainfall and this keeps the trekking trails dry therefore not affecting the speed of trekkers, vegetation is short and dry meaning you will get out of the jungle without any dirt or being wet, the vegetations is scattered given clear views of the mountain gorillas and the roads leading to the park are in good condition which won’t affect the time take to travel.
What to pack for Bwindi gorilla trekking in August?
For one to have a successful gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi in the month of August, they are advised to pack long-sleeved pants, long-sleeved pants, a sweater, rain jacket, gardening gloves, a hat, sunscreen, waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, toiletries, first aid kit, insect repellents, sanitizer, facemask, drinking water bottle, energy-giving snacks, a camera and a pair of binoculars among others.
Where to stay on a Bwindi gorilla trekking safari in August?
There are several accommodation facilities in Bwindi available for travelers to stay and these are found in different sectors of the park. The accommodation facilities do range from budget to mid-range to luxury options and where to simple just depends on the travel budget. A traveler must stay in accommodation facilities that are near the sectors they are to trek.
Stay at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
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
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 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.
How to access Bwindi
Bwindi impenetrable forest can be accessed using road transport or air transport. The national park can be accessed faster when you use the airstrip and flights are done by bar aviation Uganda or Aerolink Uganda. Flights to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park start from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airstrip and land at Kihihi airstrip for those visiting Buhoma region or Kisoro airstrip for those visiting the rest of the park.
Travelers using road transport will take longer to get to the park which is 9-10 hours with different stopovers at places such as the equator, royal drums at Mpambire, as well as Igongo cultural centre. Travelers from Kampala will access Bwindi by driving through Masaka, Mbarara, Rukungiri, Kabale, and Kisoro where different routes connect you to the park sectors.
