Gorilla trekking in Bwindi for pregnant women

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi for pregnant women: Are you pregnant and would want to trek the mountain gorillas in Bwindi? Well, don’t allow pregnancy to stop you from meeting these endangered apes in their natural habitats. We usually receive emails from travelers who are pregnant women or even the pregnant women themselves asking us whether it’s possible for them to trek mountain gorillas in that state. We would like to tell you that it is very possible to do gorilla trekking in Bwindi.

Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi for pregnant women is very easy to organize if at all you inform your local tour operator. If you are pregnant or have a friend who is pregnant and would want to trek gorillas, well, let them talk to their local tour operator and they organize for you a comfortable safari to Bwindi to see mountain gorillas. Bwindi is located in the southwestern part of the country harboring the highest population of mountain gorillas.

The mountain gorillas of Bwindi live in 4 sectors of the park which are Nkuringo, Buhoma, Ruhija, and Rushaga. Trekking gorillas in Bwindi is every person’s dream come true including the pregnant ones. Pregnant women can trek mountain gorillas on foot while those that are 7-9 months can use the sedan chairs that are always in the park at an extra cost. In conclusion, pregnancy shouldn’t stop you from being part of the wonderful gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi. Below is some of the information you need to have a successful gorilla trekking in Bwindi when you are pregnant.

Booking a gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi for pregnant women

When booking a gorilla safari and you are a pregnant woman, you need to inform your local tour operator. While sending an email to book a gorilla safari in Bwindi, you should add that you are pregnant so they plan for you according. You can include how many months you will be pregnant by the time the gorilla safari will happen so that they see if they are to book you a sedan chair. If they know that you are pregnant, they can even decide to book you a gorilla safari in the sector that has the easiest gorilla families to trek.

A local tour operator shall look at your email and design for you an itinerary which they will later send to you with how much it can cost. If you agree with the price, then they will look at the dates of the month and year you want your safari to happen and then check for the availability of the gorilla trekking permits with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Once the permits are available, they will send you an email containing different banking details which you will use to make a deposit for your safari to happen. Part of the deposit will be used to book the gorilla permits, accommodation as well as transport.

For any pregnant women and other trekkers to encounter mountain gorillas or be part of the gorilla trekking activity in Bwindi. They need a gorilla trekking permit and this can be got from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or any trusted local tour operator at the same fee. A pregnant woman will get a gorilla trekking at a fee of $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East Africa.

Gorilla trekking activity for pregnant women

Gorilla trekking starts early in the morning at the different sector offices. The day starts with having breakfast at the lodge and then meeting your safari guide to transfer you to the sector offices. Here you meet different tourists who are also going gorilla trekking and then you learn about the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity from the park wardens. These later do group travelers not exceeding 8 people and they do allocate gorilla families based on the level of fitness, and also age.

Pregnant women should inform the park wardens about their situation and so they will allocate them to nearby gorilla families and also those that are easy to trek. Pregnant women that are 7-9 months can hire sedan chairs at a fee and men will be able to carry them during the whole trekking activity. Armed ranger guides led the trek showing trekkers the best routes to use, telling them different information about mountain gorillas and much more.

The gorilla trekking activity does take 2-7 hours in Bwindi gorilla park and this depends on the location of the assigned gorilla family as well as the speed of the trekkers. When the mountain gorilla family is located, the sedan chair shall be put down and you be around mountain gorillas for a maximum of 1 hour in which you will be able to learn about gorilla habits, watch them do daily activities, take photos and take photos among others.

Accommodation facilities good for pregnant women in Bwindi

It is very important for pregnant women to stay in luxury accommodation facilities when they visit Bwindi gorilla park. These accommodation facilities offer a variety of services that favor pregnant women. They do have good comfortable beds and also a variety of foods on their menu which you can choose to eat like a pregnant woman. Some of the best lodges for pregnant women include Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Ichumbi Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Bwindi Lodge, Chameleon Lodge, Trackers Safari Lodge, and Rushaga Gorilla Safari Lodge among others.

Best time for pregnant women to visit Bwindi

Bwindi is open for gorilla trekking at all times of the year however there are months that are better than the rest. The dry months are the best for pregnant women to trek Bwindi gorillas because they are characterized by little or no rainfall. This keeps the trekking trails in the park dry and easily accessible by pregnant women, the vegetation is short and thin giving clear views of the mountain gorillas and the roads leading to the park are passable with good safari vehicles. It’s not advisable for pregnant women to visit Bwindi in the rainy season because the trekking trails are muddy and slippery.

Accessing Bwindi

The best way to access Bwindi as a pregnant woman is by using air transport. Those that can’t afford air transport should at least use good safari vehicles. Air transport to Bwindi gorilla park is done by different airline companies among which include Bar Aviation Uganda, AeroLink Uganda, and Fly Uganda. The flights start from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport and land at Kihihi airstrip for those heading to Buhoma region while those heading to Nkuringo, Ruhija, and Rushaga regions do use Kisoro airstrip.

What pregnant women should carry for gorilla trekking in Bwindi?

Pregnant women coming for gorilla trekking in Bwindi should pack their medicine for pregnancy, toiletries, first aid kit, insect repellents, sanitizer, facemask, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved pants, sweater, rain jacket, gardening gloves, a hat, sunscreen, waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, a camera and a pair of binoculars among others.