Preparation for a gorilla trip to Bwindi

Preparation for a gorilla trip to Bwindi: This is the process of organizing oneself for a trip to be successful. Bwindi is one of the few places to meet mountain gorillas and it’s located in the southwestern part of Uganda. The national park has the highest number of mountain gorillas living in the thick tropical forests of Buhoma region, Rushaga region, and Nkuringo region, Ruhija region.

Gorilla trekking is a once in a lifetime experience that needs good preparation to make it memorable. You need to prepare for a gorilla trip to Bwindi so that you reach ready and excited to see these mountain gorillas. Here are some of the things you need to prepare for a gorilla trip to Bwindi to be successful

Preparation for a gorilla trip to Bwindi

Get a date for your trip to Bwindi

As you are preparing for a gorilla trip to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, it’s better to know when you want your safari to happen. Some travelers plan these dates during their holidays from work and school while others prepare their holidays in the winter season especially those from the countries located in the northern hemisphere so that they escape the winter to enjoy the summer in the country.

Getting a travel date helps you to book the gorilla trekking permits which are the most necessary equipment for trekking to happen in Bwindi. When a traveler gets a travel date, they will use them to check for the availability of gorilla permits with a tour operator or Uganda Wildlife Authority. If the gorilla permits are not available on the days you choose then you will have to get other travel dates and once they are available, you will just pay to secure yourself one.

Most travelers from all the world love having their gorilla trips in Bwindi during the dry season which occurs from June to September and December to February. This is because these months are characterized by little or no rainfall that makes trails stay dry and passable, vegetation stays short with good views of the mountain gorillas and the roads connecting to the park are in good condition.

Travelers intending to visit Bwindi in the dry season should know it’s a high season when a lot of travelers are planning to visit the country. Uganda wildlife authority has only 152 gorilla trekking permits per day which is way small compared to the number of people that want to trek therefore early gorilla permit booking is advised.

Get yourself a local tour operator

After getting the travel dates for your gorilla trip to Bwindi, next thing to look at is a local tour operator who will help you organize a memorable safari. Well, there are a lot of local tour operators in Uganda most of which are licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board to carry out tourism activities in the country. As a traveler, it’s better you take time communicating to different local tour operators and later choose the best for you.

Africa adventure vacation is one of the local tour companies licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board to organize gorilla trips in Bwindi. If we receive an email from a traveler who wants to have a gorilla trip in Bwindi, the number of people on the safari, activities, and the travel budget. It’s from there that we calculate how much it could cost and then send it to the traveler. If they are okay with our price, we do organize for them a gorilla trip. We book the gorilla permits, and accommodation, and then get drivers.

Buy yourself a gorilla permit

Book your gorilla trekking permit

As you are in preparation for a gorilla trip to Bwindi, a traveler can book a gorilla permit directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority or a local tour operator. Using a local tour operator is the best way to book a gorilla permit for Bwindi as it saves time yet these operators charge the same price. To book with us at Africa Adventure Vacations, we expect you to send us an email that should include the dates of the month and year you want to travel and we shall use this to check for the availability of the gorilla permits with Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Once the permits are available, we send you an email that contains how much you need to pay for the permit as well as the different banking details. If you send the money, you will have to send us a scanned copy of the receipt of payments so that we prove that you have paid. After confirming that you have paid, we shall go ahead to secure a permit which you will find with our driver guide on arrival in the country. Travelers especially those planning to have their gorilla trips in dry season should try to book their permits 3-4 months in advance.

Buy what to pack

As you are preparing for a gorilla trip to Bwindi, it’s better you look at the packing list and start buying the things you dint have. For those that you already have there is no need of buying new ones. What to pack for a gorilla trip includes waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, a light backpack, gardening gloves, long-sleeved pants, long-sleeved shirts, a sweater, a rain jacket, insect repellents, a camera, a pair of binoculars, energy giving snacks, and drinking water bottle.

Try to exercise

When you are loose to your trekking dates, it’s better you try to exercise so as to keep yourself physically fit. Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi is not a difficult activity but it can be challenging if you are not fit enough. The activity starts at a very low altitude but it takes you through thick vegetation cover, and rugged trails to high altitudes if the gorilla family you are trekking is far looking for what to eat. To keep physically fit during trekking, you can start exercising from your home by doing hiking on small hills and doing leg cardio.

Best time to have a gorilla trip in Bwindi

Travelers can have a gorilla trip in Bwindi at any time of the year however there are months that are better than the rest. The dry months are the best to have a safari 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 thick with unclear views of the mountain gorillas and other park animals.

Travelers, especially budget travelers can prepare and visit Bwindi in the rainy seasons of March to May and October to November to enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities because lodge owners reduce the price to attract a few customers to the park. Travelers should note that in the rainy season, the trekking trails are muddy and slippery, the vegetation is tall with unclear views of the mountain gorillas and the roads leading to the park are impassable.