In
Uganda gorilla trekking takes place in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the
south of Uganda, just north of the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo
and Rwanda. The park has a northern and southern entrance and accommodation
options at both ends.
The
park is beautiful with other attractions like guided hikes and cultural
experiences especially the pygmies who live in the locality known as the Abatwa
as well, as a place to chill in.
The park has several
gorilla families within the park that tourists within 3-4 tracking groups and a
ranger can visit. The hike is difficult and the amount of time it takes depends
on which group you are put into. Some of the treks take place right from
the north part of the park on foot and take a couple of hours, and the
rest require a drive to reach them.
One
should generally be physically fit enough to hike for at least an hour or two
and should be able to wear hiking boots due to the steep and muddy terrain, one
should make sure that they bring along water and a packed lunch for the day.
How do I
book and take a trek tour?
A tourist intending to take a gorilla trekking trip to Uganda must
book a permit as soon as possible because gorilla trekking is a popular activity
and permits get booked out weeks or even months in advance. You can book
your permits at the Uganda Wildlife Authority or contact them at their
website.
The tourist must be healthy on the day of the hike without a cold
or anything similar, as he or she can actually make the gorillas sick.
Getting There:
One can fly into Kihihi from Entebbe with Aero Link, which
costs a standard $236 each way.
A visitor needs a tourist guide and a powerful 4 wheel drive vehicle
to ride to the park and costs around $100 per day.
One can also rent a car in Entebbe town and drive him or herself
there which is a distance of over 445km via Masaka.
The tourist can also take a Post
Bus which is the cheapest and safest bus company in Uganda, to either
Kihihi or Kabale, depending on a north or south entry
A tourist can also take a local minibus (called a ‘taxi’), or
boda boda (motorbike taxi), from there which costs less than (10000/=Shs) Ugandan shillings.
A tourist must bring cash to pay as ATMs are far away and many
of the more affordable lodges only accept cash and not cheques.
The accommodation is in plenty from campsites to fancy resorts,
though everything in the area is a bit overpriced.
The rangers should know when you are coming so that they can
book for you a group in which you are to tour together.
1 Comments
This is very helpful for us.
I'll love to read it again.
Uganda safaris and tours