Which Country Has More Habituated Mountain Gorillas? Standing only a few steps away from these gentle giants in their forest environment, watching them nibble on fruit and plants, play with or groom one another, and lazily stare at the curious bipeds staring at them – these are amazing moments that you will remember for the rest of your life. But, in order to get there, you must first determine where you want to travel to view them. Do you visit Rwanda to go gorilla trekking? Do you go gorilla trekking in Uganda instead? The purpose of this blog article is to provide an answer to that query.
Gorilla Trekking Experience in Uganda and Rwanda.
Mountain gorillas that travelers journey to see are ones who have gotten used to human presence. It takes around two years to habituate them to humans. Even when they develop accustomed to human presence, tight laws are in place to ensure that we interfere with their environment and way of life as little as possible.
For starters, each gorilla tribe is only permitted one group of eight humans each day, and only for one hour. Other guidelines include not making loud noises or unexpected movements when in their vicinity, as detailed in 20 things to know about mountain gorilla hiking.
Which Country Has More Habituated Mountain Gorillas?
It’s also worth noting that, while Rwanda’s mountain gorillas are simpler to approach, Uganda has more habituated mountain gorillas and hence accepts more trekkers every day. Visitors to Uganda’s gorillas are limited to 80 per day. In Rwanda, there are around 56 tourists every day. This makes acquiring a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda easier than obtaining one in Rwanda, especially if you don’t book too far in advance. Learn more about our gorilla trekking excursions in Uganda.
Where to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda?
The Virunga Mountains in Central and East Africa are home to all of the world’s mountain gorillas. Rwanda and Uganda are the two most popular destinations for gorilla trekking. Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda offers treks to observe mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas may be found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Mgahinga’s gorilla population isn’t as huge or consistent as that of Bwindi, making the latter the better and more popular alternative.
The decision to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda is typically influenced by variables such as cost and accessibility. You should also think about what else you’ll do on your vacation to the nation; because the cost and effort of a gorilla hike means you’ll probably only see gorillas on one day.
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda.
Rwanda is a small, hilly nation in East Africa with a population of about 13 million people. It is also known as the pays des mille Collines, which translates as “country of a thousand hills.” Most residents speak Kinyarwanda, the country’s primary language. Official languages are English, French, and Swahili.
Rwanda is rising from the ashes of its horrible genocide in 1994 to become one of Africa’s great success stories. Kigali, its capital city, is well-known for its beauty and cleanliness. In instance, did you know that it is prohibited in Rwanda to acquire, use, or sell plastic bags?
Tourism has played a significant part in Rwanda’s reconstruction, and mountain gorillas are essential to the country’s tourism industry. Volcanoes National Park is home to Rwanda’s mountain gorillas, as previously stated. The park is home to 56 mountain gorilla tribes.
Because Rwanda is a small nation, travelling to Volcanoes National Park is a breeze. Visitors easily fly into Kigali International Airport and then drive around two and a half hours northwest to get at Volcanoes National Park’s doorstep. Even if the journey is short, it is always best to go with a reliable tour operator that is familiar with the area and highways. Volcanoes National Park’s closeness to an international airport is a big appeal for Rwanda’s mountain gorilla tourism sector.
Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
For its unparalleled diversity and beauty, Winston Churchill nicknamed Uganda the “Pearl of Africa.” Uganda is a landlocked nation with vast plains, volcanoes, snow-capped mountains, dense forests, savannah, large lakes, unique animals, and much more. The population of over 43 million people is incredibly varied, speaking more than 40 languages. Ugandans are noted for their friendliness and kindness. Many people speak English, which is beneficial to tourists.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to the majority of Uganda’s mountain gorillas. Bwindi is an alpine forest that ranges in elevation from 1,160 to 2,607 meters above sea level. The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, as the name implies, is densely wooded. The dense vegetation in the forest can make it quite dark. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site for good reason.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the extreme southwest corner of Uganda, some distance from the capital city of Kampala and the Entebbe International Airport, both of which are located in south central Uganda. Furthermore, the highways linking the two are not open and smooth. As a result, the travel takes around nine hours. It is recommended that you go with someone who is familiar with the area rather than going on your own.
While there is a short flight from Entebbe to Bwindi, driving is the more cost-effective alternative, especially if you are part of a tour group. Some people who wish to go gorilla trekking in Bwindi choose to fly into Kigali, Rwanda’s main city, and then drive north across the border, which is a four-hour trip.
Price of a gorilla permit in Uganda Vs Rwanda.
The first significant difference is the cost of gorilla trekking licenses in Uganda and Rwanda. Rwanda elected to execute a low tourism strategy with significant effect; hence a gorilla trekking permit costs $1,500. Uganda, on the other hand, elected to charge $700 for a gorilla trekking permit. This significantly reduces the cost of hiking to visit the gorillas in Uganda. Rwanda has many more luxury lodge alternatives than Uganda, although Uganda also has a variety of mid-range and premium lodgings.
Getting to gorilla parks in Uganda Vs Rwanda.
Given the proximity of Volcanoes National Park to Kigali Airport, Rwanda is the preferable choice for those who only have time for a quick layover to do gorilla trekking. This is more probable for persons in route to another location or arriving from a nearby nation.
However, because of the time and money spent going to East Africa, most Western visitors prefer to undertake additional things once there, such as go on safari or climb Kilimanjaro. Uganda is a better alternative for such visitors since it has more to offer, Which Country Has More Habituated Mountain Gorillas?.
Uganda also offers gorilla habituation.
The gorilla habituation permit is only available in Uganda. This permit permits the visitor to spend four hours with a mountain gorilla group in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s southern sector. The habituation permits cost $1,500, which is the same as the Rwandan one-hour gorilla trekking permit.
The habituation permit was only recently created in response to tourist requests to spend more time with the mountain gorillas. Only two gorilla units have been designated for these practice sessions. This implies that around eight habituation licenses are provided every day, so if you want one, you must reserve well in advance, Which Country Has More Habituated Mountain Gorillas?.
Visitors who undertake the four-hour gorilla trip can participate in habituation activities like as making calls, collecting specimens, and even identifying specific gorillas. It’s a totally unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
