Where are the best places to see gorillas?
Gorilla encounters are regarded as unmatched experience to many who have got chance of meeting the gorillas in their national habitat either western lowland gorillas. mountain gorillas or even the Grauer’s gorillas. Meeting the silverback, the playfulness of the tots and tenderness of a their mothers are just fascinating
The Most thought after specie of gorilla most interesting to trek is the endangered mountain gorillas. And there is lot of debate as to which country offers the best gorilla trekking experience. Mountain gorilla can only be found in three African countries including Uganda, Rwanda and democratic republic of Congo. Thanks to their speed of reproduction and their number is increasing steadily, by the time of writing there are over 1000 mountain gorillas left in the world compared to 250. When conservation efforts first started some 50 years ago. Over 100,000 western lowland live in the lush rainforest of west central Africa. Western low land gorillas are classed as critically endangered, fewer groups are familiarized for tracking because of their unapproachable homelands.
Deciding on where to trek the endangered mountain gorillas depends on your budget and your sense of adventure. However, below are the suggestions for the best places to see gorillas in Africa.
Rwanda
Rwanda is one of the most sought after destination for mountain gorilla trekking. Rwanda’s gorillas are situated in the Virunga Mountains straddling the borders of Uganda, DRC and Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Which is a home to over 450 mountain gorillas out of about 1000 left in the world. Rwanda is also sometimes referred to as the Land of a Thousand Hills due to very many hills that inhabit the country. Is one of the best places known to see mountain gorillas. The volcanoes national park can be accessed in juts a drive of about 2-3 hours from the capital city Kigali.
The park proximity makes it easy to meet the gorillas in time and a one day Rwanda gorilla trekking is very possible than in its counterpart. It’s also very possible to pass via Kigali International Park and trek the gorilla of Uganda in Bwindi national park. Rwanda has ten groups available for tracking and they are well habituated. Including the Susa group which lives high up on Mount Karisimbi and was studied by famous primatologist Dian Fossey. Diane Fossey studied the behaviors of mountain gorillas for a period of over 18 years although she was killed by the said poachers. Other groups roam lower down the slopes and are easier to track. Although being wild, they’re constantly moving. In September, the annual naming ceremony of baby gorillas – Kwita Izina – attracts thousands of visitors to Musanze, the main town for gorilla safaris in Volcanoes National Park.
Rwanda’s gorilla permits are the most expensive, a Rwanda gorilla permit costs US$1500 per gorilla permit per trekking. Rwanda has a lot of super-luxury accommodation available in Musanze such as Singita Kwitonda Gorilla Lodge. Rwanda is becoming the ‘Botswana’ of gorilla tracking. Offering great and fantastic experiences but at high cost. It is very easy to traverse as it has good roads most of the roads in Rwanda are tarmac and several tour operators run trips here.
Uganda
Uganda’s best mountain gorilla safari destination is bwindi impenetrable national park, the park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda about 8-9 hours’ drive from the capital city Kampala. The park is a home to over 13 gorilla families ready to receive visitors on a daily basis and the park has over 500 gorillas that inhabit the park. Not only Bwindi national park, Mgahinga National Park is also another home to these endangered mountain gorillas. While just as beautiful, lies within the Virunga Massif neighboring DRC and Rwanda, the park has only one habituated group which sometimes wanders over the borders to the republic of Rwanda.
As the park is named impenetrable sometimes hikes is very different though there some treks. Which are easy to trek than others. Like in Rwanda, the trek is guided by excellent guides/rangers who make you have a wonderful experience and there is a direct benefit to the local people who live nearer to the park as small fee collected from the gorilla trekkers goes direct to them and improve on their standards of living.
Not like the gorilla permits of Rwanda, Uganda gorilla permits costs a fee of $700 per permit per person. Bwindi also offers a wonderful experience and its only done to this park. Gorilla Habituation Experience which gives one a chance to spend up to four hours with a semi-habituated gorilla family. They’re less predictable and not as docile as habituated groups, and it’s a fascinating. Intimate glimpse into how gorillas gradually get used to humans. At US$1500, it’s the same price as one hour with Rwanda’s mountain gorillas.
Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tours
Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo is privileged to house both the endangered mountain gorillas and the Lowland gorillas in the Virunga national park. DRC is regarded as the least visited country compared to its counterpart Uganda and Rwanda. It’s also known as the most adventurous and cheapest of the Virunga Mountains’ three homelands. A gorilla trekking permit in DR. Congo costs $400. Only Four groups of mountain gorillas live within DRC’s Virunga National Park. And they are ready to receive visitors on a daily basis. The park was recently reclosed after British tourists were kidnapped.
However, it reopened in February 2019, with assurances that it was safe again. The eastern lowland gorillas are only found in DRC. They’re believed to number around 5,000 and are the biggest of the species. The best place to see the eastern low land gorillas is Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Home to some 250 gorillas, with the attractive lakeside town of Bukavu offering good accommodation in colonial mansions. All safaris to DRC are well protected, the country is known as unstable country, so keep on the security situation.
DR Congo Gorilla Trekking Tours
Congo Brazzaville
This is another country to see the low land gorillas, Congo Brazzaville should not confuse you with its unstable neighbor DRC, Congo Brazzaville is known as a peaceful nation. The habituated Lowland gorillas live in Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the north-western part of the country and the park has two habituated groups in this wild, tropical rainforest. However, Because of its inaccessibility, it’s not a cheap destination. But it offers an exclusive experience gorilla viewing with groups of only four people who allowed to see the gorillas and rural luxury accommodation combined with some tough tracking. The low land gorilla can be traced in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park around Mbeli Bai at a camp that’s often visited by a resident silverback. These gorillas can best suited to more fearless travelers.
Central African Republic
Apart from DR. Congo, Central African Republic is another country that inhabit the habituated western lowland gorillas but it’s not for the cowardly visitors. Central African Republic’s Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve lies within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sangha Trinational Reserve. And its tropical rainforest ecosystem also spans protected areas in Congo and Cameroon. Central African Republic is the home to the world’s highest concentration of western lowland gorillas and forest elephants. Dzanga Bai is the best area to see them and Sangha Lodge is the place to stay. If you can cope with the hardship of travel in this country, you’ll be highly rewarded experience for lowland gorilla trekking, the local people sounding the park also benefit directly from the money collected from this activity, the best places to see gorillas?
Note: Central African Republic is regarded as unsafe country before travelling check up-to-date travel advisories. And advice from the lodge before travelling there. For gorilla tours in Uganda, Rwanda and DRC please send us an inquiry on info@gorillasafaritrails.com or you can call us direct on our numbers +256-776641554/+256754787409, our reservation team is readily available to get back you shortly.
