Africa is one of the loved continent in the whole world due to its magnificent exhibited and hidden in its country, this loved continent offers the best gorilla trekking safaris and this is done nowhere else other that its three countries of Uganda, Rwanda and the DR. Congo. These three countries host a great number of tourists who flock in to have a memorable experience of these wonderful primates in their true natural setting within the forests and mountainous areas.
Rwanda only offers a wonderful trekking experience in her Volcanoes National Park in the Northern Province bordering DR. Congo and the mighty Uganda. Rwanda is recognized as a “Land of a thousand hills” due to her extensive mountains spread all over the country. Despite of the country being a landlocked one, it has got a better and an incredible biodiversity within her Albertine Rift Eco-zone.
Kigali being the capital city of the country, is where the Kigali international airport is found, the country is one of the smallest countries in Africa and therefore there is a shorter distance from the airport to the Volcanoes National Park where the endangered mountain gorillas are tracked, therefore visitors may afford a two days gorilla tracking safari within the country since it’s a 2-hour’s drive from the capital city to the park.
This park is composed of a variety of mammals and birds to be seen in the process of gorilla tracking, tracking within this park starts at 8am after being briefed from the park rangers. Rangers escort every particular group on track and the gorillas permit here is at USD 1500, the park has got around eight Gorilla groups that are tracked including the Susa, Karisimbi Susa A, Sabyinyo, Umubano, Titus and Amahoro and Agashya, Kwitonda plus Hirwa, Bwenge and Ugenda groups providing an opportunity to accommodate a number of trekkers on one day though each group is tracked by 8people per day.
Alternatively, Uganda is best known for her largest number of gorillas, Uganda is also a land locked country and it is also known to be the “Pearl of Africa”. The country is bordered by Rwanda in the southwest, Tanzania in the south, Kenya in the east and DR. Congo to the west with a portion in the south being occupied by the largest African Lake Victoria.
The country is also located in the east African plateau with an equatorial type of climate though being different depending on the altitude, Kampala is the capital city of Uganda and Entebbe International Airport is the country’s main airport. Gorillas in Uganda are tracked from her two different national parks including Bwindi impenetrable national park, this is located in the southwestern part of the country and it’s covered with Uganda’s biologically diverse rain forest.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park only protects over 324 mountain gorillas and this is considered to be almost half of the word’s left mountain gorillas, gorilla trekking permits are bought at USD 600 and habituation permits at USD 1500 for foreign non-residents. Members of the East African community only pay UGX 250000 for a gorilla trekking permit. Bwindi has got four sectors each with different Gorilla groups and these include the Ruhija, Oruzogo, Habinyanja, Mishaya, Nkuringo, Mubare, Nshongi and the Bitukura gorilla group.
Trekkers are only awarded one hour of gorilla enjoyments whereas those who are on habituation experience enjoy the activity throughout the day in the forest. Visitors may also do gorilla tracking from Mgahinga national park; this is also located in the south western Uganda in the tip corner of the country sharing the part with the Virunga ranges. The park sits on an altitude of about 2227m and 4127m, the park is of great significance due to its extinct volcanoes that are seen in each and every corner of the park and these includes the Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhavura mountains.
This is where the Nyakagezi gorilla group is tracked and this is why the park has gained its fame at a larger extent since many visitors cannot leave the pearl of Africa minus having a tour to this park, this is where the first people to live in the forest known as the pygmies “the Batwa” can be traced and therefore, there is nothing much that can be left out while on a tour to Mgahinga National Park.
Besides the two East African countries where mountain gorillas can be tracked, another alternative can be got from a one and only central Africa country that’s DR. Congo. DR. Congo offers amazing gorilla trekking safaris since it has got both the lowland gorillas and the Mountain gorillas. Gorillas in Congo are tracked from the Virunga mountain ranges where the Virunga national park was demarcated; this was before known as Albert national park. In Virunga national park is where the endangered mountain gorillas are tracked at a fee of USD 400 per person.
Tracking from this park starts from Bukima where all trekkers meet their guides for briefing and also starting their journey to the mountain ranges for gorillas. This offers a number of chances to the trekkers also to see some crater lakes around and on top of the mountain. Also, to track are the lowland gorillas seen in the thick forest of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park but prior bookings are required in all the two national parks. All this offers a reason as to why many people from different destinations enjoy visiting Africa for the amazing gorillas.