Gorilla Trekking In Uganda
If you want to see the huge mountain gorillas, you have to go gorilla trekking in East Africa, to Uganda or Rwanda (or the Congo, but it’s not safe to go there). These massive mammals need far too much space and food to be kept in a zoo (you’ll see the lowland gorillas in zoos), thus there are no mountain gorillas in captivity. On today’s show, we learn why you would choose trekking gorillas in Uganda versus gorilla trekking Rwanda. We’ll discover the challenges of the rainforest mountains, when to go, what to pack, why you should also hire a porter, and what to expect.
On your trekking day, your guide and tracker, who is assigned a specific human habituated gorilla family, will guide you through the tropical rainforest in search of your assigned gorilla family. Because these gorillas are used to humans, they don’t run away and hide, so you can watch your gorilla family go about their daily lives. To keep from stressing the gorillas, you are allowed to observe them for an hour. How long you trek is determined by how far you need to hike to find your family, and the difficulty of the terrain.
When to Go Gorilla Trekking
The mountain gorillas live in a tropical rainforest near the equator, so while technically you can go year ’round, it will be drier in the months of June through September, and December. However, plan on rain at any time of year (it is after all, a ‘rain’ forest); it will just be less rainy during these months.
Why Gorilla Trek in Uganda vs Rwanda
The main reason is cost. Gorilla trekking is expensive. The park fees are high in both countries, but are much less expensive in Uganda. The trade off is that the infrastructure is less developed in Uganda as opposed to Rwanda. The roads will be a lot rougher. Since you will spend a lot of time in your jeep, this may be a consideration for those with motion sickness or just prefer more comfort.
The reason the fees are so high is because permits are limited and it costs a lot to maintain the parks. Your fees, of course, help preserve these magnificent endangered creatures. There are only about 1000 mountain gorillas left.
Is Gorilla Trekking Safe?
Even though the gorilla families you will see have become used to being around humans, they are still wild animals, and the alpha male silverback can weigh 350 lbs!
You will be escorted with two Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) guards who carry a rifle. The guides Wendy spoke with said they’ve never had to use it. Generally, if a gorilla or other animal gets agitated or might otherwise pose a risk, those guards who have had to use their gun, find that shooting in the air tends to scare the animal away, so no one, including the animal, gets hurt.
Wildlife Guides, I have found, are extremely skilled at ‘reading‘ the animals they track. They know what the mannerisms mean…is the gorilla challenging you? Is the elephant ticked off at you? Are you too close and threatening mama’s baby? They KNOW, and will instruct you as to what to do to keep you safe.
In the case of gorilla trekking, your guides will know the particular gorillas very well. They can tell them apart. In fact, Wendy said that they showed photos of the different gorillas and you, too, can see the ‘family’ resemblances for yourself!
Is Gorilla Trekking Hard?
On the day of your gorilla trek, your guide will mentally access the fitness level of your group. Your larger group will be broken into smaller groups of no more than eight people, each tracking a specific gorilla family.
Gorilla families are quite mobile in their search for food, so it’s likely that the fitter members of the group will track the family that is either further away or in a more challenging location. Since the gorillas don’t necessarily use ‘trails’, plan on bushwacking (a guide with a machete will create a ‘path’ in the jungle for you). This means that you will often be scrambling and sliding in the mud. You may be on steep inclines or declines.
Hire a Private Porter!!!
While your guide will lead the gorilla trek, Wendy recommends you take advantage of the opportunity to hire a private porter. His job is solely to assist YOU on your trek. He will help you figure out where to safely place your foot. He will hold your hand on tricky parts. In short, he will make your trek easier. Gorilla trekking can be challenging!
What to Wear Gorilla Trekking
Even though you are in a rainforest, remember that you are also in the mountains, so dress in layers.
Obviously, bring a rain jacket. Wear performance clothing that dries quickly. To minimize scratches, wear a long sleeved hiking shirt or the kind that buttons into a short sleeved short. If you are subject to chills, when wet, consider a perfomance long sleeved merino wool top, because wool keeps you warm even when wet. In your day pack, bring a puffy jacket and some dry socks.
Wear hiking pants and proper hiking boots. The jungle ground can be slippery, so you want good traction. Wendy recommends waterproof boots. I like my feet to ‘breathe’, so I wear quick drying boots, but wear wool socks and silk or wool liner socks so my feet stay warm even when wet.
It’s also a good idea to wear gaiters. These not only help keep mud and water out of your boots, but they can help keep insects like the annoying local black ants from biting you. Tuck your pants into your socks, and then put on your gaiters for the best protection. Gaiters attach to your boots and cover your shins.
In your daypack, pack plenty of bug spray and sunscreen. Also pack a wide brimmed hat and at least a couple of bottles of water and some snacks. You will get a bag lunch from your hotel. I never go hiking without my emergency kit, which I tailor to each trek. You can learn what to bring in your pack here.
Kit interviews Wendy Lee from the popular Empty Nesters Hit The Road travel blog about her gorilla trekking adventure with her girlfriends. Be sure to check out her post about her trek here.
Planning Your Gorilla Trek
Be sure to get the free travel planner with active links to help you plan your trip. You want to make sure that you use a reputable tour company.
Since your gorilla trekking permit is for a specific section of the National Park, your tour company will make accommodation arrangements based on your permit, to save travel time and to make sure you arrive for your trek on time.
Your Park Fees at Work!
20% of your Park Fee goes back into the local village, which not only helps the village, but encourages conservation and is helping to eliminate poaching. Hiring a porter, which is highly recommended, is cheap and also helps the local economy.
Tipping in Uganda
Uganda is a cash based society. Since you will be in a remote area, before you leave ‘civilization’, be sure to get plenty of small bills for tipping later as you won’t find an ATM or bank to get cash later (and if you do, it may not ‘like‘ your debit card).
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