Primate Trekking in Uganda and Rwanda
Everyone boasts about their motherlands for one reason or the other but Uganda and Rwanda’s abundant and fantastic primates set the bar so high for anyone to say a word about how adventurous the two destinations overwhelm. It can be amusing to watch videos and pictures of gorillas, chimps,monkeys and other species of primates but the joy of meeting these close relatives of man is overpowering. Chances of encountering these beautiful creatures are greater in the famously known as the Pearl of Africa- Uganda and the Land of a thousand hills- Rwanda.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in south western Uganda and Volcanoes national park in north western Rwanda offer memorable gorilla trekking experiences throughout the year. We are talking about the endangered mountain gorillas that you will find nowhere else except these two countries and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Imagine spotting the giant apes early in the morning having their breakfast, observing how gentle they are to the infants just like humans or being lucky enough to watch them communicating. The different areas give a totally unique taste of the trek; Mgahinga is hillier than Bwindi while the two have a rougher terrain than volcanoes park of Rwanda and not forgetting the fascinating views in their backgrounds. Uganda has more than half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population, a reason to choose it for your gorilla trekking safari.
Featuring gorilla trekking with chimp trekking is a decision that can’t be regretted because the combination is a great adventure of one of the world’s most unique attractions only found of the African continent.Good news is that Uganda has varying rates for chimpanzee trekking depending on the location of the activity. The prime destination for this thrilling adventure is Kibale National Park in the western part of the country. A Chimp trekking permit costs USD 200 while at a fee of USD 250, one can choose to go for a chimp habituation experience which offers a wonderful opportunity to accompany researchers and those on habituation in the forest and spend more time with the apes. Other places are Budongo Forest Reserve in Murchison Falls Conservation Area, Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park and Kalinzu forest.
Besides having the cleanest city in Africa and being a luxury gorilla trekking destination, a large part of southwestern Rwanda flourishes with thick flora harboring an amazing population of about 500 chimps. There is an automatic hiking encounter in Nyungwe due to its steep terrain which makes this whole event fun.
One more of the most sought out primate is the golden monkey which is exceedingly cute with a blend of golden, black, grey and whitish fur. It’s unfortunate that they are endangered species too but Mgahinga and Volcanoes parks are homes to the playful golden monkeys. Golden monkey trekking could be a good addition to your bucket list when planning to travel around Africa.
Trekking for primates in the tropical forests has an advantage of exposing trekkers to other charming features including the black and white colubus monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, lovely forest birds,rare and huge tree species and more creatures that live in forests.
Gorilla trekking prices in Uganda and Rwanda
A Gorilla permit costs USD 700 in Uganda and USD 1500 in Rwanda. The gorillas in these places are similar and the experiences are not so divergent but Rwanda decided to rate herself a luxury gorilla trekking destination and raised the permit from USD 750 to USD 1500 in 2017. Trekking for gorillas in Uganda saves more than half of a fee that would be spent on a gorilla permit in Rwanda.
Trekking for primates in Uganda and Rwanda is a worthwhile life reward by oneself and gives incredible memories and sweet stories to tell about Africa. To book a gorilla safari in Uganda or a gorilla safari in Rwanda, send us an email to info@ugandasafaribookings.com or call our office 0700135510
