Comparing Gorilla Trekking in Uganda and Rwanda
Comparing Gorilla Trekking in Uganda and Rwanda: Choosing the best destination for gorilla trekking is such a hard task that many often face when planning their gorilla tours. The common question that is usually raised is ‘between Uganda and Rwanda, which is the best place or country to trek gorillas?’ To begin with, gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda guarantees visitors captivating encounters with the massive mountain gorillas. Comparing gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda depends on destination options, accessibility, rates, gorilla families, experiences, preferences, and priorities. This ultimate guide provides an in-depth comparison between gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda.
Where to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda
Uganda and Rwanda all offer thrilling treks for tourists to enjoy an up close with a family of mountain gorillas in the wild. Uganda, visitors can choose from the two (2) destinations to track mountain gorillas, that is, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The two parks give visitors higher chances to take part in a gorilla trekking adventure, unlike in Rwanda, where all gorilla tours are done only in one location, which is Volcanoes National Park.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done in five sectors, of which four of them are found in Bwindi impenetrable national park which include; Rushaga, Nkuringo, Buhoma, and Ruhija and one is found in mgahinga gorilla national park which is Ntebeko. Whereas, in Rwanda, gorilla trekking starts from Kinigi area, and this is where tourists assemble for a briefing and allocation to gorilla families and experienced ranger guides.
Gorilla families or groups per destination
Comparing gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda based on the number of available habituated gorilla families or groups, first, gorilla trekking is done on already habituated groups of mountain gorillas. The highest number of mountain gorilla groups is concentrated in Uganda, with about 24 groups thriving in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park alone, and one group survives in Mgahinga National Park.
Top gorilla groups in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park include Nshongi gorilla group, Bweza group, Mishaya gorilla family, Busingye gorilla group, Rwigyi, Kutu gorilla family, Mucunguzi group, Kahungye gorilla group, Tindatine, Habinyanja, Rushegura family, Mubare gorilla group, Katwe, Kyaguriro group, Muyambi gorilla group, and Oruzogo and more. If you are visiting Mgahinga, expect to track Nyakagezi gorilla family –the only habituated group in this Protected Area.
About 13 families of mountain gorillas are available for gorilla trekking in Rwanda. These are open for trekking in Volcanoes National Park, including Ugenda, Kwitonda gorilla group, Sabyinyo, Amahoro, Hirwa, Umubano, Susa B, and more.
Mountain gorilla population
Out of about 1063 mountain gorillas that survive in the world today, about half of them are concentrated in Uganda. 30% of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas are in Rwanda. Each destination guarantees visitors amazing sightings with these unique apes in their natural habitat. Visitors can be part of the thrilling encounter with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat
Accessibility to the gorilla trekking parks
Both Uganda and Rwanda gorilla safari parks are accessible by tourists. The only difference is that each destination takes varying hours of driving. By road, you can drive to Mgahinga or Bwindi for about 9 to 10 hours. This is if you start your journey from Entebbe or Kampala.
Tourists can also depart from Kigali and cross to Uganda via the Katuna or Chanika border. Upon crossing, you can connect with ease to Bwindi or Mgahinga. Overall, setting off from Kigali to Bwindi/Mgahinga takes about 4 to 5 hours of driving. There are flights services provided to make visitor journey to Bwindi or Mgahinga easier. This means you depart from the Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip, visitors can easily connect to the park of their choice by road.
Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is considered to be the most accessible destination, requiring visitors to spend only 2 to 3 hours to get to the park. Driving to Volcanoes National Park starts from the heart of Kigali City.
Activities to do before trekking in Uganda Vs Rwanda
Uganda holds multiple activities before the trekking experiences compared to Rwanda. As you connect to Bwindi or Mgahinga, visitors have many other options to explore Uganda. These options include game viewing in the savanna Parks such as Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. Visitors with adequate time can also do mountain Rwenzori hiking before going for gorilla trekking activities.
Chimpanzee tracking can also be incorporated on a gorilla safari itinerary. The key areas of interest to consider for chimpanzee tracking include Kibale National Park, Kyambura Gorge and kalinzu forest. Even in and around Bwindi or Mgahinga, you have other experiences to enjoy in addition to gorilla trekking, including visiting the Batwa pygmy community or Bakiga villages, cycling, hiking, and birding. Golden monkey tracking can also be enjoyed in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Rwanda features fewer experiences than Uganda that visitors can engage in addition to gorilla trekking. But the available pre-trekking experiences to expect on the gorilla tour in Rwanda include chimpanzee tracking, colobus monkey tracking, and canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park, Game viewing to see the Big 5 or savanna wildlife in Rwanda is only possible in Akagera National Park.
In Volcanoes National Park, visitors can add activities such as Dian Fossey tomb hike, birding, volcano hiking (Bisoke/Karisimbi), or visit Iby’Iwacu Village.
Gorilla permit rates & availability
Uganda offers relatively cheaper gorilla permits compared to Rwanda. The cost of gorilla permits in Uganda is about half the price of obtaining a Rwanda gorilla permit. In Uganda, visitors obtain gorilla permits at USD 800 per person, and this applies to only foreign non-residents, the foreign residents at USD 700, and the Rest of Africa pays USD 500 per person. Ugandans (including other East African Community citizens) buy gorilla permits at UGX 300,000 per visitor.
Rwanda sells its valid gorilla permits to tourists at USD 1500 per person, and the rate applies to all visitors. In comparison to Uganda, you can save up to USD 700 on the gorilla permit alone. Besides, Uganda holds the highest gorilla families, accounting for about 25 groups, translating to over 200 gorilla permits. The highest number of gorilla families and permits present more opportunities for tourists to engage in the gorilla trekking adventure. Rwanda currently has a total of about 13 groups of mountain gorillas translating to about 104 gorilla permits.
Accommodation options per destination
Rwanda offers more luxury gorilla trekking experiences with a myriad of up-market accommodation options currently set in and around Volcanoes National Park. More luxury gorilla safari lodges are available in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park than in Bwindi and Mgahinga. The notable up-market accommodation in Rwanda includes Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Bisate Lodge, One& Only Gorilla’s Nest, Virunga Lodge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, and Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel.
The gorilla lodges that offer luxury accommodation services in Bwindi include Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Luxurious Bwindi Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Gorilla Heights, Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, and more.
Conclusively, Uganda and Rwanda all offer captivating gorilla trekking experiences to primate enthusiasts. The above guide provides an in-depth comparison between the two destinations to help make the right choice of destination to visit for gorilla trekking. To have a fair comparison, we recommend that you visit both countries to explore mountain gorillas.
Leave a Reply