Gorilla Trekking Add-Ons in Uganda and Rwanda
Gorilla trekking add-ons in Uganda and Rwanda are things that you can engage in before or after getting up close with mountain gorillas.
A visit to Uganda and Rwanda rewards beyond gorilla trekking. Visitors have several add-ons to include on a gorilla trekking tour in Uganda or Rwanda. The various gorilla trekking add-ons in Uganda and Rwanda present a great chance for you to spice up your gorilla holiday.
First, gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda is conducted in destinations with diverse experiences. The main places to visit for gorilla trekking in Uganda include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga. In Rwanda, the focus is only on Volcanoes National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a fully recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site and comprises a compact area of about 331 sq. km.
Mgahinga National Park, Uganda’s smallest Park, offers memorable gorilla trekking adventures. Mgahinga expands up to 33.7 sq. km and lies in the Virunga Region together with Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. The extra-activities to add on gorilla trekking safari in Uganda or Rwanda vary depending on the destination.
The captivating gorilla trekking add-ons in Uganda and Rwanda include gorilla habituation experience, chimpanzee tracking, birding or bird-watching, game drives, launch or boat cruise, mountaineering, cultural experiences, and city tours etc.
Chimpanzee tracking
The chimpanzee and gorilla combo offer amazing primate encounters. Both Uganda and Rwanda guarantee nature lovers a thrilling combo of chimpanzee tracking and gorilla trekking. On gorilla safari in Uganda, chimpanzee tracking opportunities are available in Kibale National Park, Kyambura Gorge, Kalinzu, and Budongo Forest Reserve. Over 5050 chimpanzees can be spotted in the various parts of Uganda, with over 1500 of them residing in the lush Kibale Forest National Park.
In Rwanda, Nyungwe Forest National Park and Gishwati-Mukura National Park are the only two places to visit for chimpanzee trekking. Nyungwe supports chimp population of about 500, and visitors can begin their search for chimpanzees from Uwinka or Cyamudongo sectors.
Golden monkey tracking
Golden monkey trekking is a perfect addition to consider when you embark on a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda or Rwanda. Golden monkey treks in Uganda are offered in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Visitors can engage in the trek with golden monkeys after or before mountain gorilla trekking. These are two independent primate adventures and each rewards primate enthusiasts with magical encounters with the world’s unique apes.
Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda is best experienced in Volcanoes National Park, Ruhengeri. Golden monkeys are among the unique primates you should expect to find in the jungle of the Virunga Mountain ranges. It can take you about 2-4 hours to track golden monkeys, and most of these primates roam around the Virunga Volcano slopes.
Birding/Bird-watching
Birding opportunities in Uganda and Rwanda are abundant. Birders can have an addition of gorilla trekking and bird-watching in the same gorilla destinations or other nearby birding sites. Uganda holds a total of about 1080 bird species, and Rwanda comprises about 700 species of birds, making these destinations amazing birding destinations.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park birding tours involve exploring some of its over 350 species of birds. Birds to find in Bwindi include handsome spurfowl, mountain oriole, regal sunbirds, Doherty’s bush shrikes, black bee-eaters, bar-tailed trogon, Jameson’s antpecker, red-faced woodland, Rwenzori nightjars, lagden’s bush shrikes, Rwenzori batis, short-tailed warblers, mountain yellow-warblers, red-throated alethe, strange weaver, dusky twin spot, collared apalis, and tit hylia, etc.
Birds in Mgahinga include the cape robin chat, dusky turtle dove, Rwenzori batis, Kivu ground thrush, Rwenzori turacos, moorland chat, double-collared sunbirds, speckled mousebird, blue-breasted bee-eaters, Chubb’s cisticola, streaky seedeaters, white-tailed blue flycatchers, olive woodpeckers, and more.
Volcanoes National Park bird species include strange weaver birds, red-faced woodland, handsome spurfowl, Rwenzori turacos, blue-spotted wood doves, Grauer’s rush warblers, Lagden’s bush shrike, Handsome francolins, crested barbet, blue-spotted wood dove, and bateleur.
Chimpanzee habituation
Want to spend more time with chimpanzees in their natural setting? If yes, then you have every reason to include the chimpanzee habituation experience on your gorilla tour in Uganda. Kibale and Budongo Forest Reserve are the ideal locations to visit for you to have a guided chimpanzee habituation experience. With chimpanzee habituation, you embark on a long day search for chimpanzees, mainly in the unhabituated communities. Chimpanzee habituation marks the first stage of converting the wild chimp communities to get familiar with human presence. This process is done to make chimps comfortable to human presence before officially being opened for chimpanzee tracking.
At Kibale or Budongo, you can spend a longer part of the day looking for chimpanzees with trackers, conservationists or scientists. As you follow chimpanzees, you have adequate time to observe how the chimps behave from the moment they wake to begin the day till evening when new nests are made for them to rest for the night.
Game viewing
Embark on a guided game viewing tour in Uganda or Rwanda, a great opportunity to witness a variety of savanna species. Game viewing in Uganda is excellently done in Queen Elizabeth National Park. At Queen Elizabeth National Park, expect to explore Kasenyi and Ishasha or Maramagambo Forest, Kyambura Gorge, and Kazinga channel.
Wildlife tour in Queen Elizabeth Park allows you to explore different wild animals, including Uganda Kobs, elephants, buffaloes, bush bucks, lions (plus the tree climbing lions), mongoose, leopards, giant forest hogs, and more. Queen Elizabeth National Park is strategically located in western Uganda, a region where you can easily connect to the Buhoma sector –the Northern sector of Bwindi.
Other possibilities to encounter wildlife in the savanna wilderness include Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo, and Lake Mburo National Park. Game drives and boat cruise tours offer incredible game viewing opportunities to nature enthusiasts
Whitewater rafting
Uganda offers the most memorable whitewater rafting experiences. The key areas of interest to start your whitewater rafting adventure in Uganda include the Source of the Nile River in Jinja and Murchison Falls National Park.
Mountaineering or hiking
Mountaineering/hiking offers a thrilling adventure as you conquer great heights in Uganda and Rwanda. The best places to visit for mountain climbing or hiking include the Rwenzori Mountain ranges, Mount Elgon, Gahinga, Sabyinyo, and Muhabura Volcanoes. Hiking places like Mount Rwenzori and Elgon requires a certain level of fitness for you to reach the summits.
Community visits or cultural tours
Community or cultural tours offer incredible interaction with residents. They are the perfect way to have a thrilling and authentic cultural experience. Often, gorilla trekking safaris include cultural tours to the Batwa pygmy community for the case of Uganda, and in Rwanda, cultural tours are done in the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village.
Cycling/mountain biking
Visitors can also be part of the unforgettable biking experiences. At Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, visitors can participate in the guided mountain biking tours in the nearby communities. The cycling adventures introduce you deep into the nearby communities, where you get a chance to witness some of the amazing practices. In Rwanda, expect to explore the Congo divide trail on an extended cycling or biking excursion.
What to pack for the Rwanda and Uganda safari
The items to include on a safari to Uganda or Rwanda include long-sleeved shirts, a daypack, long trousers, a camera, a pair of binoculars, waterproof hiking boots, a sweater, sunglasses, and bottled drinking water. You also require a valid visa, insect repellents, a passport, and other relevant travel documents.
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