Why go for one when there is an option of going for four? We say, why spend only one hour with the mountain gorillas when there is an opportunity of spending up to four hours to get more information on their behavior, and family compositions and take as many photos as you can? The Gorilla Habituation Experience only offered in the incredible Bwindi Impenetrable Forest gives travelers the opportunity to spend up to four hours in the presence of the Giant Apes in their natural habitat. For this experience, you will be following the rarely-walked forest trails to search and spend time with semi-habituated gorillas (or those still undergoing training to become fully used to humans’ presence). However, this doesn’t mean you will be visiting totally raw/unhabituated gorillas but rather those that are still undergoing the habituation process.
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It will interest you to know that over half of the World’s entire mountain gorilla population calls the dense jungle of Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks home and the opportunity to trek them in their natural habitats is an experience that is second to none. These two Parks, together with Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and DRC’s Virunga National Parks are the only places you will “ever” meet the mountain gorillas. You will have only one hour for watching and photographing them during standard gorilla treks but if you feel it’s not enough to learn about them, you can book for your Gorilla Habituation Experience only offered in Bwindi Forest.
With the Gorilla Habituation Experience, visitors play a more active role in protecting as well as understanding these Giant Apes, while joining a team of Park Rangers, conservationists, and Researchers in the habituation process (training) of two gorilla families in Bwindi, to make them accustomed to human presence. For the habituation experience, visitors have up to four exciting hours with these gentle, calm, and intelligent beings.
How Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Forest is done
Like standard gorilla treks, the Habituation Experience starts with an early trek into the jungles by a team of expert trackers and scouts who have to follow any tracks left by these Giant Apes in form of gorilla nests from the previous night, broken vegetation, and droppings. Gorilla treks would have taken even an entire day if not for these trackers and therefore, expect to spend anywhere between 3 and 6 hours to finally find the mountain gorilla group.
Meet other visitors at the Park Headquarters (in Nkuringo or Rushaga sectors) for a briefing that will get them acquainted with the rules and protocols to be followed while tracking, watching, or interacting with these Gentle Giants. After several hours of searching for the mountain gorillas, you will be given up to four hours for photography, gorilla videography, and observation, while following the issued guidelines. This time is enough to have a detailed insight into the calm and exciting lives of these wonderful creatures, and ask as many questions as possible, that few visitors get to experience. However, this activity is limited to only four visitors per family, per day hence making it more private and enjoyable.
While you take time to watch the mountain gorillas, interacting with one another in their family, you will clearly see or understand the thrilling similarities between mankind and the Mountain gorillas. A heartwarming experience!
Permit Cost for Gorilla Habituation Experience
Permits for the Gorilla Habituation Experience cost more than standard treks. They go for only $1500 per person for the foreign non-residents, $1000 for the foreign residents, and shs. 750,000 for the East African residents. However, these costs are worth it because you have four hours with the Great Apes.
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When is the perfect time to undertake Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Forest?
Given Uganda’s closeness to the Equator means that the temperatures, as well as daylight hours in the jungles of Bwindi, won’t change much from month to month. You will notice that some days are humid and hot- between 20 and 25 Celsius degrees, sometimes dropping even to 17 Celsius degrees in the wet months. The months of June to September as well as December to February are considered the driest in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. These months receive lower rainfall levels hence making it less muddy and slippery to walk through. However, being a rainforest, you should never expect total dryness.
The months of March, April, May, October, and November are the wet/rainy months, but if you are looker for a cheaper (lodges offering discounted rates) and more secluded Gorilla Habituation Experience, then you will consider visiting during these months. Also, they are perfect months for photography, owing to the fact that rains clear the air of dust and vegetation is lusher thus providing the best photos.
Ultimate Packing List for Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Forest
Keep in mind that the Gorilla Habituation Experience is undertaken in the dense rainforest and through rugged terrains hence you have to dress appropriately. For this reason, we always advise Ibuth Safaris visitors to pack sturdy and rainproof hiking boots and garters, wide-brimmed hats, and sunglasses for sun protection, binoculars for sighting other creatures-wildlife and birds of the forest, breathable rain jackets, safari pants, lightweight backpacks, reusable water bottles, cameras, to mention but a few. Also, consider hiring a porter to carry your camera equipment and offer support while trekking because hiking for 6 hours isn’t a joke.
Accommodation Options in Bwindi while enjoying Gorilla Habituation Experience
Bwindi has numerous accommodation facilities for all categories of travelers but for your Gorilla Habituation Experience, it is advisable to book places of stay within the Nkuringo or Rushaga sectors. These include Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Nkuringo Safari Lodge, Chameleon Hill Forest Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Crested Crane Bwindi Hotel, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, and Gorilla Heights Lodge among others.
Ways of Getting to Bwindi for Gorilla Habituation Experience
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is found in the extreme southwestern corner of Uganda and is accessible by air or road. From Entebbe/or Kampala, you can take a one-and-a-half flight to Kisoro Airstrip, then continue for another two hours by road to Bwindi’s southern sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo. Alternatively, you can opt for scenic road trips from Kampala/Entebbe to Bwindi and it takes about 8 to 9 hours with en-route stops for photography, meals, and stretching. Visitors can also connect from Kigali (Rwanda) via the Cyanika border and the journey takes only 3-4 hours.
