What is the best time to have a gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest?: A gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park can be done at any time of the year. The best time for a gorilla safari in Bwindi is always the dry season a period when the country is receiving little rainfall and plenty of sunshine. The good weather favors the activities and also tourists who come from countries that experience winter.
For tourists to have the best of gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, we advise them to visit the park during the dry season. June to September and December to February are the best times when tourists can visit the park. The rainy season can also be used to visit Bwindi but its weather is not as good as the dry season. Below let’s look at the dry and rainy season in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The dry season in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
The driest months of the year would be the best times to have a gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. June, July, August, September, December, January, and February are the best months to have a gorilla safari in Bwindi. These are the months with little rainfall and plenty of sunshine.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park becomes easy and fun during the times when the weather is good. When there is no or little rainfall in the park, the trekking trails are dry and passable which makes it easy for trekkers to access the mountain gorilla family. The time taken to get to the mountain gorillas is not as long as that taken when the trails are slippery.
When there is little or no rainfall in the park the vegetation does not grow at a very high speed and the trekkers find it short and scattered. This gives a clear view of the mountain gorillas within the family. Tourists who love to photograph for future memories find it easy to capture the best images as well as videos. Short vegetation comes also comes with a clear view of other attractions within the park.
A gorilla trekking safari is also best done in the dry season a time when roads leading to the park are passable. The little or no rainfall keeps the roads very dry and passable which eases the movement of vehicles. Tourists reach their destinations on time because there are no difficulties for example the vehicle getting stuck in the muddy roads because the too much sunshine keeps the roads dry.
The rainy season in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
The rainy season March, May, October, and November is also another time for tourists to visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The park is open throughout the year for gorilla safaris therefore tourists can still come during the rainy season. Those coming in the low season should know that the weather is not good for it’s characterized by too much rainfall and little sunshine.
During the rainy season, too much weather makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery which affects the speed of trekkers. The time taken to locate a mountain gorilla far from the starting point is always longer. Vegetation is always wet which wets the clothes of the trekkers. The trekking shoes come out of the jungle very dirty due to lots of mud.
Vegetation during the rainy season is always tall and thick and this affects sightings. The mountain gorillas and other wildlife species in tall vegetation cover may not spotted clearly. Tourists who love capturing images and recording videos may not have the best of the mountain gorillas in case they are covered by vegetation.
The roads leading to the park tend to be muddy and slippery during the rainy season. Too much rainfall makes the driver guides take longer to access the lodges or trekking sectors in case the roads are muddy and slippery. The rainy season however favors the budget travelers who are looking for cheap safaris. The lodges reduce prices in that period to attract a few of the tourists visiting the park.
Gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Both gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park have a main goal of seeing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. However, the difference is gorilla trekking involves 8 trekkers being around mountain gorillas for 1 hour while gorilla habituation gives 4 trekkers an opportunity of being around mountain gorillas for 4 hours.
Gorilla trekking and habituation in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park start early in the morning with a briefing from the sector headquarters. The rangers teach the trekkers about the rules and regulations of the activity. Those going for gorilla trekking are grouped and given armed ranger guides to lead them in the jungle. The same is done to those going for gorilla habituation and these are added researchers and doctors.
Trekkers are driven to the starting points where they head into the jungle and look for where the mountain gorillas could be. The search for mountain gorillas takes 2 to 5 hours depending on the location of the gorilla family and the speed of trekkers. During the search, trekkers get to meet several wildlife species, water sources and vegetation within the jungle.
Chances of seeing mountain gorillas within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park are very high and once a gorilla family is located trekkers are given to be around the members. Gorilla trekking is a one hour activity around mountain gorillas watching them carry out daily activities where as habituation is a 4 hour activity that comes with an opportunity to be part of the activities that make the apes get used to human presence around them.
How much does it cost to get a gorilla permit for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park?
To see mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park one must have a gorilla permit which is a document issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to allow tourists to encounter mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The cost of a mountain gorilla permit depends on whether one wants to go trekking or habituation.
Gorilla trekking costs $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 Rest of Africa, and UGX300,000 citizens of East African member states. Gorilla habituation costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents, and UGX750,000 citizens of East African member states.