Where to See Gorillas in Africa? : Gorillas represent among the most endangered and interesting species on the planet today. These magnificent African creatures exist naturally within dense forests together with mountainous landscapes of East and Central Africa. Watching gorillas in their native forests remains the desire of all serious wildlife observers despite being a difficult goal to achieve. Gorillas exist in various regions across Africa but visitors can only observe them in particular areas which mainly include Uganda together with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This is the guide to help you answer a few questions of where gorillas live within Africa, how much Trekking them costs while helping you choose the right destination to go see them according to your preferences and choice, here are the 3 top countries with these Magnificent primates in Africa.
Uganda “The Pearl of Africa”
Gorilla trekking stands as a top attraction throughout Africa and Uganda represents one of its prime destinations for this activity. Mountain gorillas inhabit more than half of their natural population in Uganda at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
Bwindi impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and stands as one of the leading destinations for trekking the Mountain Gorillas in Uganda and Africa, the southwestern part of Uganda homes Bwindi Impenetrable Forest covering 331 square kilometres with approximately 600 mountain gorillas residing inside it. The wild terrain and steep slopes together with dense vegetation characterize Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park which presents challenging conditions for the trekking experience.
Sightseeing gorillas in their untouched natural habitat serves as a sufficient reward for all the trekking challenges. Tourists visit Bwindi frequently to pursue gorilla tracking because several groups/Families exist there that accept people’s presence. Visitors who want to trek gorillas have various options between Buhoma and Ruhija and Rushaga and Nkuringo sections. The experience at each sector varies because each area presents different mountain terrains.
MGAHINGA GORILLAS NATIONAL PARK
The southern Uganda park of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is smaller than its neighbour Bwindi and protected a small mountain gorilla population. Visitors at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park have a distinctive gorilla trekking opportunity because the park is adjacent to the Virunga Mountains that stretch across Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tourists can have an up-close gorilla exploration experience at this park because the destination maintains its remote quality and few visitor densities.
- Rwanda: The Land of a Thousand Hills
Rwanda stands as one of the prime locations for gorilla trekking due to its famous title as the “Land of a Thousand Hills.” Volcanoes National Park ranks as the prime gorilla trekking destination in Rwanda because it exists in northwest Rwanda close to both Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park finds itself within the Virunga Mountains and remains famous because Dian Fossey selected it as her base to dedicate her life to gorilla research and protection. The natural habitat where you can observe gorillas exists in this park and it contains a fascinating historical legacy. Visitors can explore different gorilla groups throughout Volcanoes National Park through their interactions with the Susa group and Karisimbi group as well as Amahoro group and Hirwa group.
Visitors can select from different trekking activities at the park because it has both easy and challenging hikes leading to distinct gorilla families. Travelers choose Rwanda for trekking activities due to its convenient access from Kigali City since the capital lies only a couple of hours through the roads.
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo:
The Democratic Republic of the Congo hosts one of the wilderness areas most rugged for gorilla visitation. The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virunga National Park identifies as a premier gorilla viewing destination across Africa even though political instability affects certain areas. The park exists as a member of the Virunga Mountains that spread across the borders connecting the DRC to Uganda and Rwanda.
Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Beiga National Park
The oldest national park in Africa exists as Virunga National Park which functions as both a World Heritage Site managed by UNESCO. Mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas live within the same territory of this area. The park preserves many different species of wildlife thanks to its extensive natural beauty which provides an isolated adventure experience for active tourists. Local guide services at Virunga National Park include conductors who additionally participate in gorilla conservation work.
Fans of wildlife must brave the journey to socially stable regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo so they can experience the rewarding adventure of visiting Virunga National Park. The DRC attracts most of its visitors because they get to observe gorillas in their natural habitat without human interference.
Best Time to Visit
Visiting the African gorilla habitats should occur during dry periods because the trekking situation improves throughout these seasons. The dry months of Africa stretch between June to September and again from December to February. Visitors can take advantage of the dry months since paths remain less muddy and weather becomes more dependable which makes the trekking experience more pleasant and less challenging.
Visitors can conduct gorilla trekking programs throughout the year in Rwanda even though rainier months may prove more difficult to navigate. The dry periods in Uganda and DRC match each other and the wet seasons run parallel.
Gorilla Trekking Permits
Among the required elements for witnessing wild gorillas are local gorilla trekking permits that have different prices dependent on specific countries. Non foreign residents need to pay $800 for every person to trek gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga while foreign residents pay $700 and African residents pay 300,000. Tourists visiting Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda must pay a high fee of $1,500 for non foreign residents,$500 for foreign residents and $200 for Africans. Visitors who want to trek in Virunga along with Kahuzi Beiga National Park must pay $400 as the standard permit fee per person in the DRC.
Conclusion
Visitors can see wild gorillas through some of the world-class encounters offered by Uganda and Rwanda together with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The main mountain gorilla observation sites exist within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest together with Volcanoes National Park and Virunga National Park. Visitors can discover different experiences across the three locations because Bwindi provides rugged conditions while Volcanoes features historical sites and Virunga features untouched wilderness.
