BEST TIME TO BOOK A GORILLA TRACKING SAFARI
Gorilla tracking in the whole world wide is possible in the forested areas of East and central Africa the two countries of Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo respectively in Volcanoes, Bwindi impenetrable, Mgahinga gorilla and Virunga national parks.
To see these great apes one is required to have a gorilla tracking permit. As soon as you decide to travel and confirm your dates with your agent/ tour operator, you should start on a process of obtaining a permit and this is usually advised to do it 3-5 months before your travel date.
Each of the three countries have costs for gorilla permits that differ. At the moment a permit in Uganda is 700USD. The price of the Ugandan permit has increased the flow of visitor to the country than in Rwanda. DR Congo has the least price (400USD) but because of visited but since 2018 all has been at rest and the country is safe. To boast community development Rwanda increased its permit from 750USD to 1500USD. The permit only allows an hour with the gorillas however visitors can spend a lot more time (4 hours) when they opt for a gorilla habituation experience in Uganda at 1500USD. It is much easier to get a permit in the low season of March- April and May or November that the other days.
All the three countries can be visited all year around below are the best times to visit.
Uganda being astride the equator experiences two rainy seasons from October to November and mid-March to May and the rest months of June, July, August, September, Jan and February are dry though rain is not predictable. Rainfall ranges from 1000-2000mm and the high season can be crowded therefore you have to book accommodation and permits in advance. The low/wet season but you have to prepare for the rain but this doesn’t mean that it rains every other day during this season.
In Rwanda, the rains are experienced during the end of February, March, April and May, and most of the tourists don’t like visit during that time since it is always muddy and pretty wet hence hard to navigate the forest while tracking the mountain gorillas and the season’s back home influence much. But during these wet months, there is plenty of food for the gorillas and the temperatures are low on the lower slopes therefore the gorillas can be got easily on the lower slopes. If you choose to travel for your safari in these months, you will not have long treks.
Mountain gorillas in the Virunga National park, can be tracked any time in a year. However, some trails may be hard to navigate in the wet months of April/May, and October/November.
So, if you are to book a gorilla tracking safari, get in touch with a reliable tour operator in the region to help you in permit acquisition and also consider the seasons wet or dry, high or low and this will give you the best time when to visit or book your safari.
