Gorilla Safaris

This luxury gorilla safari starts in Rwanda with the visit to the mountain gorillas in the mist offering the luxury gorilla safari adventure and it is so sweet and full of African jungle experiences only you can measure. The focus of this gorilla trip is a visit to Volcanoes National Park and track the endangered mountain gorillas, then spend an hour in their presence watching them go on their daily chores that reflect human like cultures.

Logistically this safari itinerary requires a morning or early afternoon arrival flight into Rwanda as on day 1 you have a guided city tour around Kigali and a visit to the genocide memorial center before driving down to the forests of Volcanoes National Park.

Start your second day of your private luxury gorilla safari adventure after an early breakfast and take a country road trip north-west to Volcanoes National Park where the mountain gorilla flourishes. In case you didn’t have an opportunity to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, this can be done in the morning before you head into the countryside.

The gorilla trek itself is between 3 and 5 hours or longer. It is well worth it and the experience of a lifetime for you. Simply a most amazing and most memorable experience and you will have that experience twice, in two different countries and locations.

After being fill with the Rwanda gorilla safari experience and stay at the Virunga safari lodge then cross to Kisoro in Uganda and then drive to the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and stay at Mount Gahinga Lodge as you wait for your next day gorilla trekking experience in the mist. This park is similar to the Volcanoes and Virunga as it is part of the Virunga massifs. Therefore, on Uganda side any one taking the light gorilla photography it is Mgahinga to go. As we are taking luxury gorilla safari in East Africa and staying at the Volcanoes collection continue to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for your third gorilla safari experience in the mist and stay at Bwindi Lodge.

You will be escorted into the misty jungles to find your nemesis. These gentle giants light up all your natural love for the wild and alter all your perceptions about wild creatures that occupy jungles across the world. It’s a moment you want to keep forever so make sure you’re ready to be rewarded your courage to come to Africa. You will not stay with them for more than one hour, the intelligent guys think you may agitate their inner beings and maybe transfer some diseases if you stay longer.

After your encounter, you’ll be led back to the lodge but first, setup yourself a cool picnic spot in the jungle and have your packed lunch.

You can choose to take the Batwa trail if you still got the guts for it. The Batwa are the native tribe that occupied the jungle before it was turned into a National Park and closed off to them. Today they occupy boundaries of the forest and showcase their cultures to visitors. In our part to support the Batwa communities, we take our visitors through some of their prepared showcases.

Mountain gorillas are shy endangered ground dwelling apes, tailless, black in color and herbivorous in that I mean that they feed on grass, tree leaves, stem, foliage and some fruits. These apes are big in size weighing up to about 210 kilograms and reach up to 1.5-meter height when standing.

These apes live in a group named “troop” led by the dominant Silver back, they usually small huts for shelter constructed out of tree leaves and grassroots. Africa is a great destination mostly known for Mountain Gorillas by travelers which are located in the Eastern part of it in countries named Uganda and Rwanda.

Uganda is one of the mostly known gorilla hosting countries in the World and it’s found in the Eastern part of the African continent bordering South Sudan in the North, Kenya in the East, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in the West and Tanzania in the South.

It is known to be hosting the most part of the World’s gorilla population, it has a wide range of wildlife primates to visit in its top ten national Parks plus wide scope of different bird species to sight without ignoring tremendous physical features including Mountain Rwenzori and Elgon, falls with River Nile sourcing from here and that’s why Uganda is called “The Pearl of Africa” really you will witness it on your gorilla photo safari in Uganda.

While in Uganda the Shy endangered mountain gorillas are only found in two major National Parks named Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Therefore, if you are looking forward to doing a gorilla photo safari in Uganda Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park will be your turning point.

Bwindi impenetrable Forest National Park:

It is a protected area located in the western part of Uganda home to the part of the World’s shy endangered Mountain Gorillas. This park is part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and is situated along the Democratic Republic of the Congo border next to the Virunga National Park and on the edge of the Albertine Rift. Composed of 331km² of both montane and lowland forest, it is accessible only on foot since its characterized with thick impenetrable forest where the Mountain Gorillas live.

It provides habitat for 120 species of mammals, 348 species of birds, 220 species of butterflies, 27 species of frogs, chameleons, geckos, and many endangered species. Floristically, the park is among the most diverse forests in East Africa, with more than 1,000 flowering plant species, including 163 species of trees and 104 species of ferns.

It is known to be hosting the most part of Uganda’s Gorilla population grouped in four sectors named Buhoma, Nkuringo, Ruhija and Rushaga sector with each having more than two Gorilla families apart from Nkuringo sector which has only one Gorilla family. Rushaga sector located in the South Eastern part of Bwindi is known to be with the most Gorilla families for trekking.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park:

It is also located in the Western part of Uganda near Bwindi inclusive of the Virunga Massif. It includes three of the eight Virunga Mountains volcanoes: Mount Muhabura, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Sabyinyo. These dormant volcanoes are international mountains, with Muhabura and Gahinga on the Uganda/Rwanda border, and Sabyinyo a tripoint on the Uganda/Rwanda/Democratic Republic of the Congo borders.

It covers 33.7km2 of Area, it is characterized with both tropical moist broad leaf forests and montane forests and it’s known to be the second Gorilla hosting destination in Uganda with only one Gorilla family for trekking named the Nyakagezi family being led by a dominant silverback named mark.

Since Mgahinga is near Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo borders these Gorillas usually cross borders and that’s why it was not stable. Apart from Gorillas it’s also known for other wildlife primates like Golden Monkeys which are usually found in the Bamboo forests.

Rwanda is also among the top destinations known for mountain gorillas in Africa and it’s also located in the eastern part of the African Continent near Uganda the Pearl of Africa. It borders Democratic republic of Congo and Uganda in the North, Tanzania in the East, Congo in the South and Burundi in the South.

Shy Endangered Mountain gorillas in Rwanda are only found in Volcanoes National Park which is the mostly known destination to visit in Rwanda commonly known for the gorillas plus Golden monkeys among other wildlife primates. Therefore, planning for your gorilla photo safaris in Rwanda Volcanoes National Park should be your turning point.

Volcanoes National Park:

It is located in the north western part of Rwanda created in 1925 to protect the shy endangered Mountain gorillas which were exposed to hunting. It borders Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. It is home to five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo), and spans 160 km² covered in rain forest and bamboo forest.

It has over twelve Gorilla families for trekking in its jungle and some of the Gorilla families include Susa, Kwitonda, Umubano, Amahoro, Sabyinyo, Agasha, Hirwa, Bwenge and Ugenda Gorilla family. Always a group of eight people is allowed per gorilla family.

Lake Mutanda is a hidden jewel in the mountainous land scape of south-western Uganda, in Kisoro district and its one of the most scenic lakes in Africa, located in a dramatic land scape of lush and verdant sprawling highlands.

The 15 islands of Lake Mutanda are hardly touched, with only one inhabited by a local community and few have been tiled to grow crops & tree plantations.

There are also two islands that earned the name punishment islands for being the places where criminals and the misfits of the society were taken and then dumped a punishment.

Unmarried pregnant girls, the elderly with no one to care for them, criminals such as thieves, and unwanted people from the region would be tied & taken to the island and left to die there. There are many activities that you can engage in at Lake Mutanda as below

Boat rides

This is the main activity that offers a mind-refreshing experience as you ride through the tranquil and cool waters of this Lake as you explore some of the riveting wildlife species like the African Claw-less otter and several bird species, the spectacular views of the Landscapes and the astonishing scenery of the surrounding areas.

Boat rides within this Lake are conducted mainly conducted in the morning before the water of Lake Mutanda changes course and is still calm without tides.

Bird watching

Interesting bird species can be sighted within this lake including the Pin-tailed Whydah, Kites, Malachite Kingfisher, weaver birds, Great Cormorant, Ibis, the Grey-crowned cranes, pied kingfishers and sun-birds among others.

This enables tourists to combine other activities with bird watching. Imagine yourself relaxing and you spot birds and hear sweet melodies of birds, this is what awaits you around Lake Mutanda.

Relaxing and chilling

It is very relaxing when you visit a place like Lake Mutanda where all you will see is nature and hear the sounds and melodies of the birds.

You can just sit and relax on the Verandas of the Safari lodges for example Mutanda lake Resort as you enjoy the spectacular views of the lake, or take photos of the area around.

Nature walks

There is nothing as interesting as hiking around a Lake that is surrounded by undulating hills, beautiful Islands and local communities that live around Lake Mutanda in order to explore life in a typical rural Ugandan Village.

Interact with the Batwa community

Tourists who visit Lake Mutanda can also visit the Batwa communities especially within Southern sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and also the more exciting Batwa trail around Mgahinga National Park.

When you visit these communities, you will be able to learn about their ancient lifestyles and cultures when they still lived in the forests or get entertained in their invigorating traditional dances.

Bwindi is an old forest which survived the massive plate shift that lead to the formation of the beautiful western rift. Best known for its gorilla trekking safaris, and within this verdant forest you will also find a deep swamp.

There are over 340 bird species and 310 species of trees several butterflies and the ferns. Other wildlife living within this forest include: chimpanzees and this is the only place where you will find the chimpanzees happily co-existing with the mountain gorillas.

Others include Vervet Monkeys, Olive Baboons, Red-Tailed Monkeys, the Pottos, Duiker Antelopes, Black & White Colobus Monkeys, Civets, L Hoests Monkeys, Blue, Bush babies, Bush pigs, Forest Hogs, Side-Striped Jackals, Clawless Otter, Golden Cats, Genets as well as bats among several others.

The park has got a lot to do during your visit. From the popular gorilla treks to nature walks through well-developed trails, you will enjoy explorations through the impenetrable jungles of Bwindi.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an outdoor paradise for wildlife watchers, hiking enthusiasts, family vacationers, outdoor lovers, and photographers of all skill levels.

Gorilla Trekking

The Mountain Gorillas are among Uganda’s top tourist attraction. While trekking these great apes, the experience and excitement you encounter while with them is really worthwhile.

Tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Forest can be conducted all year round. Most gorilla trekkers prefer visiting the mountain gorillas from June to September as well as from December up to February.

You can visit Bwindi at any time of the year, the low season calls for cheaper gorilla permit price but generally there is small difference in the seasons.

Gorilla Habituation

Besides the popular gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi, the Uganda Wildlife Authority introduced gorilla habituation since January 2014. This activity can only be done in Bwindi Forest!

The number of tourists is limited to 4 only who can spend four hours observing gorillas excluding time spent when searching for them. Gorillas are still wild or semi-habituated and unstable.

Viewing them depends on the mood they are found in that very day; however, researchers, guides and trackers are experienced with ethics of gorilla behavior to give you a memorable gorilla habituation experience.

You begin with briefing from the guides at Ruhija gorilla center, and then you’re led by rangers hike through forests. Once gorillas are located, tourists are helped and involved in the habituation process by researchers, guides and trackers.

You’ll spend four hours observing, photographing and learning how gorilla behavior adopts to human presence. Upon return from the forest you’re awarded a gorilla habituation experience certificate for your lifetime memories.

Bird watching

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a birdwatcher’s paradise. It homes over 351 species of birds including 23 Albertine Rift endemics such as Rusty-faced woodland Warbler, Bar-tailed Trogon, Short-tailed Warbler, Kivu Ground Thrush and White-tailed Blue Monarch among others, which are hard to spot in any other part of East Africa. This Park was also selected as Africa’s number one birding site.

The Batwa experience

The Batwa were the indigenous inhabitants of the forest and had lived there thousands of years even before the Bantu people (considered the cultivators of land) arrived.

The Batwa commonly referred as the pygmies were initially hunter-gatherers and settled in the jungles of South-western Uganda and beyond. This Batwa experience involves tourists exploring these people’s ancient way of life.

Forest walk

A forest walk discovers all the secret treasures in Bwindi, which most clients have frequently missed out. Forest walks can be very essential as an additional therapy for those with high levels of stress.

To retain energy, hikers are reminded to bring along enough drinking water, snacks and soft foods which are energy giving as well as putting on hiking boots, gloves, huts to help in the sun, long sleeved shirts and trousers to control the unpredictable forest weather.