Budget Gorilla Safaris in Bwindi
Bwindi is a famous destination for gorilla trekking located in south western part of Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the destinations where travelers can have budget gorilla trekking safaris throughout the year. The park is home to the highest concentration of mountain gorillas worldwide. Besides Uganda’s Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park, mountain gorillas can also be seen in Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda.
Budget gorilla safaris in Bwindi are designed by tour operators such as Caracal Explorers particularly for those with little money and would still want not to miss out on this magical encounter with mountain gorillas. Travellers are drawn to Bwindi because mountain gorillas are said to be man’s closest relatives, there fore, meeting them face to face in their natural habitat is a golden opportunity. However, gorilla trekking widely is every one’s dream come true and majority of the travelers have a belief that it’s an activity for rich travelers which is not true.
To defy the odds, Budget travelers also have an opportunity to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and encounter the once endangered mountain gorillas in their natural environment by securing the normal gorilla trekking permits, and other components such as budget accommodation, and utilising the low season which is subject to lees turn up of visitors and some of the services are on discount. Budget gorilla safaris in Bwindi take a duration of 2-3 days to reduce on the cost of food and accommodation since these depend on the number of days you spend in the park.
Affordable gorilla permits in Bwindi
The most affordable gorilla permits in Bwindi are the normal gorilla trekking permits that are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority and can be best secured by using a trusted local tour operator such as Caracal Explorers. Gorilla trekking permits cost $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, and UGX300,000 for East African citizens. However, travelers especially those planning to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the high peak season that begins in June to September and December to February are advised to book their gorilla trekking permits a head of schedule at least 4-5 months to avoid inconveniences or last-minute booking disappointments.
Budget accommodation in Bwindi gorilla park
Budget accommodation option is what is recommended for travellers seeking cheap gorilla trekking safaris in Bwindi. More still, each of the four gorilla trekking sectors of Bwindi offer affordable accommodation where visitors on budget gorilla trekking safaris can stay for a night or more nights.
Some of these affordable accommodation facilities in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park include Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort, Mutanda Eco Resort, Buhoma Community Bandas, Ride 4 A Woman, Gorilla Conservation Camp, BwindiNeck Lodge, Virunga Camp site, Broadbill safari Lodge, Bwindi Guest House, Wagtail Eco Safari Lodge, Nshongi Camp, 3 Way Gorilla Resort, Bwindi Backpackers, Ruhija Community Rest Camp, Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort, and others.
The cheapest way to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The best way to access Bwindi during budge gorilla safaris is by using road transport. This road transport to Bwindi can begin either from Kigali or Kampala/Entebbe. Travelers from Kigali access Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in time in a bout 4-5 hours by crossing to Uganda using the Katuna border in Kabale or Cyanika border in Kisoro and connecting to any of the park sectors such as Nkuringo, Rushaga, Ruhiga, and others. Alternatively, travelers from Kampala or Entebbe will use Masaka, Mbarara-highway through Ntungamo-Kabale, and Kisoro roads to connect to any of the gorilla trekking sectors. This road transport is long and takes some time but worth rewarding with stunning views of the surrounding areas and different stopovers.
The gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi
Gorilla trekking takes place in all sectors of the park at different information centres where the activity starts. Both budget and luxury travellers converge these information centers for a briefing from the park wardens. This briefing helps visitors to study the rules and regulations of the exercise and the expectations. More still, they also check the validity of the gorilla permits and groups for trekkers not to exceed 8 in number after trekkers are allocated ranger guides to lead them into the jungle.
Each group is assigned a gorilla family to trek and trekkers must a bide the rules and regulations from the armed ranger guides till they encounter their allocated mountain gorilla family. The trekking exercise takes you through different trails of the park where you may encounter unique and various park species such as primates, and birds before meeting the gorilla family.
The duration gorilla trekking experience may take 2-7 hours and the total time taken depends on the location of the mountain gorilla group from the previous location and the pace of the trekkers. Once the mountain gorilla family is spotted the trekkers must keep the rules and regulations of the activity as taught at the briefing centre. Ranger guides will give trekkers a maximum of an hour to interact with the assigned mountain gorilla family, study and watch the members do daily activities, take photos, and learn about their habits. Later they will trek out of the jungle, meet their safari drivers, and collect their trekking certificates for their tremendous support towards the conservation of mountain gorillas.
Best time to have cheap gorilla tours in Bwindi
Budget gorilla trekking safaris in Bwindi can be done throughout the year but the best time would be during the rainy season. During this period which occurs from March to May and October to November, lodges are very cheap and so travelers would enjoy huge discounts on accommodation. Visitors should however note that in the wet season, there is plenty of rainfall, the trekking trails are slick, muddy and slippery, the vegetation is tall and thick obscuring views of mountain gorillas, and the roads leading to the park sectors are in bad condition and hard to navigate.
Travelers can still have affordable gorilla trekking safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the dry season which starts from June to September and December to February. During this season, the park receives little rainfall, the trekking trails are dry and passable, vegetation is short and scattered with clear visibility of the mountain gorillas, photography is excellent and the roads leading to the park are in good state.
