Planning for combined gorilla safaris in Uganda and Rwanda are an incredible way of exploring South West Uganda and North East Rwanda. There is only one thing better that Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Uganda and that is mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda! Combining both countries will give you an incredible gorilla trekking experience but also a unique insight into this part of East Africa. You will encounter many differences as well as similarities in the people and culture that will leave you with a deeper understanding of the region.

The majestic mountains, rolling hills and lush grassy lowlands of Rwanda create a beautiful wild and untamed piece of Africa. Nicknamed ‘Pays des Mille Collines’, meaning ‘Country of a Thousand Hills’ in French, this tiny landlocked country dwarfed by its neighbours is brimming with colossal landscapes and striking scenery. Rwanda holidays are famous for taking you to the home of mountain gorillas, an incredible wildlife moment filled with both adventure and tranquillity. However Rwanda has so much more to offer its visitors.

After the horrendous and unforgettable events of 1994, Rwanda has prospered into a calm, hopeful and charming country eager to welcome and host guests. Travel to the north of the country and to the home of half of the world’s wild gorilla population, Parc National des Volcans. Be prepared to trek up to altitudes of 3,000km and for five hours a day through thick vegetation, mud and regular rain showers. But encountering a troop, watching these rare, captivating gentle giants in the peaceful atmosphere of the jungle is a truly outstanding reward for your hard work. By no means a spontaneous or bargain holiday, with permits costing $1500 and selling out months in advance, it’s all worth it when face-to-face with the gorillas building their nest for a midday rest, collecting fruit and cuddling their young.

A gorilla trek within the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a highlight of all visits done in Uganda and certainly mountain gorillas are the major reason as to why very many people visit Uganda.  On the other hand, Uganda is recognized as a very safe and more so secure country in which you can see these gorillas in serene surroundings. Every gorilla permit goes for US$ 600 while in April, May and November 2017 they will go for US $ 450. On a single day, nearly 80 people travel into Bwindi to see gorillas and only 8 people are allowed to see a gorilla family.

It is true that most travelers have been confusing mountain gorilla habituation with chimpanzee habituation, but the two are not the same at all. Uganda is blessed to be one of the three countries in the whole world with the mountain gorillas, great apes that stretch across the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and the democratic republic of Congo.

The two experiences both in Uganda are different in the following ways:

Mountain gorilla habituation is done in the southern part of the country in the national parks of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. On the other hand, chimpanzee in Uganda is in the western part of the country in the Kibale forest national park. Travelers should know that the tow primates a re in totally and far away places.

Concerning the costs, it costs a traveler 1500usd to access the gorilla habituation permit at the Uganda wild life authority. Concerning the chimpanzee habituation permit, it costs 220usd, which is quite cheaper as compared to the mountain gorilla habituation permit.

However, both habituation experiences permits can be accessed at the Uganda wild life authority responsible for wild life in the whole of Uganda.

The number of people allowed to participate in mountain gorilla habituation done in Rushaga is limited to 4 people where as the population of 12 people are allowed to participate in the chimpanzee habituation experience which makes the two experiences different.

The limitation of individual to only four people in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has limited the number of permits despite of the many gorilla families. This is contrary to chimpanzee habituation in kibale forest national park where 12 people are allowed to interact wit the gorillas, the difference in the number of people make the two experiences different.

While in mountain gorilla habituation process, travelers follow a family of gorillas that they may be allocated to, where as a community of chimpanzees is followed by travelers in the process. Mountain gorillas behave differently from the chimpanzees and the difference in behaviors makes the two experiences totally different.

Travelers taking a mountain gorilla habituation experience are allowed to spend a maximum of 4 hours with the gorillas, whereas travelers spend the whole day with the chimpanzee in the habituation process. This difference in the time spent with the two apes make the two experiences different.

However, both mountain gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experiences require one to book in advance for the permits. This is to ensure easy allocation of the gorilla family and chimpanzee community early enough and to avoid inconveniences in the last days.

Though the time spent is not the same, it is quite higher in both experiences as compared to trekking experiences, which is related to habituation.

Mountain gorilla habituation as of 2016 is only done in Uganda in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park part of the virunga conservation area shared across the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and the democratic republic of Congo.

Chimpanzee habituation is done in the Kibale forest national park in the western part of Uganda. Travelers are reminded to keep a distance, carry nothing but only the camera with no flashes, raincoats, jackets and long sleeved shirts and trousers. Sick travelers are not allowed to participate in the two experiences and porters are highly needed especially in gorilla habituation experience.

In conclusion therefore, chimpanzee and gorilla habituation is believed to be the great wildlife encounter in the whole world.

The two experiences are totally different from one another and it would be better for a traveler to participate in both for the greater and memorable experience.

In the Africa tourism and travel industry, Uganda is not often considered among the top holiday destinations. The country is overshadowed by its more famous East African neighbours, Kenya and Tanzania, as well as South Africa, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia in the South. However, travel enthusiasts with better information know that a safari in Uganda is an experience incomparable to any you can have in other African countries.

If you have never considered traveling to Uganda before, read this post to discover why you should. Henry Morton Stanley and Sir Winston Churchill were not crazy to refer to Uganda as the pearl of Africa.

1. Gorilla trekking and other primates safaris
Have you ever watched the 1998 movie Mighty Joe Young? Or the Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). Did you find them interesting? Of course, being movies, they have several exaggerations, but they well capture our (human’s) fascination with chimpanzees, gorillas, and other apes, considered our close relatives. What better way could there possibly be to satisfy this fascination, than taking a gorilla tracking safari to see these primates in their natural habitat.

Gorilla trekking is without doubt the number one tourist attraction in Uganda. The country is home to one of the world’s largest population of mountain gorillas, the biggest of all apes. Every year, thousands of visitors travel to Uganda just to observe these mighty apes in their true home in the wild. The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the most popular gorilla trekking destination in Uganda. Generally though, gorillas are also found in the Virunga mountains forest region, which transverses the Uganda, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo borders.

Be warned however, gorilla trekking is not an easy exercise. Most often, you will have to trek for two hours or more in dense forest terrain before sighting the first troop of gorillas. You therefore need to be healthy and reasonably fit to undertake this activity. The Uganda government restricts the numbers of people allowed to go tracking gorillas at any one time. As a result, gorilla trekking permits are in very high demand. To stand a good chance therefore, you should purchase your permit from a reputable tour operator at least three months before your intended date of travel.

You can find more information about mountain gorillas at the African Wildlife Foundation website. For some great gorilla trekking packages, visit the real adventures website here

Besides gorillas, other primates you can see in Uganda include chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, mangabeys, baboons, and many more monkey species.

2. Beautiful scenery and stunningly amazing landscape
Scenic Uganda landscape at Kabale area

Scenic Uganda landscape at Kabale area. Image source: Edirisa in Wikimedia Commons

In the book My African journey, Sir Winston Churchill describes Uganda as a scarcely describable beautiful garden. You may think that this has changed much since the time Churchill wrote that in 1908. But even today, Uganda still retains its amazing scenic beauty, one that very few other African countries can rival. Read this first hand experience of an independent traveler in Uganda if you think I’m bluffing.

Some of the beautiful places you must visit in Uganda include the spectacular Murchison falls, Lake Bunyonyi and its many tiny islands, Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria, the Kabale and Kisoro areas, the Kidepo valley national park in the Karamoja region, Mount Elgon near the Kenyan border, the snow-capped Rwenzori mountains – also known as the mountains of the moon, and Queen Elizabeth national park among others. Simply put, Uganda’s majestic rivers, green rolling mountains, and other natural features are the perfect setting for the most exhilarating scenic tours in Africa.

3. Spectacular African wildlife safaris
A tree-climbing lion at Ishasha region in Queen Elizabeth National Park of Uganda

A tree-climbing lion at Ishasha region in Queen Elizabeth National Park of Uganda. Image source: Cody Pope at Wikimedia commons..

You have probably heard of the tree-climbing lions of Lake Manyara national park in Tanzania. But did you know that you can find the same in Uganda? The Ishasha plains of the Queen Elizabeth national park is the place to be to witness this.

In fact, you can see all of the big five African animals in Uganda. The Murchison Falls, Kidepo valley, and Queen Elizabeth national parks are among the best destinations for wildlife safaris in Uganda. They all have four of the big five, rhinos being the exception, plus an array of several other African animals. Like in other Africa destinations, leopards may be harder to spot in the wild because of their elusive and nocturnal nature.

There was a time when there were plenty of rhinos all over Uganda. However, the poaching menace, plus civil wars, led to their near extinction in the country. Today, the Ziwa Rhino Sanctaury is the only place you are assured of seeing rhinos in Uganda.

Of course, you cannot compare Uganda to Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, or South Africa when talking about wildlife safaris. But the country does offer a unique experience that you will not find elsewhere. You will find both the cape buffalo and the smaller forest buffalos, the savanna elephants and the smaller forest elephants, and hundreds of other animal species. You can also go on a chimpanzee tracking safari at the Kibale forest national park.

4. Great Opportunities for adventure sports and travel

The Nile, the longest river in Africa and in the world, has its source in Uganda. If you love extreme sports and adventure, the white Nile presents you some of the most exhilarating adventure opportunities. Popular adventure activities in Uganda include kayaking (from class II to class VI), white water rafting, and bungee jumping, all in the white Nile. You can also go sport fishing in Lake Victoria and at the foot of the Murchison Falls.

Owing to its hilly terrain, Uganda also has many excellent hiking and trekking trails, among them Mt. Elgon. You can even go mountain climbing in the snow-capped Ruwenzori mountains. Compared to the more famous Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) and Mt Kenya (Kenya), the mountains of the moon are less crowded with other tourists, yet they are just as challenging.

5. Rich African cultural heritage
Like several other African countries, Uganda has a very rich historical and cultural heritage. The most prominent destination for cultural travel in Uganda is the Kabaka trail.

The Kabaka is the king of the Baganda kingdom, a kingdom that dates back to the 14th century. The kingdom is still intact today, and its members practise some of the cultural and traditional rituals that have been passed down several generations. The Kabaka trail is that region in Uganda that preserves the history of the Baganda people. Some of the sites in this trail include the Naggalabi Buddo coronation site, Katereke royal prison, Ssezibwa falls, the Wamala tombs, and the popular tombs at Kasubi, the only UNESCO cultural world heritage site in Uganda.

How To Book Uganda Holiday Packages
Several Uganda  tour operators offers some great holiday packages for Uganda. Click here to see and book some of them.

Have you ever heard about Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda? Have you ever heard about Dian Fossey? Volcanoes National Park is one of the few renowned homes to the endangered mountain gorillas. It is the park that is featured in movies like the “Gorillas in the Mist, and it is part of the larger Virunga region premiered in the 2014 movie “VirungaMovie” produced by NetFlix.

Volcanoes National Park is situated amidst the five out of eight Virunga ranges namely Muhabura, sabyinyo, karisimbi, Visoke/ Bisoke and Gahinga volcanoes. The strategic location of the park plus the endowment of Mountain Gorillas makes the park one of the most important tourist destinations in Rwanda and the world at large. It’s only three hours drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National park and the journey rewards visitors the view of the mighty virunga ranges and valleys en route.

Currently, Volcanoes national park hosts ten gorilla families like Sabinyo group, susa gorilla family, Amahoro group, Group 13, Umubano group, Kwitonda gorilla family, Hirwa gorilla family, karisimbi gorilla group, Ugenda gorilla and Bwenge gorilla group. Each gorilla group is allowed to be visited by a maximum of eight people thus 80 people visit the park daily – this happens in peak season when each group receive visitors.

Volcanoes national park was gazetted in 1925. This park is mostly known after the famous primatologist Doctor Dian Fossey who arrived in this park in 1967 setting up Karisoke Research Centre between Visoke and Karisimbi, Dian Fossey, later was assassinated by poachers she had vehemently fought all her life as portrayed in her autobiography – Gorillas in the Mist. Her graveyard at the research centre has to date become agreat tourist attraction.

Though most travelers who visit the park go for mainly gorilla tracking, there are lots of other things to see! The Volcanoes National park Golden monkeys, Spotted Hyena, buffaloes, elephants, black-fronted duiker, and bushbuck. The park also harbors 178 bird species including at least 29 endemics to Rwenzori Mountains and the Virungas.

Volcanoes national park is occupied by rain forests which are characterized by high rain fall and bamboo forest – type of flowering perennial evergreen plants in the grass family. The bamboo forests are not dark as tropical or rain forest thus making it easier for Gorilla tracking.

Unlike in Uganda, Rwanda Gorilla trekking is much easier due to the following reasons:

Volcanoes National park is easily accessible – 3 hours drive from Kigali international Airport making it possible for one day Gorilla trekking safari – for visitors with the tight schedule.

Volcanoes national Park is endowed by bamboo forest- easily penetrable when searching for the gorillas – Unlike the tropical forests of Bwindi and Mgahinga forest national Park.

In Volcanoes National park, visitors are given chance to choose the gorilla group they wish depending on the level of fitness or health conditions. Strong trekkers can decide to trek the gorilla group in distant area and the weaker ones choose to trek a nearby Gorilla group (2-3 hours) walk.

It is not easy to enumerate all safari parks on the African continent. However if yo are looking for the best safari parks to enjoy game viewing, there are plenty of places that can be visited on the African continent. From national parks to wildlife sanctuaries, conservation areas and the likes it is not easy to come up with a complete list of places to enjoy a safari in Africa. So we have decided to focus our discussion on the top five African Safari parks destination. Let’s begin;

South Luangwa National Park of Zambia

Fairly unexplored, South Luangwa is a treasure that only needs to be discovered at its own time. The birthplace of walking safari and the haven of elusive leopards, this is the best place to seek isolation, away from the crowd that characterize other national parks.

Selinda Reserve of Botswana

A very highly rated safari park in all Africa, most seasoned travelers recommend a visit or two to this park to experience what truly is an African safari. Packed with dense population of wildlife, birds and plant species, this truly is a haven that is enjoyed both by the wild and the tamed. Naturalists’ most enjoy it here due to the diversity of species found in single locations.

Kruger National Park of South Africa

For the sheer enjoyment of seeing endless arrays of animal species, plants and birds, Kruger would be the best bet if you would like to see diversity. Since it scales more than the size of Wales, it is not unlikely that it harbors the largest concentration of species that is unequalled anywhere else. The rich tapestry of ecosystems is such that it would be hard to imagine how all things coexist in competition to live in a space so large.

This safari park was the pioneer of its kind since it has already existed since 1889, the year when the first realization of endangerment of animals is conceived. Primarily intended to protect wildlife in advance, Kruger now stands as the largest single place harboring excellent game reserves.

Masai Mara of Kenya

Being the most excellent wildlife safari park in the whole region, Masai Mara is duly recognized for supporting large herds of cat species. It is home to endless plains that are populated with grassland, thus ideal for game-viewing. See leopards, cheetahs and lions in action as they mercilessly follow after their kill during the exchange of life and death in the plains of Masai Mara.

Serengeti National Park of Tanzania

Oh the sound of the name alone brings memories of might and migration. This is one of the most famous national safari parks in all Africa as it is the site for the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, and antelopes. The birth and death place of most calves, this truly is a place to behold if you want to experience authentic deal.