The actual location of mountain gorillas that live in Virunga mountain ranges that keep moving since these apes move between the forests of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gorilla trekking is selected based on the location of the gorilla population at the time of the safari. This is also done by the tour operators and will therefore find yourself tracking the gorillas in either Uganda or Rwanda that are the most famous destinations.
The disadvantages of choosing Rwanda is that the permits cost US$1500 as compared to those of Uganda that cost $700 each.
Also in terms of costs, the same tour in Uganda or Rwanda can turn out to be competitive and good deals can also be found in both of these countries. But also, you get good deals in Uganda since the gorilla permits are cheaper. The advantage of tracking in Rwanda is easy and so quick and the park is just located near the airport of Rwanda. It’s just 116km from Kigali city to Volcanoes National park.
And the advantage of trekking the gorillas in Uganda are the cheap gorilla permits and the safari can be mixed with the wildlife highlights. A 3 days Uganda safari combines a gorilla trek in Bwindi and relaxation on the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi that is also close to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Expanding your safari allows you to enjoy game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park, bird watching, mountain hiking in Rwenzori ranges and mount Elgon among others.
With the driving distance as well as getting to the gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located far from Entebbe international Airport (EBB) and it also increases the traveling costs on the side of Uganda. Though the drive is long but it’s scenic and also gives insights and the views into the rural areas.
The short drive of Rwanda is not as scenic as that of Uganda and the visitors can also access volcanoes National park easily. So this means that if you find long distances disturbing, you can always fly from Entebbe airport to Bwindi or Mgahinga National Parks and then land in the towns of Kisoro or Kihihi. This can be done through booking a domestic flight with Aero Link Uganda.
Getting to the mountain gorillas in Uganda, these are so deep in the forest and they are in groups of 10 to 20 members with a silverback as the head. In Rwanda, the gorilla groups range from 9 to 39 members including the leading silverback. Gorilla tracking in Bwindi National Park is challenging since the gorillas move far away and the tourists have to hike through steep slopes and slippery jungle grounds out of the forest after the treks so that to access the lodges. The tracking groups in Rwanda are found so close to the park and you can’t request for a group to track.
Rendering to the political considerations, political stability is also vital when deciding where to track the gorillas from, this also includes the political conditions in the three countries as well as the availability of the gorilla permits. Within Uganda, this country is very stable and safe and it has rebuilt itself after the many years of conflict and the unrest in northern Uganda. Moving to the south west part of the country is so safe and the country is so peaceful. Rwanda is also safe and is well managed by Rwanda Development Board. In the DRC, the civil wars and the conflicts are still on and the safety conditions need to be well checked before visiting the country.
