Mountain Gorilla Safari Trekking Vs. Wildlife Safari : The Best African Safari Comb : Combining Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari: For many of us, an African safari is a must-do experience. The opportunity to see plains game sweeping across vast savannahs, rivers teeming with hippo and crocs, star-studded night skies, lions snoozing in the long grass, and leopards lolling in trees is the ultimate wildlife experience. But what if you could have all of this classic and delicious safari cake and top it off with a unique and magical wildlife cherry: getting up close and personal with mountain gorillas? Is that too much to ask? Absolutely not. In fact, you can consume all of this wildlife in a single week’s vacation. You just need to know where to look.
One of the most popular safaris in East Africa combines gorilla trekking with a wildlife safari. Most tourists who visit Africa prefer to combine multiple destinations into a single safari itinerary, which leads them to choose East African safaris that combine gorilla trekking safaris and wildlife safaris. This is one of the most exciting trips you will ever take, as you will have an incredible hiking experience as you trek the gorillas in the mountains, followed by a great wildlife safari to experience the beauty of meeting the gorillas and other wildlife in their natural habitats. Due to the beauty and process involved in the entire trekking process, tourists frequently refer to trekking the gorillas as an once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Trekking gorillas is possible in Rwanda at Volcanoes National Park, where the gorilla permit costs $1500, or in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park, where the gorilla permit costs $500. You can also go gorilla trekking in Uganda for $700 per gorilla permit to the well-known Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park. Uganda, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has two mountain gorilla trekking parks, though Kahuzi Biega National Park only has lowland gorillas, whereas Virunga has highland gorillas. Both Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have parks that can be accessed through Rwandan borders, so arrivals can be arranged through Kigali International Airport.
You can do a wildlife safari in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, or Tanzania, depending on your interests and plans. This can still be arranged and put together as a single combined safari, either with flights in between or as a completely road trip, where you will hit border-to-border safaris. Both the Masai Mara and Serengeti can still be combined with gorilla trekking in either Uganda or Rwanda, depending on which location you prefers.
SAFARIS AND GORILLAS IN UGANDA
The answer is straightforward: Uganda is one of the few place in East Africa where visitors can see both gorillas and safaris. Chimps, too. And rafting through rapids on the Nile… This small nation has an enormous variety of landscapes, from open plains to mountain forests, which support incredible biodiversity. The best wildlife spots in the nation conveniently cluster close to one another. In Queen Elizabeth National Park, the second-largest national park in Uganda, you can find lions, gazelles, a sizable population of hippos, and elephants. Following a quick trip to Kibale Forest, where 1,500 chimpanzees and other primates can be tracked, you can continue on to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for a truly breathtaking wildlife experience, including trekking to see one of the 11 habituated groups of mountain gorillas that call this forest home and spending a priceless hour in their company.
BEST TIME TO COMBINE GORILLA TREKKING WITH A WILDLIFE SAFARI
Throughout the year, tailor-made safaris with gorillas are available. Uganda is located on the equator, but due to its higher elevation, it has a pleasant climate with average temperatures of 25°C and cool nights. The rainiest months are March, April, and May, with the shortest rains occurring in October and November. You can still see gorillas; just expect the trek to be more difficult. Because the game is not migratory, game drives in national parks are now possible, though thicker vegetation makes game spotting more difficult.
Because it is rainy season in March, April, and May, most trips to Kenya and Tanzania do not take place during these months. Roads are frequently impassable, and the lush vegetation and rain make wildlife viewing difficult. If you’re planning a trip to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, the best months to see the Great Migration in the Masai Mara are from June to October.
CONCLUSION
You can also combine gorilla trekking and wildlife safari with beach safari, where you run your safari and then fly to the famous islands of Pemba, Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, Tanga, and Mafia Islands for beach life. This is better referred to as a primate, wildlife, and beach safari rather than a sun and sea safari, which lumps everything together.
With the availability of the East African Visa, which costs $100, you are able to travel between the aforementioned countries of visa restriction and Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya on a single trip with multiple entrances.
To plan this once-in-a-lifetime safari/If you want to combine a wildlife safari with gorilla trekking, please contact Focus East Africa Tours team. They will put all of this together for you; all you need to do is arrange for packaging.
