Where to See Mountain Gorillas

Mountain Gorilla trekking is done in Uganda and Rwanda plus few treks in Congo –Democratic Republic of Congo .Mountain Gorilla trekking is a unique adventure experience that you can do if you love traveling. Uganda is blessed with naturalforests that form natural habitat for these gentle giants of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park. All these parks are famous formountain gorilla trekking in Uganda.

Thus to see mountain gorillas will be visting these parks in Uganda. In order to have a secure gorilla treking will need to book a gorilla trekking permit with tour operator like Travel Hemispheres who have arranged mountain gorilla trekking safaris for the last 20 years with Fred Bukenya a tour consultant. Also can trekk and see mountain gorillas in Rwanda at Park De volcanoes National Park and also to a limited extent in Congo because of insecurity and trekking of mountain gorillas is done at less extent. Gorilla terkking and seeing is done inside the parks in their natura habbitat . Thus will need permit to enter the park . Permision is given when you pay or buy a gorilla trekking permit issued by the park authorities in Uganda or Rwanda, In Uganda , a permit cost US $ 700 while in Rwanda a permit cost US $ 1500 per visist on single day. If you haven’t already booked your tour ahead of time, flying into the capital city of Kampala, Please email us at Travel Hemispheres we shall do it for you. Our email is : info@travelhemispheres.com you’ll be able to find plenty of tour options from our site: www.travelhemispheres.com that would love to do with us. Remember that a permit is needed so it is better if you purchase a tour as soon as possible so is the gorilla trekking permit can be acquired also in time (gorilla permits do run out as there are a limited number of permits available- first come first serve basis) Every visitor coming to Uganda would wish to get into contact with these gentle giants moreover our distant cousins( over 98$ DNA). Uganda should treats gorilla tracking as the pinnacle of the tourism industry in the country. Seeing and trekking mountain gorillas continue attracting more numbers of tourist visiting the country Uganda the Pearl Of Africa which has celebrated her 61st Independence from the colonial Master the British. This has increased passes tourist coming from UK to see these gentle giants of Bwindi.

THE EXISTENCE AND HISTORY OF MOUNTAIN GORILLAS

THE EXISTENCE AND HISTORY OF MOUNTAIN GORILLAS The existence of gorillas in Africa’s forests like Bwindi has been known for centuries and not only to local residents. Gorillas were first described 2000 years a go when sailors from North African province of Carthage landed in West Africa and tried to capture some Apes, a bruising encounter that earned the animals the Carthaginian name for ‘scratchier gorilla’. It is not actually clear whether the visitors encountered gorilla or chimpanzees but the name has stuck.

Two species of gorilla the western lowland and the eastern lowland were identified for science in 1847 and 1877 respectively. It wasn’t until 1903 that the third sub species, the mountain gorillas was identified. This was observed to be somewhat bulkier than its lowland cousins weighing up to 210 kilograms with a shaggier coat suited to its chilly montane habitat. This sub species was named after the German officer, Oscar Von Berenge, who enabled its classification. Indeed until just a few decades ago, gorilla received a bad press that dated back to their first unfortunate encounter with Carthaginian tourists 2000 years a go. This ferocious image was deliberately perpetuated to create a myth eventually immortalized on screen Uganda is the home of mountain gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park. Bwindi has the largest population of mountain gorillas in the world. It is also home of other primates like monkeys and other 120 mammals species like forest elephants a rare specie to see . Over 20 mountain gorilla family groups have been habituated to allow and facilitate mountain gorilla trekking safaris. Buhoma the starting point of habituating gorillas is the home of Mubare gorilla family group that opened gorilla trekking in 1993. It has given birth to other starting points within the park where more gorilla families have been habituated. Today statistics are indicated that over 400 gorillas are found in Bwindi park. The park is also home of many bird species, over 360 bird species are found here. Over 200 butterflies species are also found here. Over 300 tree species are also found in this park Bwindi impenetrable National park is found in the south western part of Uganda on the edge of Great Western Rift Valley.By area is 331 square kilometers in sizeand on an altitude of over 1100meters above sea level. Gorilla trekking is the main activity taking place in the this park. Over 5 points or call them centers park offices have been deloped to allow gorilla trekking start from different points. And these include Ruhija, Rushaga, Shongi, Kisoro and many more . Nature walks also take place to explore the forest what more it offers. Bird watching trails have been developed and give much to birders. Nature walks in the park will offer viewing other primates found this park, bird watching and catching views of waterfalls and pre historic trees in this forest.

What is Gorilla Trekking Experience

Gorilla trekking started in 1993 in Uganda at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Then the company I was working for was the first to arrange clients to go and trek mountain gorillas of Bwindi national park. Gorilla trekking as requirement you need a gorilla permit and in Uganda a permit today cost US$700.00. You need to have slept near as trekking and briefing start at 8.00am form park offices. Originally gorilla trekking started from Buhoma where the original park offices were established to oversee all activities going in the park. Today the park has many points of starting from as many gorilla family groups have been habituated to allow many tourists in single day to trek mountain gorillas in their natural habitat of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park. Other than Buhoma , Ruhija, Rushaga, Kisoro, Nshongi Have been established and are starting points for gorilla trekking safaris. What is gorilla trekking experience? Gorilla trekking involves walking and hiking hills and valleys of the Bwindi terrain that make Bwindi park as you follow the foot steps of gorillas in their natural habitat with park rangers. Gorillas live in family groups and after each day’s work and feeding they make nests where they will sleep and spend the night. By following them it means that will first reach where they slept and then follow their footsteps as the feed until you come close to them. Usually you are allowed to leave few meters away from them and are give 1 hour to watch them as the feed and juveniles play while the Sliverback is taking a close watch on the new comers if you are likely to cause any harm of if your friendly. You are allowed to take photos and record videos but do not use flash cameras as flash my disrupt the peace of gorillas and tempt them to behave differently. Bwindi is dense tropical forest with different canopies and with lots of undergrowth. Hence impenetrable forest. Just for fun I remember in our course of arranging gorilla trekking expeditions then , some tourists would ask us if they can carry torches in their packaging to help them again in daylight to enter into Bwindi impenetrable forest and then there torches would help them to provide the flash lighting in order to recognized and see properly mountain gorillas in their habitat . However we allayed their fears that by being impenetrable meant that there were thick undergrowth that makes it impenetrable and did not need light but some tools like pangas , slashers to create way so that you can easily reach where gorillas are foraging at that particular day and spend an hour to have nice views while taking snaps video taking photo shooting. So Bwindi Forest by Nature has got many canopies that will not allow sunlight easily penetrate to reach the ground where mountain gorillas could be. Iworked for the company which arranged 1st gorilla trekking safaris at Buhoma Bwindi in 1993. after i ccme up with Travel Hemispheres Uganda safari company. Travel Hemispheres started in 2004 and we have lots of experiennce to handle you let it be budget, mid range, upmarket or luxury safaris .Our niche in safari arrangement experience is unsurpassed

How to do Gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda

 

Gorilla trekking in Uganda  is and Incredible experience. You need to arrange tour with us - Travel Hemispheres Uganda Safari company and we arrange for you a best safari holiday with us. Uganda safaris combine as many  as you may think that it is just a walking, driving, trekking, name it. . But gorilla trekking is carried out in an impenetrable forest of Bwindi forest that has existed for thousand years and is among the African tropical forests that are still intact and exist in south western  Uganda as a country. You will be trekking hills up and down as the topography  of the area is hilly and  with wide valleys . The day begins with briefing from rangers post or park headquarters. The assembling will be  composed of rangers to guide you, trackers and guides. Also strong Bakiga men who work as porters whom individual trackers will hire their services to  help them carry their back packs and even can support you to give you push if will get tired before getting out of the forest.   Will also need good walking shoes  and a jacket call it rain coat as rain may not be ruled out on every day while still deep in the forest. At times this real African rain forest because you may not miss rain almost on daily basis what a blessing. Gorilla trekking takes place under the canopies of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park.

Uganda Cultures Today

UGANDA’S CULTURES TODAY 

 Uganda is one East Africa country that is greatly endowed by nature in terms of culture and history. While here, you will be surprised to see and take pictures of the most endangered group of people; the pygmies locally referred to as the Batwa in the rain forests of south western part of the country. These people have the most interesting behaviors and characters and you will love to spend time with them even a single second will leave a broad smile on your face. This group feeds on bush meat and fruits. This makes hunting and fruit gathering their main activities carried out to ensure their survival. It’s interesting to see and interact with a group of people that lives in forests and has to go hunting wild animals and collect fruits for food. This group of people is also talented when it comes to the local dances. They have  rich culture organized traditional dances that are done in their language, they are very hospitable to an extent that they even fight to appear on the picture scene; they indeed love to interact with visitors

 Uganda also has a diverse range of ethnic groups in addition to the pygmies / Batwa. These include the Baganda and several other tribes. In the north live the Lango and the Acholi, who speak Nilotic languages. To the east are the Iteso and Karamojong, who speak a Nilotic language. Lake Kyoga forms the northern boundary for the Bantu-speaking peoples, who dominate much of east, central and southern Africa. Lake Kyoga serves as a rough boundary between Bantu speakers in the south and Nilotic and Central Sudanic language speakers in the north. Despite the division between north and south in political affairs, this linguistic boundary actually runs roughly from northwest to southeast, near the course of the Nile. However, many Ugandans live among people who speak different languages, especially in rural areas. Some sources describe regional variation in terms of physical characteristics, clothing, bodily adornment, and mannerisms, but others claim that those differences are disappearing.

 Bantu speakers probably entered southern Uganda by the end of the first millennium. They had developed centralized kingdoms by the fifteenth or sixteenth century, and after independence from British rule in 1962, Bantu speakers constituted roughly two-thirds of the population. They are classified as either Eastern Lacustrine or Western Lacustrine Bantu. The Eastern Lacustrine Bantu speakers include the Baganda people whose language is Luganda, the Basoga, and many smaller societies in Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. The Western Lacustrine Bantu speakers include the Banyoro, the Batoro, the Banyankole, and several smaller populations in Uganda. 

Nilotic language speakers probably entered the area from the north beginning about C.E.1000. Thought to be the first cattle-herding people in the area, they also relied on crop cultivation. The largest Nilotic populations in Uganda are the Iteso and Karamojong ethnic groups, who speak Eastern Nilotic languages, and the Acholi, Langi, and Alur, who speak Western Nilotic languages. Central Sudanic languages, which arrived in Uganda from the north over a period of centuries, are spoken by the Lugbara, the Madi, and a few small groups in the northwestern part of the country. 

Linguistic Affiliation.Introduced by the British in the late nineteenth century, English was the language of colonial administration. After independence, it became the official language, used in government, commerce, and education. Official publications and most major newspapers appear in English, which often is spoken on radio and television. Most residents speak at least one African language. Swahili and Arabic also are widely spoken. History and Ethnic Relations. 

 After independence in 1962, ending a period of colonization that began in 1885, there was little indication that the country was headed for social and political upheaval. Instead, Uganda appeared to be a model of stability and progress. It had no white settler class attempting to monopolize the cash crop economy, and there was no legacy of conflict. It was the African producers who grew the cotton and coffee that brought a higher standard of living, financed education, and led to high expectations for the future. Independence arrived without a national struggle against the British, who devised a timetable for withdrawal before local groups had organized a nationalist movement. This near absence of nationalism among the country's ethnic groups led to a series of political compromises. National Identity.Ethnic and religious divisions as well as historical enmities and rivalries contributed to the country's disintegration in the 1970s. 

There was a wide gulf between Nilotic speakers in the north and Bantu speakers in the south and an economic division between pastoralists in the drier rangelands of the west and north, and agriculturists, in the better-watered highland and lakeside regions. There was also a historical division between the centralized and sometimes despotic rule of the ancient African kingdoms and the kinship-based politics elsewhere. The kingdoms were often at odds in regard to the control of land. During the colonial period, the south had railways, cash crops, a system of Christian mission education, and the seat of government, seemingly at the expense of other regions. 

There also were religious groups that had lost ground to rivals in the past, for example, the domination of Muslims at the end of the nineteenth century by Christians allied to British colonialism. All these divisions precluded the formation of a national culture. Ethnic Relations.After independence, there were conflicting local nationalism. The Baganda's large population, extensive territory in the favored south, and self-proclaimed superiority created a backlash among other Ugandan peoples. Nubians shared little sense of identification with other groups. The closely related peoples of nearby Zaire and the Sudan soon became embroiled in civil wars in the 1960s and 1970s, drawing in ethnically related Ugandans.

 Today relations are relatively harmonious. However, suspicion remains with the president believing to favor certain groups from the west of the country over others. Major Industries. When the present government seized power in 1986, industrial production was negligible, consisting mostly of the processing of crops and the production of textiles, wood and paper products, cement, and chemicals. Industry was a small part of GDP in the late 1980s, operating at approximately one-third of the level of the early 1970s. Under #Museveni, there has been some industrial rejuvenation, although this has amounted to not much more than the repair of damage done during the civil war to the industrial infrastructure. The sugar industry was rehabilitated through joint ventures involving the private sector and the government. By the 1990s there was a refining capacity of at least 140,000 tons of sugar annually. Other rehabilitated industries include beer brewing, tobacco, cotton, and cement. About 4 percent of adults worked in industry by the 1990s. During the 1990s, industrial growth was 13.2 percent. Tourism industry: #Tourism in #Uganda is focused on Uganda's landscape and wildlife Safaris. 

Shoe-bill stork

Mountain gorilla Sliverback

Murchison falls in Uganda

Map of Uganda

uganda tours

 

Uganda has a very diverse culture, landscape, flora, and fauna. In the late 1960s, Uganda had a prosperous tourist industry with 100,000 visitors each year. Tourism was the country's fourth largest earner of foreign exchange. The tourist industry ended in the early 1970s because of political instability. By the late 1980s, Uganda's political climate had stabilised and conditions were suitable for reinvestment in Uganda's #tourist industry. However, the loss of charismatic wildlife in previously popular safari parks such as Murchison Falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park prevented these parks from competing with similar tourist attractions in neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda's tourist industry instead promoted its tropical forests. The keystone of the new industry became Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. With more than 400 Mountain Gorillas safaris, #Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has approximately half of the world's population of Mountain Gorillas. Tourist attractions in Uganda Uganda is one of only three countries where it is possible to visit mountain gorillas . The others are Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mountain gorillas are Uganda's prime tourist attraction. The vast majority of these are in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with a few others in Mgahinga National Park both in southwestern Uganda. In Bwindi, visitors have been allowed to view the mountain gorillas since April 1993. 

The development of gorilla safari  tourism and the habituation of gorillas to humans is proceeding very carefully because of the dangers to gorillas, such as contracting human diseases. Geography:The Republic of Uganda tours is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, in the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, which is also bordered by Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda is mostly a plateau, a compact country occupying an area of 236,580 square kilometers, roughly the size of Great Britain or the state of Oregon in the United States. It lies astride the #Equator and has a fine mild climate with copious rainfall that is experienced three times a year and sunny months. Although generally equatorial, the climate is not uniform as the altitude modifies the climate. Southern Uganda is wetter with rain generally spread throughout the year. 

At Entebbe on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, most rain falls from March to June and the November/December period. Further to the north a dry season gradually emerges; at Gulu about 120 km from the Sudanese border, November to February is much drier than the rest of the year. The northeastern Karamoja region has the driest climate and is prone to droughts in some years. Rwenzori in the southwest on the border with Congo (DRC) receives heavy rain all year round. The south of the country is heavily influenced by one of the world's biggest lakes, Lake Victoria, which contains many islands. It prevents temperatures from varying significantly and increases cloudiness and rainfall. Most important cities are located in the south, near Lake Victoria, including the capital Kampala and the nearby city of Entebbe. Although landlocked, Uganda contains many large lakes, besides Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga, there are Lake Albert, Lake Edward and the smaller Lake George. Trade.In 1998, the country exported products worth $575 million. The main export commodities were coffee (54 percent of the total value), gold, fish and fish products, cotton, tea, and corn. The countries receiving most of these products were Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Italy. The main imports include chemicals, basic manufactured goods, machinery, and transport equipment. Religion Religious Beliefs.One-third of the population is Roman Catholic, one-third is Protestant, and 16 percent is Muslim; 18 percent believe in local religions, including various millenarian religions. World religions and local religions have coexisted for more than a century, and many people have established a set of beliefs about the nature of the universe by combining elements of both types. There is a proliferation of religious discourses centering on spirits, spirit possession, and witchcraft. Religious Practitioners.

Religious identity has economic and political implications: church membership has influenced opportunities for education, employment, and social advancement. Religious practitioners thus are expected to provide a range of benefits for their followers. Leaders of indigenous religions reinforce group solidarity by providing elements necessary for societal survival: remembrance of ancestors, means of settling disputes, and recognition of individual achievement. Another social function of religious practitioners is helping people cope with pain, suffering, and defeat by providing an explanation of their causes. Religious beliefs and practices serve political aims by bolstering the authority of temporal rulers and allowing new leaders to mobilize political power and implement political change. Rituals and Holy Places.In Bantu-speaking societies, many local religions include a belief in a creator God. Most local religions involve beliefs in ancestral and other spirits, and people offer prayers and sacrifices to symbolize respect for the dead and maintain proper relationships among the living. Mbandwa mediators act on behalf of other believers, using trance or hypnosis and offering sacrifice and prayer to beseech the spirit world on behalf of the living. Uganda has followers of Christianity, Islam, and African traditional religions. Ugandan #Muslims make pilgrimages to Mecca when they can. Followers of African religions tend to establish shrines to various local gods and spirits in a variety of locations.

What is Covid-19 visitor rules towards to Uganda?

 What is Covid-19  Visitor Rules  To  Uganda

Covid -19 did not spare Uganda. Though it is still at its lowest in terms of people affected.   Visitors wishing to do uganda safaris and tours  must have tested negative for at least 72 hours. All travelers arriving in Uganda must have a negative COVID-19 certificate. The only accepted test is a SARS-CoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) performed within 120 hours of departure (meaning travelers must be tested and get results within 5 days of their first flight). Other tests, such as Rapid Diagnostics Test (RDTs), are not accepted.

  All travelers arriving or transiting through  border points of Rwanda, Kenya Tanzania and .Sudan  will be screened upon entry ton arrival and be allowed to proceed on you tour to Uganda.

For Rwanda  all travelers are required to wait 24 hours for the results of their COVID-19 test in a designated transit hotel. All COVID-19 prevention measures announced by the Ministry of Health must be respected during waiting period• The Government of Rwanda has negotiated special rates at designated transit hotels for the 24 hour waiting period. Should a guest wish to remain in the hotel after receiving negative test results, they are welcome to extend their stay at the hotel’s applicable rates.

While in Uganda visitors after showing certificate  convid -19 will be allowed to proceed on safari with your guide.  I is rtill not easy to cross from either country to another and am still gathering information as to whether will be allowed to cross from Uganda to Rwanda.  As of today they allow visitors who are passing at one entry that is airport. 

While doing Uganda safari , gorilla tracking has been resumed  and it is going on smoothly.  We at Travel Hemispheres are arranging tours and safaris to all destination parts of the country. Your  itinerary  and cost  to track gorillas  in Uganda will tailor-made for your interests and taste.  . We also have golden monkey tracking  activity in Uganda.

 

How Much is Gorilla tracking Permit?

 

How Much is Gorilla Permit?

One can ask himself or herself this question. What is a gorilla permit?  Before we get to know how much is gorilla permit cost , one need to know what is this gorilla permit all about?  A gorilla permit is paper print or virtual/card   document issued by Government body and  in Uganda by  Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and in Rwanda by ORTPN   authorizing the holder to visit the gorillas in the their natural habitat in this case in Uganda gorilla trekking or call it tracking takes place at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National park. While in Rwanda gorilla tracking take place at Volcanoes National park and IN DRC Congo at Virunga National park.

Effective 1^st July 2020 a gorilla permit in Uganda will cost US $ 700. While in Rwanda the cost of Gorilla permit has been and is still costing US $ 1500. A gorilla permit is a one day visit to the gorillas . A gorilla permit is usually booked  and paid in advance say for some good months or a year before coming. This is done because gorilla permits at time are sold out and to avoid missing out on trekking mountain gorillas it better booking and paying for in advance. Travel  Hemispheres as a ground tour operator in Uganda , Rwanda and DRC Congo will help you to book and secure for  your gorilla trekking permit in time .

 

8 people are allowed to visit one gorilla family . Mature people are allowed to Trek gorillas  and minimum age is 15 years of age allowed to trek mountain gorillas. 1 hour is allowed to view and stay with gorillas  once gorillas are sited.  Trekking can take many or few hours and all depend on the family trekked. Remember gorillas move inside the parks and are not stationed in one place. Your guides  will help you to  lead all the way through until you are out of the forest back to your Lodge.

Do gorillas talk or communicate?

 

Do Gorillas communicate among themselves or call it GORILLA VOCALIZATIONS

 

Twenty-five distinct vocalizations are recognized, many of which are used primarily for group communication within dense vegetation. Gorilla Sounds  are classified as grunts and barks are heard most frequently while traveling, and indicate the whereabouts of individual group members (Harcourt et al. 1993). They may also be used during social interactions when discipline is required. Screams and roars signal alarm or warning, and are produced most often by silverbacks. Deep, rumbling belches suggest contentment and are heard frequently during feeding and resting periods. They are the most common form of intra group communication (Fossey 1983).

Because of the extensive research begun by Dr. Fossey and since carried on by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and other gorilla conservation groups, the mountain gorilla is one of the most understood of all gorillas. The general consensus of those who work closely with the mountain gorillas is that they are generally peaceful and gentle.

This doesn’t mean that they won’t occasionally charge, scream or show their teeth, to an outsider or within the group itself. Most of these Mountain Gorilla actions are meant to serve as warnings, to ward off danger or to prevent a fight. Mountain gorillas can communicate in a variety of ways, including facial expressions, sounds, postures and gestures. There is the classic chest beating by male gorillas, which is used to show stature, scare off opponents or even to prevent a fight. When the Mountain Gorilla feels threatened they can make a variety of loud sounds, resembling roars or screams. Facial expressions are mostly used as communication. An open mouth with both upper and lower teeth showing means regressions. A closed mouth with clenched teeth could signal anger.

 

One of the nicest sounds is heard when the group is resting after a period of feeding. Mountain gorillas roughly spend 30% of their day feeding, 30% moving, and 40% resting. At dusk, they prepare to settle down for the night and sleep in nests made of vegetation that the gorillas shove under and around them. Forming of nests is mainly the bending of soft trees, breaking mature bamboo sticks and other tree species that have broad leaves to provide a blanket and shield against the cold. Mothers find a comfortable spot where their backs will be supported as they breast feed and cuddle their babies for the night.