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Africa > East Africa: Gorilla safari in Uganda or Rwanda

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SuzieJ
Aug 19th 2009
Hi everyone. I'd love to see the Gorillas in Uganda, or Rwanda, and would love to get advice from someone who has done this. I assume we have to go on an organised tour, can you suggest reputable tour companies who do Gorilla safaris in Uganda. How long do these trips take, is a week long enough? Will we definately see gorillas or are they elusive? Where do you stay, are there lodges, or tents? Is it comfortable :) How easy is it to go to Uganda, are there visa problems or health risks? Or wars?! Lots of quesions, sorry. All advice appreciated. Sx
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englandbound
Aug 22nd 2009
I saw gorillas in rwanda a few years ago and it was awesome! I went on an overland trip with Dragoman but there are tons of companies that will take you to see gorillas. I booked my trip through trekescapes.com (its a canadian company) and if you search there site you can find many gorilla trips..and there are many more. The gorilla groups you would go to see are all habituated groups so you are almost guarenteed to see them. A tracker finds them then your guide takes you to see them. I think there are many possibilites for accomadation depending on what you want to spend. A week is long enough as the gorilla part of your trip only lasts a day (unless you go to see them more then once). No wars that I know of but I don't really keep up on the news. You will likely need a visa but if you book a tour the company will usually let you know exactly what you need. You don't necessarily need to do an organized tour but it will take alot of organization on your part as you need to get a permit to see the gorillas (then accomatation, transfers, food, ect, ect.). Will also need malaria pills but not sure about other health risks. If you are sick you won't be able to go and see the gorillas as they could potentially contract your illness. Definitly a great trip...I'd do it again in a second
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Kenyatravelplan
Expert
 
Sep 23rd 2009
Hi Suzie, I saw the Gorillas in Uganda last year so can explain a little about how it works in that part of the world! I was backpacking so didn't do the trip with a tour company as such. I finished an overland tour in Kenya and then travelled by bus from Nairobi to Kampala (Uganda's capital city). From there I took a bus to Bwindi National Park to see the Gorillas. If you wanted to you could do this trip in only a couple of days as the trek to the gorillas is only normally a few hours. You will need to pay 500 USD for a permit to see the Gorillas here. I went during low season so I managed to just turn up and go on a trek that day, however they advise that you apply for your permit in advance from Kampala. If you choose to travel with a tour company then I guess they will organise this for you. They limit the time you have with the Gorillas to an hour, so you will trek for a while to find them (this time obviously varies depending on where the Gorillas are) For me it was about 2 hours, and then we you have a sighting of the Gorillas your 1 time slot starts. As for accomodation, I was on a budget so I stayed at the Buhoma Community Bandas and Campsite, located very close to the entrance of the park. It was quite basic, but in such a beautiful area you won't want to stay indoors for long! Generally I found Uganda to be very safe and the people friendly and helpful and really enjoyed my time there. Hope this helps Susie, and that you get to see the Gorillas, wherever you choose to go. It really is an amazing experience!
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