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Planning Your Own Gorilla Safari Will Save You Money Here s How
oing on a gorilla safari If you are a do-it-yourself
must rank as one of the traveller, here is what you need
best wildlife experiences to know to make it possible and
left in the natural world. Many save yourself some money...
people describe it as an
overwhelming and awe-inspiring Where to Find the Gorillas
experience and worth every penny
they spent on making it happen.
Mountain gorillas are highly
But it doesn't necessarily have endangered and there are isolated
to cost the earth. pockets of them left in Uganda,
Rwanda and the Congo. It's
You can organise and plan your estimated that there are less
own trek far cheaper than it than 650 mountain gorilla left in
would cost if you used a safari the world.
company as they need to work
through the applicable wildlife Travel to the Congo is considered
authorities in each country to risky because of the political
obtain gorilla permits anyway and and military instabilities that
you can do the same if you know exist there but Uganda and Rwanda
how. are perfect for a gorilla safari.
The trade-off is that it will be
more inconvenient for you because Your chances of seeing the
you will need to organise all the gorillas are excellent in both
logistics yourself whereas with a Uganda and Rwanda because they
gorilla safari company you just are tracked each day by
turn up and go along for the experienced trackers so their
ride. locations are known down to the
last 24 hours. It's possible but
quite rare for visitors not to hour.
see the gorillas.
Best Time to Go on a Gorilla
In Uganda the big apes live in Safari
the Bwindi National Park and in
Rwanda they can be found at the Bwindi is a rainforest so you can
Volcanoes National Park. expect precipitation most of the
year with the heaviest rains
There are three habituated occurring in March - April and
gorilla groups in the Bwindi September - November while other
forest and a total of eighteen months are reasonably dry. Annual
permits are issued every day at precipitation is between 1130 mm
six per group. and 2390 mm.
In Rwanda there are four The annual temperature ranges
habituated gorilla groups and between 7-20 degrees c with the
eight permits are issued per coldest period between June-
group bringing the total per day July.
to thirty two.
The climate in the Volcanoes
There are some simple rules that National Park is changeable and
apply when visiting these great you can generally expect both sun
apes: Don't go if you are sick and rainfall during the day. At
because you might infect them and 1,700m above sea level it is
they are very susceptible to generally quite cold particularly
human diseases, no flash in the evening so warm clothing
photography, maintain a seven is advised.
metre distance, don't eat or
drink around them and each group The park receives a high amount
can stay for a maximum of one of rainfall, over 70 inches
(1,800 mm) per year and daytime and camping are available near
temperatures average about 70"°F the Buhoma entrance gate for
(21"°C). The dry season occurs accommodation the night before
mid-June-September and the gorilla safari.
December-March.
In Rwanda the day before the
Rain is an inconvenience on a gorilla trek you can take a 2 USD
gorilla safari but it's not an minibus to Ruhengeri (2 hours) or
insurmountable obstacle. Just a 2 USD Virunga or Okapi bus from
make sure that you take a good Kigale. Buses leave every hour
pair of hiking boots with you (on the hour) from near the gare
because it can become very muddy routière/bus station. If you
and some parts are pretty steep want to leave early in the
which can cause you to slip. morning from Kigale it might be a
good idea to buy a ticket the day
Travel and Accommodation before, but if you leave in the
afternoon, you might buy a ticket
Bwindi in Uganda can be reached in the morning.
from QENP in the north (2-3
hours), from Kabale to the south In Ruhengeri you can stay at any
(1-2 hours), or from Kampala via of the decent guesthouses ranging
Mbarara (6-8 hours). The roads from Home d'Accueil at 5USD, to
meet at Butogota, 17km from the Muhabura which is clean with
Buhoma entrance gate. private bathroom at 20USD. The
expensive Gorillas nest is at
Two up-market tented camps, a Kinigi, a taxi car drive out of
lodge, community-run budget rooms town.
About the Author:
How to get gorilla permits and transportation plus accommodation tips, advice, costs for Uganda and Rwanda..http://www.african-safari-journals.com/gorilla.html - The Top Three gorilla safari companies if you decide to use a guide rather than plan your own trek..http://www.african-safari-journals.com/gorilla-trekking.html
Source: www.isnare.com
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