|
Safari To Uganda- A kingdom of Mountain Gorillas
There are two species of gorillas, the mountain gorilla and the plain gorilla also known as the low land gorilla. The mountain gorilla
is huge, bigger and stronger than man with thick hairs that cover most
of its body. Its habitat is the highland forests of the Congo, Western
Uganda and portions of Rwanda. It detests human interference with its
life and therefore has to be treated very cautiously. The plain gorilla
is slightly smaller in size prefers the less forested areas in Congo
and can often be seen in market areas in Congo and the DRC. The
mountain Gorilla is more endangered in the world as its numbers are
also most to extinction and gorilla Safaris help in saving the remaining gorillas.
For a gorilla family to be included in the Gorilla tracking safaris circuit,
it has to undergo a slow but deliberate process called Gorilla
habituation. Habituation involves gradual familiarization with man.
People remain in the vicinity of a family unit, throughout the day,
when they feed and only retire when they sleep as well. When the
gorillas wake up in the morning, they find warders there ready to
accompany them wherever they go. The process can take up to three to
four years before a clearance can be given for to start a gorilla safari Trek.
Gorilla Tracking is following a gorilla family on foot through the thick undergrowth of the equatorial forest. It is such a popular Uganda safari activity that one needs to book sometimes up to twelve months before the real Gorilla Trek
day. Before a clearance is given to a tracker, a doctor has to confirm
that the person does not have any communicable disease. Tourists have
been known to travel all the way from Canada, USA and Europe for Uganda Gorilla Safari,
only to be denied to watch after catching a common cold. The hawk eyed
vets do not compromise when it comes to the health of the animals, who
share feelings, moods and diseases with man.
Only a maximum of eight individuals can be allowed to go on a gorilla trek for a family
Only
a maximum of eight individuals can be allowed to track a gorilla family
at a time. The individuals are warned strongly against irritating these
great apes. The use of cameras with flashes is forbidden. Trackers have
to be accompanied by at least two guides one of whom must be armed. An
irritated male gorilla can kill a human being with a single slap.
Tropical
rain forests have giant trees as well that grow up to eighty metres in
height. They have barks which surround their base, slightly detaching
from the trunk. When the gorilla wants to communicate with other
families, mostly seeking to know their location in the forest, the male
slaps the base of these trees, at the point where the bark is detached.
This may happen about three or four times. The sound coming from that
one slap can be heard eight kilometers away. This will give you an idea
how strong these animals are.
Tracking is such an overwhelming
experience. Apart from the animals, the walk in the forests is so
refreshing that most tourists do not like leaving the forests once they
embark on tracking. Despite the high charges imposed on the trackers,
it costs about $500 a day; it is always house full with several groups
waiting for their turn!
A gorilla safari in Uganda or Rwanda will still be one of the top adventurous African safaris
because of the fact that the mounatain gorilla is found in only 3
countries. The mountain gorilla is so endangered that its survival to
the next century is very questionable.The recent killings of the
mountain gorillas in the Virungas of Congo had reduced the number of
gorillas further.
A permit to see the gorilla of Uganda and Rwanda
costs USD 500, part of which goes to the conservations efforts of these
endangered apes. Gorilla tracking
is done on a daily basis with different tracking groups, the Mubare ,
Habinyinja, Nkuringo and Rushegura. Its very important to book your
permit at least 3 months before your Uganda Safari. A gorilla permit is paid separately at the Uganda Wildlife Authority offices through your Uganda tour operator. Note that UWA does not allow payments by credit card hence making it hard to book it by yourself. For Rwanda safari the gorilla permit is paid at ORTPN in Kigali.
The
one hour spent with the the gorillas has always made it the best
adventure ever in Uganda and probably, East Africa. The gorilla with
its big romantic brown eyes is too exciting. The Silver back, head of
the family affirms that in every home,
There is need for a head of the house.
You can supplement your gorilla trekking tour with a visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park for your Uganda wildlife safari
where you can see wildlife at its best, or visit Murchison Falls
National Park for the falls viewing and wildlife,Kibabe forest for
chimpanzee tracking. Cultural tours can also be done gorilla safari in Uganda.
The writer is a tour operator in Uganda and Rwanda and has written several articles on Uganda safaris and Gorilla tours and you are encouraged to visit his Uganda safari website running on Uganda safaris guide
Uganda Safaris and Tours
Uganda
is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in Africa. Over the
past 20 years Uganda has once again turned into an outpost of hope in
East Africa. As it makes steady progress toward peace and works, Uganda
has one again realized increasing number of travelers taking several Uganda Safaris and Tours. Many tourists today flock to Uganda to take wildlife safaris to Uganda
National parks, engage in mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi and
Mgahinga Gorilla Parks as well as to enjoy its stunning landscape,
green rolling hills, lush rain forests, snow capped mountains, majestic
rivers and massive lakes-and its fascinating wildlife, including about
half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. All this have made
Uganda once again a unique safari destination.
Abacus African Vacations organizes several safaris and tours to Uganda. These safaris range from gorilla safaris, wildlife tours, cultural safari, chimpanzee trekking tours among others. We can also customize your Uganda Safari basing on your likes. Whether you are interested in taking a mountain gorilla safari, or mountaineering tour to the Rwenzori, Abacus is ready and willing to guide you on how you can tailor your Uganda Safari so that you can get the best value for your money.
They can also extend your Uganda Safari to other countries in Africa. Whether you want to include a Kenya Safari or Tanzania Tour
with in your holiday, we are ready to serve you! Their tour packages
cater for both high end and budget travelers. During their Uganda safaris, you do not to worry about your accommodation since they book you the best safari lodges or hotels.
Feel free to browse through the following Uganda Safari packages that have been prepared by other Uganda safari organizers
- Bwindi gorilla safari
This 3 days Gorilla Safari takes you to Bwindi Impenetrable forest national Park for mountain gorilla tracking
with in the deep moist forest. Situated on the magnificent verdant
swathe across the steep ridges of the Albertine Rift Valley, this
ancient rain forest is home to roughly half of the world's mountain
gorillas.
- 3 days Uganda wildlife flying safari
This tour takes you to Murchison Falls National Park for a chimpanzee trekking tour, Uganda Tour
& game viewing tour. Murchison Falls is Uganda's largest safari
park and the most important destination for game viewing adventures.
Animals in this park include lions, zebras, buffaloes, elephants,
leopards, baboons, giraffes, Uganda Kobs, water bucks, bush bucks,
busimpah pigs, chimpanzees and many more.
- Uganda Gorilla Tour
This 4 days mountain gorilla trek to lake Mburo National park and
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park for both game viewing and
mountain gorilla trekking. The Uganda tour will engage you in several other Uganda safaris activities which include nature walks, primates viewing tours, boat rides on Lake Mburo, local community tours, foot safaris etc
- Murchison Falls Park Safari
This 4 days Uganda vacation takes you to Murchison Falls National Park,
Uganda's largest national Park. This tour will get you involved in
different tourism activities which include chimpanzee tracking in
Kaniyo Pabidi, boat trips on the Nile, Visit to Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary,
game viewing tours on the Northern banks of the Nile, bird watching
Safari etc
- Murchison falls wildlife tour
This 4 days Wildlife Safari takes you to Murchison Falls National Park
for game viewing. On the game drive, you will encounter a full glimpse
of the indigenous wildlife in Uganda such as Lions, Elephants,
Buffaloes, Zebras, leopards, baboons, giraffes, Uganda kobs, water
bucks, bush bucks, bushpigs, chimpanzees as well as birds including the
rare shoe bill stork.
- Bwindi Gorilla Trek
5 day Uganda Safari
to Lake Mburo National Park and Bwindi Gorilla Forest Park. This tour
will involve you in mountain gorilla tracking in Bwindi Forest,
Wildlife Safari in Lake Mburo National Park, nature walks, local
community tours etc.
- Uganda Gorilla Tour
This 7 day Uganda Safari to Bwindi Gorilla Forest National park, Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth National Park for gorilla tracking,
wildlife and game viewing tour. Other tourist activities include
chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura gorge, boat trips on the Kazinga
Channel, guided nature walks among others.
- Uganda safari This 9 day Uganda Safari
takes you to Uganda's premier adventure destinations: Bwindi Gorilla
Forest, Kibale Forest and Queen Elizabeth National Parks. Safari
activities during the tour include gorilla tracking in Bwindi Gorilla
Forest, Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest, wildlife encounters, primate nature walks, birding in Bigodi Wetland sanctuary etc.
- Uganda safari
This 11 days jungle tour takes you to Uganda's best safari destinations
that will enable you see most ogf Uganda's wildlife. These destinations
include safari parks that include Bwindi Gorilla Forest, home to the
endangered mountain gorillas, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake
Mburo National Park as well as Lake Bunyonyi and the Ssese Islands characterized by white sandy beaches and tropical rain forests.
Brief Information on the climate and seasons of Uganda.
Most of Uganda is at fairly constant altitude despite being right on Equator, with mountains only in East(mountain Elgon), West(Mountain Rwenzori
also known as "mountain of the moon"),the bulky of the country is
tropical, with temperatures averaging about 26C during day and 16C at
night.
The hottest months are December to February with temperatures up to 30C. The highlands can be considerably cooler at night.
The rainy seasons are generally from April to may and October to November. But even in other months,it can rain any day so Safaris in Uganda are on throughout the year.
Uganda's peak season for Tourism is June to September, December and February. Therefore booking a Uganda safari requires prior planning and therefore bookings must be made long in advance.
For any inquiries,direct them to
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
website: www.abacusvacations.com
Other Important Uganda Travel and safari sites include
Uganda Hotels
Uganda Safaris Guide
Uganda Safaris
Uganda safari
Uganda Tours
Gorilla Tours
Gorilla Safaris
Gorilla Tour
Uganda Tours
Gorilla Safari
Cycads Safaris Uganda
|
Travel 
