In the tropical rainforests of central Africa and East Africa in the countries of Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda is where one can find the critically endangered mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking tours are one of the most selling and expensive tours in these countries but still thousands of tours flow in Uganda, Rwanda and D. R. Congo for gorilla tracking.

Mountain gorillas are very rare, fascinating primates and their conservation status has put them in lime light that every traveler to Africa has developed a feeling of interacting with these gentle giants in their natural habitats. However despite being threatened, the recent release from the last gorilla census show that they have increased in number up to 1000 individuals.

Of the three countries, Uganda is the best country for tracking the mountain gorillas and they can be found in Mgahinga National Park, which is part of the Virunga Ranges, and in the hilly areas of Bwindi Impenetrable national park in Southwestern Uganda.

Uganda gives the best advantage for gorilla tracking and these are the reasons as to why:

Uganda’s national parks that have gorillas provide the best experience of tracking gorillas not only because of the numbers of families but also because of what it takes to get to the gorillas. The hikes in these parks make the activity more adventurous. The challenging terrains of the parks that shelter gorillas require hard work if one is to reach the gorillas through walking (Hiking) on foot inside the jungle but at the end it is rewarding.

Security wise, Uganda is a free, friendly and safe country. This makes it a more secure place for gorilla tracking where you can view the gorillas in a serene surrounding compared to Democratic Republic of Congo, which is not usually recommended because of political instabilities and insecurity.

Uganda has half of the remaining mountain Gorillas in the world. About 500 individuals are found in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park. The rest are shared by Rwanda and Congo but Congo has the least numbers. This makes Uganda a great option for gorilla tracking as it will be quick and easy to locate the mountain gorillas due to high numbers despite the challenging terrain of the national parks but they are experiential and ultimate.

Tracking gorillas in Uganda is cheaper compared to Rwanda. In 2017, Rwanda Development Board doubled the price of a gorilla trekking permit to 1500 US dollars which is almost three times the price of a gorilla permit in Uganda which is at 600 US dollars. D.R. Congo remains the cheapest option where a gorilla permit goes for 400$, however due to insecurity it is not highly recommended for gorilla trekking tours.

The gorilla habituation experience that is only offered in Uganda gives you another option to spend more time and study at least the behaviors of these gentle giants. Unlike the one hour gorilla tracking experience, visitors can spend four hours with the gorilla family after winning their trust and the experience that is not for mass people where only four individuals are allowed to go for this experience each day with a knowledgeable and experienced ranger guide.

Trek through the lush and ecologically rich rainforests of Uganda and enjoy the experience with these creatures. The reward of seeing these gentle giants more than makes up for the effort of reaching them. Uganda will offer a guarantee to see the gorillas up-close and in a relaxed mood.