Gorilla trekking in Uganda with a German-speaking guide: Uganda is the leading gorilla trekking nation in the world with more than half of the remaining mountain gorilla population calling it home. What do you understand be gorilla trekking? Gorilla trekking involves moving through the dense tropical rainforests searching for the mountain gorillas and spending an hour in their presence. However much it is fun and adventurous trekking the mountain gorillas, is also very tiresome and physically demanding. It requires one to extra fit with a prepared mind to battle the steep terrains, maneuvering the dense vegetation and slippery trails to the mountain gorilla nature habitat.
Gorilla trekking is a major tourist attraction in Uganda. Uganda is mainly an English-speaking nation having been colonized by the British. How about trekking gorillas from Germany with a German-speaking guide, well it sounds like a surprise I guess. What better way to have a special and precious time with the endangered mountain gorillas than with a guide who will take you through this experience in your mother language?
A thrilling adventure
Gorilla trekking is a thrilling adventure experience that opens doors to nature’s gigantic primates the endangered mountain gorillas. Why endangered you may ask? Well, the mountain gorillas are endangered primate species that are only located in one region on the African continent in the whole world.
These primates are only located in the Virunga conservation area in the eastern region of Africa. This area offers the best conditions of dense tropical rainforests and highland mountainous areas a gem for the endangered mountain gorillas to thrive. You might have noticed that these primates are referred to as mountain gorillas. This is because they only hub in the mountainous areas with dense tropical rainforests. These factors align well with the Virunga conservation area.
However, visitors who believe an hour with these gentle primates may not be enough to satisfy their adventurous urge, can opt for habituation. Gorilla habituation involves gently introducing the wild mountain gorillas to the presence of humans. This process takes approximately 4 hours and is the best alternative for those visitors looking for more time with the mountain gorillas.
Where can I go for gorilla trekking with a German-speaking guide in Uganda?
Uganda is privileged to have two of its national parks in the Virunga conservation area. This area cuts across from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda and to Rwanda. In Uganda, gorilla trekking is done in the two tropical rainforest national parks seen in the details below.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
With over 459 mountain gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the major gorilla trekking destination in the world. It hosts over half of the remaining a thousand and so individual mountain gorillas in the world. The park boasts of having 4 gorilla sectors that make trekking these primates easy and organized. These gorilla sectors include the Buhoma, Rushaga, Nkuringo, and Ruhija gorilla sectors. These sectors were established to ease the location of these mountain gorilla primates given their large numbers in the park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the southwestern region of Uganda on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The park came into existence following its establishment in 1991 after the discovery of the first mountain gorillas. It is a recognized and protected UNESCO Heritage Site with endangered mountain gorillas and some flora species that date to over 25,000 years ago. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park hosts over 50 gorilla families with only 24 families available to be trekked per day.
You may wonder, what are gorilla families? Mountain gorillas evolved to be social beings like their human cousins living in groups known as gorilla families. Each gorilla family is headed by a strong dominant alpha male called a silverback. This is because of the silver-like fur on the lower backs of these males. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers the best mountain gorilla trekking experience with a German-speaking guide to top off your adventure.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
The Virunga conservation area also engulfs the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. This is a highland tropical rainforest park that hosts the endangered mountain gorillas. There are over 100 individual mountain gorillas that call this incredible park their home. It was established in 1991 with its counterpart Bwindi and it spans 33.9 square kilometers of land mass. It is the smallest national park in the Virunga conservation area. However, it boosts off its counterpart Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by hosting the rare golden monkeys that top off your gorilla trekking experience. There is only one gorilla family in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
The best time to visit Uganda for gorilla trekking
Uganda lies in the equatorial region and thus experiences two wet and dry seasons annually. Gorilla trekking is an experience available for visitors any time of the year. The best time to take on a gorilla trekking adventure is during the dry season. This period is characterized by dry weather with little or no rainfall hence keeping the trekking trails dry and navigable. The dry season runs from June to September and December to February. However, the wet season also presents a good period for gorilla trekking especially those traveling on budget. This is because of the low rates of accommodation and food favoring budget travelers.