Comparing Gorilla Trekking –Uganda versus Rwanda

Where should I go for Gorilla Trekking – Rwanda or Uganda? – Compare

Comparing Gorilla Trekking – Uganda versus Rwanda – Pros and cons of each country

Comparing Gorilla Trekking – Uganda versus Rwanda – the Choice is yours:

Gorilla permits run for $1,500(Rwanda) and $600 for Uganda but by July 1 2020 Uganda’s Gorilla permit will be raised to $700. So then the choice is yours to decide which country to go for your Gorilla trekking. Uganda is the hands-down selection for many, due to its reasonable rates, obtain-ability of Permits & Safety, and Security.

Rwanda raised up its Permit rates to enable it pay the way for Gorilla Preservation, aid the local communities adjacent to the trekking sections with much-needed substructure and advertise Rwanda as a luxury Gorilla Trekking Terminus.

Uganda is keeping $600 Permit rates until June 30, 2020.  In spite of what you might find out on various sites, “there are no longer “Discounted Gorilla Permits”/reduced prices on Gorilla permits for April, May, November, obtainable in Uganda. That was concluded in November 2017.

When Comparing Gorilla Trekking – Uganda with Rwanda, you will learn a legion of imprecise facts concerning Gorilla Trekking and Mountain Gorillas about Rwanda and Uganda.

Mediums/media overflow with misrepresentation/distortion. Transfer essayists get it incorrectly. Travel Agencies in Europe, North America, Australia & other parts of the world use outdated facts, improper actualities, and imprecise rates and until the current Permit raise in Rwanda – ideal for Rwanda.

We stay, labour here. We offer you the straight story about Gorilla Trekking in both Countries. We also complement some facts about Gorilla Trekking in less protected Virunga National Park in the DR Congo. Hopefully, the facts provided to you here will help you make a decision that is precise and true for you.

Where is the Best Gorilla Trekking – Rwanda or in Uganda?

This is a question we often receive in an email or a phone call, and that is why we have created this Gorilla Trekking Comparison page.

Compare Rwanda with Uganda:

Rwanda has worked tirelessly to uphold/stimulate its country and mainly in the area of particularly Mountain Gorillas, which is the chief tourist magnet that Rwanda has.  It does summon reporters/medias/correspondents from all over the world to tour the Land of a Thousand Hills, and they tint Rwanda, its settings, and especially its gentle giants (Mountain Gorillas) in a positive light appealing the miniature country of Rwanda to the Transfer Community all over the world.  It has located itself as the category of Nordstrom of High-End Gorilla Tourism, which has occasioned in what we call “The great Gorilla Trekker Migration” to Uganda.

When it comes to endorsing Gorilla Tourism, Rwanda triumphs, it has Ellen DeGeneres upholding I t(Rwanda), Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda on her TV Show. Rwanda has gotten a contract with the Arsenal Premier Football Team that has “Visit Rwanda” on their Shirts. Supplementary to that, the “Gorillas in the Mist” movie and every Transfer Writer commending Rwanda.

Uganda has no “Gorillas in the Mist” Movie, has no Ellen DeGeneres upholding it. The movies related to Uganda often depict the country in an undesirable manner. Usually they engage in producing its unsettled/tempestuous past, for stance the “Seven Days in Entebbe,” & “the Last King of Scotland.” Neither of them stimulates a positive Tourism copy. If Rwanda has become the high-end, luxury Nordstrom’s gorilla tourism Terminus, Uganda has become the category of T.J. Maxx of Gorilla Tourism in 2019.

Do the Math on Gorilla Trekking:
Rwanda’s 1 hour with a Gorilla Family Permit ($1,500) costs you $25 per minute

• Uganda’s 1 hr with a Gorilla Family Permit ($600) costs you $10 per minute

• Uganda’s 4 hrs with a Gorilla Family Habituation Permit ($1,500) costs you $6.25 per minute

Uganda wins on Affordability

National Geographic UK in its “Cool Places List” for 2019 asks this Question?  “Why Uganda Again?”  – National Geographic had chosen Uganda as one of the Best Terminus in 2013.  The Answer comes down to Affordability. A gorilla Tour for two is thousands of dollars less than the same Tour in Uganda.

 

You are comparing Gorilla Trekking – Uganda versus Rwanda – Which is the Right Choice for you?

The Advantages of Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda:

• Short Driving Distance from Kigali 2 1/2 Hrs Good Roads
• Golden Monkey Trekking
• Volcano Climbing
• Deluxe/Luxury Lodging Choices
• Combine Akagera Wildlife Park & Nyungwe Forest with its Primates & Trails.
• Relax and Chill Out on Lake Kivu
• Cultural Add-Ons are readily available.
• Better Road Conditions and Cleaner.
• The Traffic Lights work.
• Welcoming Coffee & Cultural Dance at Orientation.
• Rwanda excels at Promoting itself, especially hosting International Travel Writers.
• Rwanda has become a ranking African Convention Terminus, and Convention Attendees can track Gorillas.

The Cons of Rwanda:

• Cost of Permits in Rwanda $1500 compared to Uganda at $600
• Higher Lodging Rate around Volcanoes National Park & fewer Lodging selections
• Lodging in town – not in the Wilderness unless you select a high-class Lodge
• Limited Add-Ons – Rwanda is not like Uganda – a total African Wildlife Tour Terminus.
• Has limited Chimpanzee Tracking with no success proportion.
• Has less daily Permits than Uganda – 10 Gorilla Groups – 80 Permits
• No Gorilla Habituation Experience of 4 hours with gorillas like in Uganda.
• Elevation causes some temporary problems with some.
• 10% of permit revenue given to the local community – Uganda offers 20%
• Rwandans have to pay the same price for Gorilla Trekking as Tourists.

 

The Pros of Uganda:

• Most Mountain Gorillas in Africa -more than half of the outstanding Gorillas. Gorilla Trekking in both Bwindi Impenetrable National Park & the Virunga Volcanoes in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
• More Habituated Mountain Gorillas than any other country with 19 gorilla groups familiarized/habituated.
• Almost twice the Obtain-ability of Gorilla Permits than Rwanda
• Golden Monkey trekking and Habituation Experience in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
• Fly into Rwanda – Trek Gorillas in Uganda – 3- 4 hr transfer & save $900 plus – average person saves $1,200 on permit and Accommodation.
• Spend 4 hours with a gorilla group that is being habituated on an all-day trek.  $1500
• Lower priced permits – $600 in Uganda compared to $1,500 in Rwanda
• More economical priced Lodging, including upmarket. Lodging is not in towns but in or near Forest or Park.
• Best Chimpanzee Tracking and all-day habituation in Africa.
• Mountain and Volcano Climbing including both the Virunga Volcanoes and the Rwenzori Mountains Mountains
• White Water Rafting, Kayaking,
• Relax and Chill out on Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Mutanda or the Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria
• A variety of Scenery, such as is not found in Rwanda.
• English is more often used in Uganda than in Rwanda.
• More than a Gorilla Safari Destination – Big 5 – plus Gorillas and Chimpanzees – 10 National Parks.
• Bwindi Impenetrable Forest UNESCO World Heritage Site – May 2017-picked by CNN as one of the Best Parks in Africa
• Ugandans – East Africans, including Rwandans and Expats.
• In Uganda can do Gorilla Trekking with a lower permit price.  That changed in Rwanda in 2017.
• Uganda – makes the UK Lonely Planet Travellers Cool List for 2019
• Uganda is a Guerrilla-Free Zone

The Cons of Uganda:

• Long Drive times, unless one flies into Kigali and drives to Bwindi – or flies from Entebbe to Bwindi Forest or breaks drive-times by staying a night in another park such as Lake Mburo National Park.
• Road Conditions in places need improvement.
• In-Country Flights tend to be on the expensive side, and however many take advantage of the short 1 1/2 hr flight to Bwindi.
• Not as clean as Rwanda – there is no Muganda Day in Uganda.
• Traffic lights in the main towns often do not work.
• 4 Gorilla Starting Points in Bwindi Impenetrable – some find that confusing.  We take the confusion out of it.
• Uganda has no Gorilla Baby Naming Ceremony, like in Rwanda once a year.
• Uganda does not serve coffee at the orientation for the trek, plus there is no cultural dance offered for visitors.
• Park Offices at Gorilla Trek Starting points are not as elaborate as the one in Rwanda.

Gorilla Trekking Choices – often resolute by Price & Affordability.  The Good News for those selecting to Trek Gorillas in Uganda is that there will be no alteration in the fees/rates of Gorilla Permits for 2020 if you make wise decisions.

Where is the Best Gorilla Trekking? Comparing Gorilla Trekking – Uganda versus Rwanda

Much of what you discover online about Rwanda & being a better Gorilla Trekking country, is unreliable/subjective. Folklore, many of them rolls in the minds of tourists that have never transferred to trek in one country or the other, or have only engaged in trekking Gorillas in one of the 2 countries.

The choice is yours.  Uncountable armchair gorilla trekking specialists have never come to Africa. Analyses who freely offer their intorent recommendations with their plain views, ideas that are not reliant on information & authenticity in either Rwanda/ Uganda.   Some will even propose Virunga National Park in battle-perforated Eastern DR Congo. There, your transfer/travel insurance is useless and annulled. The US State Department and the UK Government have allotted stern transfer warnings. That in spite of Rwandan and Ugandan tour operators taking customers there.

You hear things such as Rwanda is easier for Gorilla Trekking than Uganda.  Uganda has 20 familiarized Gorilla in 2 parks that can be toured. Just like in Rwanda, some treks are more contented than others. Some treks in Uganda can be as squat as 2- 3 hrs, another internet folklore.

If you are looking at price – Uganda wins hands down on permit rates & accommodation rates.  Deal with a Safari operator such as ourselves (Monumental Expeditions Safaris), we will articulate Good/ Bad & the authenticity, with us it is not Rwanda versus Uganda. It comes down to experiencing the reality of an Unforgettable dream of a lifetime on a Gorilla Trek in Uganda/ Rwanda. The truth with us currently is this, 99% of our Inquiries are for Uganda. Why might you ask? The answer is confined in one word – “Affordability,” and that without a compromise in the Experience. That applies even to those requesting exclusive Luxury Gorilla Safaris.

Is Gorilla Trekking worth it?

What about Gorilla Trekking Safety and Security?

Gorilla Trekking is a Safe and Secure Experience in both countries of Rwanda & Uganda. Both Countries preserve a comparable level of protection for Trekkers. In both countries, armed protection is auxiliary. In both countries, the parks are auxiliary and toured by the military.

Gorilla Trekking has been a free occurrence in both countries. Both countries uphold a comparable level of protection. In October of 2019, a rebel attack occurred in Kinigi. An occurrence little distinguished by the International Transfer Community. It also must be well known that no Tourist was injured. Rwanda has taken firm methods to dodge a recap. It is only logical that Gorilla Tourism is highly secured with suitable levels of security. Gorilla Tourism offers funding for Gorilla Preservation, substructure aid to indigenous communities, and better-paying jobs.

Uganda is the only country that can declare currently that its 2 Gorilla Parks are “Guerrilla-Free.” Rwanda had an attack by FDLR Rebels recently on October 4, 2019, near Volcanoes National Park, where 14 Rwandans were murdered. No Tourists were hurt or threatened. The rebels attacked no lodges or hotels. Rwandan Security Forces resisted the insurgents, and five were detained. Gorilla Trekking proceeded relentless without occurrences.

Our Take on Gorilla Trekking in Uganda vs. Rwanda:

Gorilla Trekking Trends

You can’t sight mountain Gorillas in the zoo simply because they can’t endure under detention, they are meant to be wild and free in the Virunga Volcanoes – Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla Park in Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park/Forest inclusive. With us, it is about your involvement – Gorillas have no passports, no devotions, they were there long before the Colonial powers drew boundaries on a map.

It is not about Rwanda/ Uganda or even the DR Congo – it is the threatened Mountain Gorillas that are accumulating in totals due to preservation funded via Tourism

The Bottom Line – As we see it:  Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda is shelter to half the world’s mountain gorilla populace, while Queen Elizabeth National Park has sufficient chances to venture elephants, lions & baboons. Here is the Uganda Bonus: It costs a fraction of what you’d pay in Rwanda. Don’t believe it -do the Math.

Gorillas –Know Before you Go:

Several Gorilla Trekkers are basically ignorant, when they reach for the trek. Finding out about Gorilla Trekking boosts your involvement, your time with the mountain Gorillas (Gentle Giants) of the Forest. We identify Gorillas.  We go out on Treks ourselves. We share what we have found out & have learned with you. Many, whether they are on a tour with us, find the facts most helpful.

Why did we not include Gorilla Trekking in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo?  

Virunga National Park, Africa most Bio-Diverse Park is one of the finest-accomplished parks in Africa, its wardens/stewards some of the fine in the World.  It is the oldest National Park in Africa, and gentle giants(Gorillas) can be tracked there, the permit rates are $400, Why then do we not go there? The welfare of our Customers is primary in our minds.  That area of the DR Congo has been insecure for years. It is counted a High-Risk place, especially after two current occurrences in April and May of 2018.

The US and UK do not commend transferring there with present advisories.  Your Transfer Insurance becomes annulled in most cases.  You have to select between your safety and saving $200 on permits in the Congo should not be your solitary incentive.

Travel Advisory for Gorilla Trekking:  Virunga National Park has reopened for Tourism in February 2019.  Park Management feels that their security has improved since 2 British Nationals were kidnapped last year.  Check Present Security Advisories, your Travel Insurance Policy, and use only a Virunga National Park approved Tour Operator.