Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park both in Uganda are one of the best parks in the world one should visit. The park boasts of hosting half of the remaining mountain gorillas in the entire world with the rest being conserved in other parks like Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Initially, many clients preferred trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda than Uganda and this was because of the short 2-hour drive from Kigali to Volcanoes national park compared to the 8-hour drive from Entebbe/Kampala to Bwindi National Park.
Things changed in May 2017 when Rwanda Development Board in charge of selling gorilla permits doubled their price from USD 750 to USD 1500 on gorilla permits. Ever since this happened, so many clients nowadays prefer to track mountain gorillas in Bwindi national park because it’s cheap and some are not willing to pay huge sums of money for gorilla permits in Rwanda yet in Uganda a gorilla permits cost USD 700 per person.
Here are the following reasons why should track mountain gorillas from Rwanda to Uganda.
Clients save money
This is because it's cost-friendly. It’s cheaper starting from Kigali to Bwindi national park in terms of accommodation, car hire, and fuel among others. Starting from Kampala requires one to spend money on accommodation both on the day of arrival and the day of departure.
Secondly, when it comes to gorilla permits, gorilla permits in Uganda cost 700 dollars while that of Rwanda cost USD 1500 per person. This gives opportunities for clients to save some money for some other things.
A short drive from Kigali to Bwindi national park
The distance between Kigali and Bwindi is about 176.8km and it takes about 4 to 5 hours from Kigali to Bwindi. They would have been 3 hours but because of the speed limit in Rwanda which doesn’t exceed 60 km/hr, it makes the drive time a bit longer but this reduces chances of road accidents since vehicles don’t move at a high speed.
Makes it possible to organize short trips for our clients with limited time
It’s possible for clients to arrive in Kigali and immediately transfer to Bwindi on the same day, do the tracking then travel back to Kigali on the second day for departure.
We recommend clients to stay in Bwindi for at least 3 days in order to enjoy the park to the maximum because it has a lot to offer like birds, primates, mountain biking around Bwindi which is done through a well-maintained trail of 13km from the park office.
Clients get a chance to see the natural beauty stretching from Rwanda to Uganda
On a drive from Kigali to Uganda, you pass through beautiful sceneries covered with both natural and artificial vegetation. Rivers flowing through the valleys are also observed during the drive, small towns along the road, farming among others. This spices up the same activity clients pay for which is gorilla tracking.
Clients get offers on flights when they book with Rwandair
Rwanda owns Rwandair and sometimes they give some offers through their website so it’s advisable to check on the prices and routes on their website before you book. You could end up saving some money.
Visit the Kigali genocide monument
It’s located in Kigali which makes it easy to access. Spend 2 hours at this monument which paints the dark history of Rwanda. Learn how the genocide started, what caused it and how it stopped. This will make you realize the good leadership of the current government has played a big role in the development of Rwanda.
The short distance between Kigali and Bwindi national park
It’s 176.8km from Kigali to Bwindi which takes 4 hours. It would have been 3 hours drive but because of the low-speed limit of Rwanda, a maximum speed limit of 60 km/hr while in Kigali-Huye and Butare. For more details about gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda kindly contact Adyeri Creations Limited.
