Where to Go Off-the-beaten-path Gorilla Trekking
Gorillas in the Wild
There are actually numerous national parks through east and central Africa where you can observe gorillas in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking is a highly regulated activity and the money generated through this type of responsible ecotourism is plays an essential role in wildlife conservation.
Deciding where to go and spend your time and money is important not only to ensure you have an incredible experience coming close to an animal we share 98% of our DNA with, but also making sure your contribution towards conservation and surrounding communities contributes in a positive way.
The first thing to keep in mind is that there are four different species of gorillas, of which three of them have organized and responsible ecotourism programs in several national parks. In this article, I’ll break down your options and offer the pros and cons of each location, as well as offer some insights into the ecotourism impact on conservation.
Mountain Gorilla Trekking
Mountain gorillas are perhaps the most famous and the most ruggedly beautiful of the gorilla species. They only exist within two major higher-altitude forested areas in Africa’s Great Lakes region— one group in the Bwindi Forest in Uganda (300-400 individuals), and the other in the Virunga Mountains along the borders of Congo-Kinshasa, Rwanda and Uganda (700-900 individuals). Mountain gorilla trekking is the most popular gorilla trekking in Africa and is generally very well organized and expertly led, no matter where you go.
There are four national parks where trekking is organized in partnership with the park administration:
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to between 300-400 Mountain Gorillas, including 15 gorilla families habituated to human presence. It is about a 10-hour drive from Kampala or a 4-hour drive from Kigali to the park entrance. Unlike in the Virunga mountains, this area is a much flatter forest, so don’t expect much mountain hiking. On the flip side, being a forest, the gorillas tent to live deeper inland requiring longer trekking times. Lots of wildlife may be found along the way.
Permit fee: $700 per person for a normal permit, or $1500 per person for a habituation permit (extra 2~3 hours with a gorilla family)
Surrounding activities: Bwindi is close to several other Ugandan game parks, including Queen Elizabeth and Kibale, as well as the Rwenzori Mountains for some supreme (and difficult) trekking.
Pros: Decently affordable, lots of gorilla families in the forest, well organized, close to other wildlife activities.
Cons: More time spent on the road to get in and out of the park, high numbers of tourists.
Conservation impact: Significant, as Ugandan wildlife face many concerns from a large human population, especially regarding habitat loss.
Virunga National Park, Congo-Kinshasa
Virunga is home to as many gorillas as Bwindi and has the added benefit of being situated amongst towering the volcanos of the Virunga mountain range. This park in the DRC is remote, stunning and the best organized in the country with a strong ecotourism management team and facilities.
Permit fee: $400 per person for a normal permit ($200 in the low season)
Surrounding activities: Virunga itself is massive and includes volcano trekking (when safe), a nature retreat on Tchegera Island, and even the possibility to charter a plane up into the Congolese side of the Rwenzoris.
Pros: Very affordable, lots of gorilla families in the forest, well organized, very authentic experience, close to other wildlife activities.
Cons: Fewer transportation options in and out of Goma, occasional political instability, visa must be arranged in advance through the park.
Conservation impact: Extremely significant, if not straight up vital, as Virunga makes up about 80% of the entire country’s conservation budget, and numerous threats to wildlife are very much present in the Congo, including habitat loss, poaching, rebel movements, and the bushmeat trade.
A mother with her young baby in Virunga National Park, DR Congo. Matt Reichel.
Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
In accordance to Rwanda’s goals of establishing itself as the high-end option for tourism in East Africa, gorilla trips here are extremely well organized and carry a significant price tag to boot. The country is home to around 100-200 individuals, but with the largest single gorilla family with 50+ members (the second largest is in Congo with 40+ members) composing the southeast corner of the greater Virunga range. Rwanda bills itself as the safest place to go gorilla trekking with the least amount of road travel time, both of which are true.
Permit fee: $1500 per person for a normal permit
Surrounding activities: Lake Kivu, the pleasant city of Kigali, and easy access to Uganda (when the borders are open).
Pros: Very organized, many high-end lodges nearby, lots of habituated gorilla families (12) in the forest.
Cons: Very expensive, lots of tourists, not many other activities worth doing nearby.
Conservation impact: Average. Rwanda has a well-financed and stable economy, the park here is less under threat than in Uganda and especially DR Congo. The park itself is quite small and borders well defined.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda
Mgahinga is the smallest National Park in Uganda and sits at the foot of three dormant volcanoes on the southeastern side of the Virunga range. The gorilla population at this park is the smallest, with two habituated families, and one occasionally crosses the border into Rwanda and DR Congo. The gorillas here keep smaller territorial ranges, making them easier to find, and similarly to the mountain gorillas of other parts fo the Virunga range, they live on steep volcano slopes. Golden monkeys are also present in the park.
Permit fee: $700 per person for a normal permit
Surrounding activities: Virunga mountain climbing, as well as easier access to other parks in Uganda (but not as close as Bwindi).
Pros: Remote, intimate feel, few tourists, shorter hiking distances.
Cons: Only one habituated family (but its a very large family), shorter time in the forests, not close to other substantial wildlife activities.
Conservation impact: Significant, as Ugandan wildlife face many concerns from a large human population, especially regarding habitat loss.
Eastern Lowland Gorilla Trekking
Kahuzi Biega National Park, Congo-Kinshasa
Kahuzi Biega is the only remaining home of the eastern lowland gorilla, the largest gorilla species. With silverbacks weighing up to 220 kilograms, they are the largest primate species. Kahuzi Biega’s gorilla sector is located about an hour and a half drive from Bukavu, in South Kivu, DRC. It is the least visited and easily one of the most spectacular places in the world to go gorilla trekking. New accommodations have recently been built near the park headquarters.
Permit fee: $400 per person for a normal permit, $500 per person for a habituation permit (an extra hour with a gorilla family)
Surrounding activities: Kahuzi and Biega mountain climbing, Lake Kivu, Lwiro chimpanzee sanctuary, and easy access to southern Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park
Pros: Remote, intimate feel, few tourists, and very large gorillas.
Cons: Harder to get to, not as many facilities.
Conservation impact: Extremely significant, if not straight up vital. Congo needs significantly more resources dedicated towards its conservation activities. Numerous threats to wildlife are very much present in the Congo, including habitat loss, poaching, rebel movements, and the bushmeat trade.
A silverback sitting next to a banana tree in Kahuzi Biega National Park, DR Congo. Matt Reichel.
Western Lowland Gorilla Trekking
Tri-borders National Park
Dzanga-Sangha in the Central African Republic, Nouabalé-Ndoki in Congo-Brazzaville, and Lobéké in Cameroon all form the greater Tri-borders Park. This extremely unique ecoloogical region is home to numerous bais, or watering holes, located in the middle of the jungle. Bais allow various species to congregate, especially forest elephants and lowland gorillas. This is one of the greatest places on earth to trek for gorillas and observe elephants, but also one of the most challenging places to reach.
Permit fee: $400 per person for a normal permit.
Surrounding activities: net hunting with the local Baka’a people, pirogue tours on the river.
Pros: Remote, intimate feel, few tourists, and an abundance of wildlife.
Cons: Challenging to get there, expensive to arrange trips to this remote region, and political instability, especially in the Central African Republic.
Conservation impact: Extremely significant, if not straight up vital. Congo needs significantly more resources dedicated towards its conservation activities. Numerous threats to wildlife are very much present in the Congo, including habitat loss, poaching, rebel movements, and the bushmeat trade.
Loango National Park, Gabon
Located along the Atlantic in western Gabon, Loango is arguably the most beautiful spot on Africa's western coast. Here, forests, savannahs, wetlands, lagoons and ocean all come together. The park is home to Gabon’s only habituated gorillas, as well as a diversity of other species, including elephants, buffaloes, and whales.
Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Congo-Brazzaville
Odzala-Kokoua National Park, along with Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park likely have the highest populations of western lowland gorillas in the world, although their numbers are difficult to measure. This highly exclusive national park has only one tourism operator within it, organizing very expensive charter flight safaris. The only other alternative to visiting the park is trekking in and camping overland, as no roads lead to Odzala-Kokoua.
