It is very possible to combine gorilla trekking with the Great Wildebeest Migration. Visitors who want to combine gorilla trekking with the Great Wildebeest Migration often find themselves at a crossroads when choosing between the two. But why choose one when you can have both?
Realizing the comfort of witnessing the best adventures one would consider unreal when told is more of a gift from Mother Nature. Combining gorilla trekking with the Great Wildebeest Migration is, however, not a simple task. It requires an experienced tour operator like Epic Uganda Vacations to organize such an exceptional safari.
Visitors who wish to embark on this combined experience can better understand this safari combo explained separately.
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is the act of navigating the dense vegetation and steep terrain of the gorilla habitat to encounter mountain gorillas for an hour in their presence. Mountain gorillas are social primates that live in groups. Each group is headed by a silverback. Gorilla trekking categorizes visitors in groups of 8 people, and each group is trekked once a day. In the vast Virunga massif, a conservation area dwells expanding across three countries.
This Virunga Conservation Area is the last mountain gorilla habitat in the world. This conservation area confirms an intersection of gorilla destinations in these countries. A total of 4 distinct protected areas harbor mountain gorillas across the Virunga Conservation Area. The gorilla destinations include the following.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
At the forefront of gorilla trekking is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda. This park is the most popular and best gorilla trekking destination in the world. Bwindi has over half of the remaining mountain gorilla population in the world. This alone assures visitors of a seamless gorilla trekking experience. As much as the mountain gorillas are wild, encountering them is never unpredictable. These mountain gorillas are habituated and constantly monitored, therefore known where they are. A gorilla permit costs USD 800 for internationals, USD 700 for foreign residents, and USD 500 for Africans, and UGX 300,000 for East Africans.
Bwindi was established in 1994, and three years later it was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gorilla trekking happens across its 4 gorilla sectors of Buhoma, Rushaga, Nkuringo, and Ruhija. About 50 gorilla families are estimated to be living in this park, but only 26 families are habituated and trekked. The terrain is quite challenging, adding to the adventure along with the dense, impenetrable forest.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
A few kilometers from Bwindi, Uganda showcases another gorilla destination: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. This park is another gorilla destination that can be combined with the Great Wildebeest Migration. The quest for mountain gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park uncovers the park’s terrain and treasures. The park is a central fortress for the Batwa pygmies, one of the oldest pygmy groups in Africa. Talk about a perfect combo with a bit of culture and tradition in it. About 100 mountain gorillas roam the hilly terrain of Mgahinga, which is characterized by sparse vegetation. It is considered the best destination for filming gorilla tours. The park has a single gorilla family called Nyakagezi. Mgahinga is the smallest gorilla destination in the Virunga Conservation Area.
Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park stands out among the gorilla destinations in the Virunga massif as the ultimate luxury destination. The park hosts about 300 mountain gorillas that are distributed in over 13 gorilla families. The luxurious gorilla trekking of Volcanoes National Park is attributed to the developed infrastructure and the gorilla permit cost. This park is situated in the Musanze district of Rwanda, close to the northeastern border with Uganda. Adventure in Volcanoes National Park does not stop at the gorilla trek but also includes the hikes across the vast volcanoes in the park. A gorilla permit in Rwanda costs USD 1,500 for foreign non-residents, USD 500 for foreign residents and Africans, and USD 200 for Rwandans and East Africans.
Virunga National Park
The least explored gorilla destination is Virunga National Park. It is situated in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The park is estimated to harbor about 200 mountain gorillas. The population of these mountain gorillas has, however, over the years been threatened due to poor management and conservation. The political instability in the country has continued to force visitors away. A gorilla permit in Virunga costs USD 400.
Combining gorilla trekking with the Great Wildebeest Migration takes place between two gorilla destinations in Uganda and Rwanda. The continued unrest and instability have hindered tourism in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This leaves us with only Uganda’s Bwindi and Mgahinga and Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.
The Great Wildebeest Migration
Named among the 7 wonders of the world, the Great Wildebeest Migration is generally in a league of its own. The Great Wildebeest Migration is an experience that sees more than a million wildebeests, tens of thousands of gazelles, and zebras travel the 800-kilometer circuit between Kenya and Tanzania. These animals migrate in a circuit, constantly following the rains and green pastures.
To further understand how the great migration is, it has been noted that it can be spotted from space. This can better paint a picture of how incredible this migration is. As the wildebeests migrate, apex predators like lions, leopards, hyenas, and cheetahs tag along to target the weak and the young. In the survival game of the wilderness, nature gives and takes. As more are hunted down by predators, more will be born after they settle. It is estimated that about 8,000 wildebeests are born per day after the migration at the start of the rains.
However, the predators are the least of the problems of the wildebeests; the Mara River poses their biggest challenge. The Mara River is a death row for thousands of wildebeests. The river’s strong current pushes the weak swimmers downstream to the jaws of death. The river is also infested with giant Nile crocodiles that are wildebeest killers.
The Mara crossing is the highlight of the Great Wildebeest Migration. This Mara crossing is the time when the wildebeest get to the edge of the Maasai Mara National Reserve and attempt to cross the great Mara River into Tanzania’s Serengeti. This crossing uncovers nature’s true colors, a cruel teacher that affirms the tale of survival of the fittest. The crossing occurs between July and October.
The best time to combine gorilla trekking with the Great Wildebeest Migration.
Depending on which adventure you wish to begin with, the dry season is always the best time. Gorilla trekking is a hands-on experience that involves hiking through dense vegetation on rugged, steep terrain. Gorilla trekking in the wet season is very challenging given the trails are slippery and vegetation is dense. Dry conditions offer improved visibility with sparse vegetation and easier navigation with dry trails. The dry season in most of the gorilla destinations runs from June to September and December to mid-February.
In the case of the Great Wildebeest Migration, the process is quite prolonged from the earth months of calving from January to March to the start of the migration from April to June. The highlight of this migration is the Mara crossing that happens from July to October.
Finally, combining gorilla trekking with the Great Wildebeest Migration entails a whole package of events. These involve transportation, both flying and driving, since the gorilla destinations are far from the Great Migration destinations. With improved air transport networks in the region, travel has been simplified, further easing movement during combined gorilla trekking and the Great Migration. For example, visitors can fly from Entebbe International Airport straight to the Maasai Mara National Reserve rather than first landing in Nairobi. This reduces the travel time and increases the time for adventure.
