BEST TIME TO TRACK MOUNTAIN GORILLAS IN UGANDA
Would you like to track the mountain gorillas but wondering about the best time to go? Treks to see mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be done at any time of the year. When planning a gorilla trek, the dry and wet season are the two essential seasons you need to put into consideration. For starters, the dry season is always considered the best time to track the mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Every year, there are two dry seasons that are experienced in the destinations where gorilla trekking is done in Uganda. The short dry season which is also regarded as the peak/high season occurs in the months of December, February and the longest dry season usually starts in the months of June, July, August, September.
In Uganda, gorilla trekking is done only in the jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Given the nature of gorilla habitat, the mean temperatures experienced range from 21.5 to 27 maximum and minimum temperatures rise from 7 to 20 degrees Celsius. Looking at rainfall amount received, over 2390 mm of rainfall is received every year and the fact that it lies near equator and considering the kind of habitat, you have to expect it to rain at any time. Mgahinga National Park stands between altitude 2227 and 4127 meters and comes with cool equatorial kind of climate thus offering very pleasant and ideal weather conditions.
The significance of trekking mountain gorillas during the dry season is that it comes with minimal rainfall amount and the ground remains relatively drier making it easier to hike through the dense vegetation and steep slopes while you are in search for mountain gorillas. December is always the busiest month of the year not only in Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park but across all the ten national parks in Uganda. You are therefore advised to reserve your gorilla permits as early as possible.
You can as well track mountain gorillas during the rainy/wet or low season which occurs in March, April, May and October, November. The positive side with the wet season is that most gorilla safari lodges reduces cost of accommodation so as to attract more visitors. Plenty of forage is also available for gorillas to feed on and most of these massive creatures keep around making it easier to find them. And the other incredible part is that it can rain and shortly the sun comes out and still you continue with your adventure.
Whether you plan to trek mountain gorillas during the dry season or wet season, every trekker needs to pack appropriately starting with essentials items like hat, trousers, water proof hiking boots, water, rain jacket or poncho, sun screen, water proof daypack, energy giving snacks, long sleeved shirts or t-shirts, camera with no flashlight, insect repellent, walking stick that you can find at the park headquarters or at a lodge.
In summary, for any plans to trek mountain gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda, the dry and wet season are two significant seasons you need to put into consideration.
