The two gorilla national parks vary in location; Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is located in southwestern Uganda while Volcanoes National Park is located in northwestern Rwanda. Volcanoes Park is located 106.3 kilometres from Kigali International airport, which takes 2 hours and 30 minutes drive from Kigali International airport while Bwindi is located 462.5 kilometres from Entebbe international airport which takes roughly 9 hours drive. If you are trekking Uganda gorillas starting from Kigali Rwanda, the drive from Kigali to Bwindi is roughly 4 hours via the Katuna border in Kabale or Cyanika border in Kisoro district.
Bwindi forest has 17 gorilla families habituated for trekking while Volcanoes National Park currently has 9 Gorilla groups. The Gorilla families in Bwindi are scattered in four sectors, which are Buhoma, Ruhjia, Nkuringo and Rushaga. Bwindi Gorilla groups include Mubare, Kyaguliro, Mishaya, Habiyanja, Kyaguliro, Bweza, Nshongi, katwe, Christmas, Bushaho, Bitukura and Rushegura among others. On the other hand, the habituated gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park are Susa, Amahoro, Karisimbi, Agashya, Kwitonda, Umubano, Bwengye, Uganda, Titus and Hirwa gorilla family which is currently living in Mgahinga gorilla National Park Uganda.
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park; a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda costs $700 per person trekking the gorillas for Non- foreign residents, $600 per permit for foreign residents and UGX 250,000 for east African citizens. The permit includes the park entry fees, services of the ranger guide, and one hour with the gorillas. For the travellers who would love to spend more time with the gorillas, and take part in the gorilla habituation experience, gorilla habituation permit goes for $1500 per person. Volcanoes national park among all three countries in east Africa, offers gorilla trekking, Rwanda is the only country in Africa with a higher amount of gorilla trekking permit, volcanoes gorilla trekking permit goes for $ 1500 per person, and Rwanda is a luxurious country for gorilla trekking. The permit allows you to spend one hour with the gorillas from the time you meet them compared to Uganda’s gorilla habituation experience with the same cost of the gorilla permit as Rwanda, which allows you to spend 4 hours with the gorillas in their natural habitat.
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park gorillas are distributed in all four sectors of Bwindi impenetrable forest. Bwindi comprises of 18 habituated gorilla families whereby Uganda wildlife authority issues 144 gorilla permits on daily basis for gorilla trekking activities. Both Bwindi national park and volcanoes national park, allows only a maximum of 8 people to visit a single habituated gorilla family every day. The permit allows you one hour with the gorillas in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking involves hiking on steep terrain/ slopes therefore, travellers are required to be physically fit since trekking sometimes takes longer hours before you meet the gorillas. During the trek, you will also sight some attractions like the plants, and primate species like the red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, L-honest monkeys and different bird species.
Bwindi national park has got several lodges from where a client is able to choose where to stay during his or her visit at Bwindi impenetrable national Park, the lodges are located in all four sectors of the park, The lodges offer quality accommodation facilities, high-quality meals, drinks and others and are distributed to meet all the categories of clients that is budget midrange, luxury lodges. The lodges in Bwindi include; Buhoma lodge, Buhoma Haven Lodge, Mahogany springs lodge, Bwindi guest house, Enganzi lodge, chameleon hill lodge, Nkuringo gorilla camp, Trekkers Tarvern lodge, Rushaga gorilla camp, Ruhija community rest haven, gorilla safari lodge, Ruhija gorilla mist camp, Gift of nature lodge, Rushaga gorilla haven, Ichumbi gorilla lodge and others. Volcanoes national park also offers a wide range of lodges to the client both luxury, mid-range and budget lodges to meet the interest of the visitors. The lodges include; five volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Garden Place Hotel, Farage Hotel, Best View Hotel, Da Vinci Gorilla lodge, Hotel Muhavura, Mountain Gorilla View lodge, Virunga lodge, Le Bambou Gorilla lodge, Garr Hotel, Kinigi Guest House, La Palme Hotel, Gorilla Volcanoes Hotel among others
