The Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda provides an unforgettable four-hour encounter with mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas have long been recognized as one of the most important wildlife attractions on an African safari. Thousands of visitors come from all over the world to search for this hidden treasure which can only be found in East and Central Africa’s dense, humid, and mountainous forests of Bwindi, Volcanoes, Mgahinga, and Virunga National Parks. Mountain gorillas like all other wild animals are naturally afraid of humans and will flee or become aggressive if approached.
Gorilla charging is uncommon, but it can happen if the group is approached without a habituation period.
The Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda is the process of acclimating these gentle and adorable creatures to humans and teaching them to regard humans as any other harmless being in their environment. The habituation process for gorillas usually takes two to three years but it can take up to five years.
During the habituation stage, gorilla group members are also named. A group of trackers, guides, and researchers approach a gorilla group in a non-threatening manner with the goal of determining the best way to communicate with the gorillas. This is risky. However, because gorillas particularly the dominant silverback would love to assert their dominance some level of aggression should be expected. The key to gorilla habituation is to gain the approval of the dominant male. Once this is accomplished, closeness to the group can follow. After the gorilla group has finished the habituation process, they are tested before being opened to visitors.
The Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda began in central Africa in the 1960s spearheaded by Dr Dian Fossey who pioneered the gorilla habituation process alongside tracking, identification, range mapping, and other research activities that are still being implemented by gorilla conservation authorities today. Gorilla habituation is a useful tool for gorilla conservation programs and research because it allows for easy monitoring of gorilla groups’ security, health, population trends, social behavior, and feeding habits. It is also possible to estimate the revenue generated for local communities, governments, and businesses, particularly tourism-related businesses, using gorilla habituation. Gorilla habituation is risky and time consuming. As a result of constant contact with humans, it exposes gorillas to risks such as disease. Furthermore, for habituation to be considered successful, a significant amount of time must be set aside.
Mountain gorilla conservation and habituation began in the early 1990s with the establishment of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in 1991. This involved three gorilla groups – the Katendegyere and Mubare groups in the Buhoma sector and the Kyagulilo Group in the Ruhiji sector of Bwindi in the first phase of habituation. In 1993, the first two groups were open to tourism activities. However, the Katendegyere group, which had 11 members (down from 3 in 1998), crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Sarambwe Game Reserve, while the Mubare group, which was led by Ruhondeza, who died in 2012, now has 12 members after a series of changes.
The Kyaguliro, a group that was the victim of a poaching attack and lost four members, now has 18 members due to new births.
As gorilla trekking became more popular in the mid-1990s so did the need for more Gorilla families to be habituated because the first group simply couldn’t meet all of the demands. This resulted in the habituated of two more groups, the Habinyanja and Nkuringo. However, the Nkuringo group was only opened to tourism in 2004 due to a number of challenges including inadequate infrastructure.
With the need to spread its significance to the majority of Bwindi, the third phase of the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda began in 2006 with two additional groups habituated and opened up for tourism in 2008. The Nshongi and Bitukura tribes were among them. The Nshongi group in the park’s southern sector was the largest gorilla group ever recorded with over 30 members at the time. This was the result of a dramatic split in the group which resulted in its merger with another group. In 2008, two more groups were habituated: the Kahungye Group in the Park’s southern section and the Oruzogo Group in the forest’s western section, which had 30 and 20 members respectively. The former splintered into nine members to form the Busingye Group
Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda is a newly introduced activity for mountain gorilla enthusiasts in which four tourists are given the opportunity to experience the fun of the Gorilla habituation process for four hours under the supervision of researched and trained trackers. This is in contrast to gorilla trekking in which 8 people are assigned to each gorilla group and can only observe the gorillas for one hour. The Uganda Wildlife Authority pioneered gorilla habituation experience in 2014, which is only available in Uganda, not Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. You will have more time to learn about their way of life, take more photos, observe them interact, feed, build nests, and groom themselves during the gorilla habituation process. You will also learn about the roles that each member of the family plays. The gorilla habituation experience, which includes park entry, costs $1500, which is significantly less than the $700 paid for one hour of gorilla trekking. In comparison, gorilla trekking in Uganda is less pricey than the habituation experience. The Uganda Wildlife Authority has designated two gorilla groups in the Rushaga and Nkuringo areas of Bwindi for habituation in 2018-2019.
The Bikyinji family, which has 22 members, is located in the Rushaga area of the park, as is the Bushaho family, which split from the Nkuringo family. This group is led by a dominant silverback named Bahati (after the location where the group was first spotted), who commands three adult females, an infant, a juvenile, a subadult, and a black back.
Visitors booked for the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda meet at the Bwindi visitor center in Rushaga at 7:30 a.m. for a briefing by authorities from the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the research group before the activity begins at 8:00 a.m. The gorilla habituation process requires a minimum of 15 years of age. It is recommended that those wishing to participate in the habituation process be physically fit enough to hike to the steeper and denser parts of the forests, as these mighty apes tend to move to difficult-to-reach terrain and areas of the park. Sick people are not permitted to participate in the gorilla habituation process. Human diseases such as influenza pose a threat to mountain gorillas. When photographing mountain gorillas, avoid using flash cameras. Do not try to imitate or mock gorillas. Avoid provoking them and keep at least 10 meters away.
The best time to see gorillas on a Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda is usually during the high seasons, which last from December to March and June to October. However, you can also visit during the low season in April, May, October, or November. However, these months are unfavorable because of heavy rains, which make hiking difficult. Because of the high demand from visitors for the gorilla habituation experience and the limited number of permits available per day, you must book early, at least 6 months before your visit is recommended.
Permits can be obtained from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or your tour operator. Booking tickets requires your passport information. Long-sleeved shirts made of polyester material that dries quickly, gardening gloves, a hut, long trousers, a rain jacket, bottles of drinking water, hiking shoes, a camera, a walking stick, and, of course, insect repellents to protect you from mosquito bites would be included on parking lists/essentials. Pack some snacks or lunch because the habituation process usually takes the entire day. It’s also a good idea to hire porters to help you carry heavy loads and climb steep slopes.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest can be reached in three ways. One option is to drive from Kampala or Entebbe to the park, which takes about 10 hours. The shortest and most convenient option for travelers is a one-and-a-half hour flight from Kajjansi flying school in Wakiso district along the Kampala/Entebbe highway to Kisoro, followed by a 45-minute drive to your Rushaga lodge. A traveler can choose to arrive from Kigali to avoid the long journey from Kampala/Entebbe and the expensive flight from Kajansi. Rushaga in Bwindi is only 4 hours away by car from Kigali.
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We have experienced adventurous gorilla trecking, chimpanzee tours, safari accompanied by waterbuffalo, pumba, giraffe, antilops etc encounter that has made our trip supercool I appreciate to have Martin as a… read more local fixer/guide/driver who was familiar in topics, flexible in unusual clients requests and cheerful guy that is soooo needed when travel long hours in a van.Samuel also was cooperative and reliable too
18 days with tent on top of the car with driver. Our driver Alonso helped us and guided us at all times! Good tips for sleeping, where to eat… read more and buy!!! In the safaris he knew all the parks very well and was passionate about birds!!! Agustin and Silvia from Spain we return in love with this country and its nice people!!! Thanks Alonso and Samuel!!! from Laba Africa Expedition!!
We had a 8-day wonderfull travel in Uganda, so well organized by LABA Africa. If you want to discover Uganda, choose this company, and you will have the… read more best experience ever.
We visited Bwindi Forest National Park with gorilla trekking – unforgettable -, beautiful Lake Bunyonyi – with a refreshing swim -, cykling safari between zebras, giraffes, antilopes and birds and finally boat trip to the source of the river Nile in Jinja.
All guides were knowledgeable and took very well care of us, espacially Robert, our excellent driver and guide for the whole tour.
The accomodations were perfect, confortable rooms, helpful staff and good food.
It’s amazing to be able to get so close to the animals, and experence the beautiful landscape and scenery of Uganda.
Thank you so much, Samuel and Robert.
AMAZING journey with Laba Africa all around Uganda for 21 days !! – We’ve had the chance to travel with ALONSO from LABA AFRICA for 21 days all around Uganda. We have met a lot of turists along our trip and I can… read more assure you one thing… LABA AFRICA is THE best company to discover Uganda.
Communication is really easy with Samuel (Laba’s Boss). He will take care of the itinerary, chimps and gorilla’s permits and will advise you perfectly on what to do, what to expect, and will make sure to answer all of your questions before your arrival.
Samuel even bought a Sim card for us to make sure we could get internet data as soon as we arrive in Entebbe Airport.
Our guide was Alonso.
Alonso is our best guide ever… We’ve traveled in a lot of countries, but I can assure you Alonso knows his country better than any other guide. He is very open minded and is able to talk for hours about everything related to his country (way to live, politics, economy, religion, local us and beliefs, etc.).
Alonso is also a true legend all around his country, he knows someone at every places we have been.. he knows perfectly all the natural reserve and taught us many things about the animals during our safaris.
He is an excellent driver.
If your are planning to come in Uganda and do self driving… Please don’t.. The roads are terrible and I wouldn’t advise anyone that is not used to it to drive on these roads by himself.
The car that Laba Africa provided us was amazing. Big SUV with 4 wheel drive with an open roof and a tent on the roof (amazingly comfortable).
The car is very comfortable and safe. Laba Africa even provided us sleeping bags (for the roof tent), cooler, camping chairs, cooking gaz and all the ustensiles we needed to cook ourself.
Alonso and the company has always been attentive to our wishes, needs and desires and is really customer focused.
During our trip, we’ve met a lot of locals, and it has been an amazing human adventure. Uganda is not only a destination to see animals and wildlife, it’s also a beautiful country that has so many to offer (waterfalls, landscape, tea fields, lakes, mountains, volcana, natural reserve, culture, traditions, people, local dance, music, crafts, hikings, cycling, rafting, boats trip, etc.)
Here are the main places we’ve visited : Kidepo National Park, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchinson Falls National Park, Queen Elisabeth National Park, Bwindi Forest, Bigodi Village, Kibale, Lake Mburo National Park, Sipi Falls, Jinja, Kampala.
Among our best memories, we will remember for ever our homestaying with a lovely local family within the Bigodi community, our night safari in Queen Elizabeth NP with the Lions turning around the car, and the quiet Jinja city on the Nile.
We really wanted to spend some time with locals and share a night with them. Laba Africa never organise Homestaying before. We’ve asked Alonso if it was possible. Of course, he made it possible because Alonso would make anything possible for you. So i wanted to thank him again because he made this trip amazing for us and now we keep this experience as our best memory from this trip.
Our trip was supposed to end on the 31st of December as our flight was very early in the morning on the 1st of January.
Alonso drove us to Samuel’s house. Samuel and Morgan (Sam’s GF) cooked for us for lunch and have spend the 31st of December with us. They’ve made a city tour for us, drove us to the craft market in order to buy some gifts for our family before our departure.
And the cherry on the cake… They took us with them in a party to show us “how we celebrate new year Eve in Uganda”. It was on the best rooftop of Kampala, to watch the midnight fireworks.
Honestly, do you know some company that can offer you such experience?
Don’t make a mistake and hire Laba Africa for your journey in Uganda, and please, stay at least 2 weeks if you want to discover most of the things this country has to offer.
Thank you again Samuel, Morgan and Alonso.
I will not forget you guys and I wish you the best for the future, you deserve it!!
Hope to see you again.
we keep in touch
We experienced a very well organized 9-day trip with a driver& guide (Robert) filled with amazing experiences like game drives, chimpz and gorilla tracking and boat safaris. The communication… read more with Laba Africa was very smooth and they tailored the trip according our wishes. The guide was very flexible and came up with ideas and options while on the road. We really appreciated him being with us. The Laba Africa guide had a vast knowledge about flora and fauna and was happy to answer all our questions. The accomodations chosen and booked by Laba Africa were absolutely stunning with very helpful staff.
Laba Africa planned a (4 days, 3 nights) trip to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with a stop in Lake Mburu (Uganda’s smallest national park). We had a great and friendly guide… read more in Alonso, who was very organized and patient. Making a stop in Lake Mburu breaks up the long drive to Bwindi, and is a great opportunity to get very close to giraffes and many other animals in the park. The gorilla trek itself was amazing and surreal getting very close to a gorilla family. All the lodges booked by Laba Africa, were in beautiful and serene locations with nice rooms, friendly staff and good food! After my third trip with Laba Africa, I would recommend them to anyone any day!
Great 3day trip go Murchison national park and falls! Also passed by rhino sanctuary on our way there. Really liked our driver and guide (Robert) who drove is there safely… read more and found tons of animals for us to see in the park.
Robert was a great guide. We went on Safari at Murchison and to the rhino sanctuary. The bGreat food and company. 10/10
On the way to the safari we went to the rhino sanctuary which was a cool experience. We slept at Fort Murchison which was a really good place to stay… read more in. The next day we went on the safari trip and a boat trip which was amazing. We saw so much animals.
Our guide, Robert, really gave us the best experience one could get.
Really recommend going with Laba!
I certainly got way way more than I imagined on this trip. I seen it on YouTube but not many indulge how fantastic the service this company has provided. My… read more guide Patrick was 10 out of 10. Friendly, informative and never refused an activity I wanted to see or do absolute gentleman. Then little did I know I was going to be provided with bony a top top quality chef. I was expecting package meals but no the food was excellent that I actually gained weight on this trip. I travelled the world but must say this company really exceeded my expectations.
Sam put together a perfect itinerary for our mother-daughter trip. Alonso took us around Kampala and showed us the main sights (Buganda kingdom, the mosque and bustling downtown Kampala), and… read more Robert took us to Murchison Falls National Park, then to Jinja and our final destination Entebbe (4 days). We had such a wonderful time and loved every minute of it: the roadside life, the food, the nature, the magestic animals, the friendly people – everything. They say that once you have experienced Africa, you will always feel a tug to return. Be prepared Laba!
My mom and me went on a two nights trip to Murchison Falls for safari and it was amazing! Sam organized a great trip for us and the communication was… read more very smooth the whole way. Our guide Robert was so nice and we saw so many animals each day. Sam also organized a city tour in Kampala for us and we also went to Jinja on a boat trip to see the source of the Nile, the local markets, and ate Ugandan food. Every part of our holiday was amazing and I would recommend Laba to anyone travelling to Uganda (and elsewhere)!!
I went on a two day Safari in Lake Mburo with Laba Africa Expeditions and it was an amazing trip. Everything was organized very well and our guide Samuel was… read more wonderful and came with suggestions during the trip and listened to our wishes as well. I would recommend this to everybody who wants a fun, safe and amazing safari. Even the rangers at Lake Mburo was great. I had not expected a safari to be such a incredible experience but it really was!
Samuel is the real fixer in Uganda! Within a week he got me the Gorilas permit to Bwindi. He also advised me in anything else I needed.
Adam, my… read more driver who took me from Kigali (Rwanda) to Bwindi, crossing Uganda’s border, became a friend. Is the best guide to move you around! Truly recommend both of them. Laba africa is the best!
We rented a car with roof tent for three weeks and I can highly recommend Laba Africa.
Great advise for trip preparation and replied instantly to all our (many) question… read more by whatsapp. Also arranged for gorilla trekking which was very pratical.
Car turned out to be great, no mechanical problems. Our rooftent was never used before it was brand-new.
Uganda is a beautiful country with very friendly population. We had a great time.
We went three friends on a safari to Murchison Falls (2 nights) and we had the best time. Everything was timed and organized to the last detail by Sam –… read more the best guide and the best company. We saw so many animals and it was an incredible experience for all of us. Sam was very knowledgable about the animals and the nature in general, which added to the whole experience. We stayed in a great lodge just outside the park. There was great food and a nice pool! We would definitely recommend this trip to anyone!
Christopher and I have been filming in Uganda for the past week, and the excellent results we got wouldn’t of been possible without Laba Africa. Top professionals who made our… read more work trip go super smooth. We would highly recommend them to other media professionals.
We rented a car from Laba Africa. They are very service minded and nice people. The car was kept in good condition. Recommended
We hired a land cruiser with a tent on the roof. The car and tent were great and pick up and drop off were very smooth- they met us at… read more our hostel each time.
We had a wonderful time with Laba Africa. From the beginning till the end of the trip we felt welcomed and very comfortable.
The accomodations we‘re well chosen and they… read more even prepared a surprise for our honeymoon :).
Samuel and our driver Alonso know a lot about the country and their way of presenting it to us was very pleasant.
The gorilla trekking in bwindi forest was definitely the highlight of our trip. Only after 30 minutes of walking we met the gorilla family and the rangers made sure that all of us could take nice pictures of the animals without disrespecting their personal space. We can really recommend the Bakiga Lodge for the Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi. The staff was really friendly and the food was great. The view from the top is breathtaking and the lodges are lovely decorated.
All in all a trip we‘ll never forget.
The gorilla trekking with Laba Africa was absolutely gorgeous. We were lucky to find the family after just 20 minutes of walking through forest. The rangers were always helping us… read more to get great pictures and they knew much about the animals.
Our driver Alonso was also very kind and gave us many valuable information on the pearl of Africa.
We really enjoyed every single moment that trip and can recommend it to everyone else.
An amazing experience! We saw so many animals, so many incredible landscapes. We also have the chance to discover the local cultures.
The guides were very nice… read more and we learned a lot!
Every lodge we slept in, was perfectly chosen. Uganda is worth a visit! Go there!
Did a great weekend tour visiting the Mundari tribe near Juba, South Sudan. Everything went well, I really enjoyed the trip.
Traveling with Laba Africa was a great experience!
We saw amazing landscapes and animals in different national parks and spent the nights in beautiful lodges. The guides were extemely… read more nice and fun to be around.
Especially the planning of our trip was amazing. We had some special requests because I wanted to visit some friends in between our Safari tours. That was no problem and got nicely included in our plan for the trip. Whatever we requested was made possible!
I can only recommend traveling with Laba Africa. We will definitely return!
My family and I just came back from a three-week-customized roudtrip of Uganda with Laba Africa. It was a tremendous experience!
Starting with chimp tracking in Kibale, we saw lions… read more the same day in Queen Elizabeth NP. Then on to Ishasha, Lake Mburo NP and jinja, where we had a short break. Then we went to a small village near Soroti to visit friends of our daughter. From there we went on to Karamoja, Kibale NP, Murchison Falls NP before we came back to Entebbe.
It didn’t matter what special requests we made, Laba Africa made them possible, sometimes even more!
But the most important thing is this: The planning of this trip startet in autumn 2019 and it was mostly paid for in January 2020. It should have taken place in March 2020, but then the pandemic destroyed our plans. Through all the insecurities for that 18 months peroid until we finally could make the trip, Laba Africa held contact, took care that our chimp tracking permits did not to expire und charged nothing additional – except for some new requests we had.
So Laba Africa is absolutely the best and most reliable partner for visiting Uganda or any of the other countries they are offering tours to! We will return to Uganda and to Laba Africa for sure!
The best part was definitely chimpanzee tracking, that was an incredible experience! Next amazing part of our trip was community walk, where locals showed us their traditional beer, gin, coffee… read more and basket making. It was great to have time to talk to them :) Game drives through savanas was so amazing, our guide Alonso did everything to try to find the best parts of the park and to find every animal there is to see, but you can never be sure, you’ll be lucky enough to see them all. We also saw Murchison falls, that was so nice, although the boat ride to see them from the river was kind of boring, too long for too little of experience. But overall amazing trip!
We really enjoyed out trip through Uganda with Laba Africa. The tourguides took good care of us and they showed us so many fascinating things! Furthermore, it was very… read more easy to change or add additional things to our already existing program.
I can really recommend a trip with Laba Africa to everyone! :)
Thank you very much to Samuel and his team! We really enjoyed our time in Uganda and with you.
Amazing experience!! Very serious and friendly team!! I really advise this company to travel in Uganda!!!
My friend and I did a 10 days Safari through Uganda which was one of the best things we‘ve ever done! Laba Africa organized an amazing tour and we really… read more enjoyed all of it. They took very good care of us. We also got to know local communities such as the Batwa tribe. Thanks to Samuel for this unforgettable adventure.
The trip was simply amazing! Had an experienced guide(Alonso) who showed is not only ugandian nature, but also explained many things about culture of this country. I would aspecially recommend… read more visiting community near Kibale NP.
Naprosto skvělý výlet. Zkušený průvodce, skvěle vybrané cíle i ubytování! Mohu jen doporučit.
White Water Rafting
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