Uganda quietly receives the most visitors for mountain gorilla trekking when compared to the Democratic Republic of Congo or Rwanda. This is because she has half of the overall population of mountain gorillas. Mountain gorilla trekking can only be done in Rwanda’s volcanoes national park, Congo’s Virunga national park, Uganda’s Mgahinga national park and Bwindi impenetrable national park.
Gorilla trekking refers to an activity which involves walking through dense forests in search of gorillas. These gorillas remain wild but habituated. Gorilla Trekking is different when compared to the gorilla habituation experience as we shall discover shortly. The mountain gorilla habituation experience is currently only possible in Uganda and in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This article will therefore focus on Uganda because it is the only place where one can register for both activities.
Whereas gorilla trekking is organized in 4 sectors (Ruhija, Buhooma, Nkuringo and Rushaga) of Bwindi impenetrable national park, the gorilla habituation experience is only possible in Rushaga sector at the moment. This implies that tourists registered for gorilla trekking have a variety of gorilla families to choose from. They can choose to go for an easier trek involving gorilla groups close to the starting point or a more difficult trek that takes you to groups that are further away from the park office. The Mountain gorilla habituation experience is more challenging especially when you consider the group currently earmarked for it. The movement of the group currently under habituation is unpredictable and may require hiking for long distances to find them. This group is not yet completely comfortable with the presence of tourists.
The process of habituating gorillas takes between 2 to 3 years. This all depends on the temper of the silverback gorilla. Once a silverback is open to humans being close to his family, other members of his group will follow his lead. The habituation process thus entails frequent interaction with the primates in order to make them accustomed to frequent exposure to humans.
The Gorilla habituation experience was introduced as a special tourism activity in Uganda more recently (2014) compared to gorilla trekking. The Uganda wildlife Authority introduced it so that visitors could experience the process of making a gorilla family comfortable with human presence. The experience would also allow visitors especially those who love primates to actively take part in the habituation activities which include:
- Collecting and testing gorilla stool to find out if any is sick.
- Naming the individual gorillas in the group and especially new borns.
- Learning how gorillas behave when angry or happy. This is also possible while on the gorilla trekking experience but it is more comprehensive under the habituation experience.
Participating in all these activities takes time and is why the habituation experience requires at least 4 hours with the primates. Those who register for the gorilla habituation experience will enough time to observe, take photos and videos of the gorillas. Only 4 Travelers are allowed to take part in this experience per day. In the case of gorilla trekking, the number is restricted to 8 people per gorilla family in a day. The amount of time spent with the primates during gorilla trekking is less than that spent with gorillas undergoing the habituation process.
Prior to visiting the mountain gorillas, tourists are required to purchase either a gorilla trekking permit 
or the gorilla habituation permit. You can buy the permits from the Uganda wildlife Authority or a reliable Tour Operator in Uganda. Gorilla trekking permits cost 700 US dollars while the gorilla habituation permit cost 1500 US dollars. It is highly recommended that you make your bookings for the permits at least 6 months earlier because they are on high demand especially during the peak seasons. There is no guarantee that you will find the gorilla habituation experience permits available on a specific day even during low tourism seasons. You might be interested in the 3 Days Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi or the 4 Days Double Gorilla Trek in Uganda and Rwanda.
Gorilla Trekking Vs Habituation
Why is the gorilla habituation better than gorilla trekking? The gorilla habituation experience involves spending more time with the gorillas and is led by more senior Trackers and Primatologists. It involves taking part in activities that may not be possible with gorilla trekking such as looking out for sick gorillas or naming a new born baby gorilla. The disadvantage of the gorilla habituation experience is that it involves tracking a gorilla group which is yet to get completely comfortable with humans in their presence. The chances of a gorilla charging may be higher under the gorilla habituation experience. They may also 
be more mobile as they tend to move away from intruders. The gorilla habituation experience is much more expensive than gorilla trekking and is more suitable for those who want to study gorillas extensively.
Why is gorilla trekking better than the habituation experience? The gorilla trekking experience allows tourists more options because 17 gorilla families are open for standard trekking. Tourists can choose to visit a group which is more exciting to observe, one with more silverbacks or newborns. The gorilla groups under normal trekking are very comfortable with humans in their presence and easier to photograph. There are those who think that double gorilla trekking may be more exciting than the gorilla habituation experience because it involves observing two different gorilla groups. No two gorilla groups are the same and you get to see these differences with double gorilla trekking.
What happens during gorilla trekking vs Gorilla Habituation Experience?
On the day of the trek, you will be required to arrive at the park headquarters as early as 7am. Both standard gorilla trekking and the habituation experience start with a briefing. The park Officials will share information about the rules for gorilla tracking after which you will be led into the forest by at least 2 park Guides or Senior Trackers/Researchers for the gorilla habituation experience. If you have heavy equipment, you can hire porters for gorilla trekking at a small fee. These porters are often students 
looking for school fees or parents looking for money to provide a family meal. By hiring one or two of these porters to carry your luggage, you help contribute to the well-being of their families. Communities living close to wild animals will not hurt them if they enjoy the benefits of having tourists around.
It usually takes between 30 minutes to a few hours to find a gorilla family. Advance group of porters are sent ahead to find if the gorillas are still at the location where they built their last sleeping nests. These advance team of trackers will be in constant communication with the Rangers. Once the primates are located, you will be allowed time to observe how they go about with their daily lives. Photographing gorillas and taking videos is easy but only after the Rangers have allowed you to. It is important to follow the gorilla trekking rules while in the presence of gorillas. At the end of the activity, tourists are required to report back to the park headquarters to be awarded a certificate of completion.
Additional Information About gorilla habituation Experience and Gorilla Trekking
Travelers can get to Bwindi impenetrable national park by air or road. It takes about 2 hours by air to get to Kisoro Airstrip in Bwindi from Entebbe international airport. Most Travelers prefer to get there by road which involves 8 to 9 hours of driving. Despite the long distance, you will know why Uganda was 
referred to as the Pearl of Africa by Winston Churchill. The long road trip involves stops at different spots along the way including the famous equator crossing in Kayabwe. I must add that the scenery along the road to Bwindi is diverse and beautiful.
Regarding accommodation, there is a lot on offer. The accommodation facilities are generally in form of cottages built with rare African architecture and close to communities living at the edge of the park. These accommodations offer both budget and luxurious facilities. An excellent budget accommodation is Rushaga Camp. The mid-range accommodations are Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge and Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge. Luxury Travelers can check out Four Gorillas Lodge and Gorilla Leisure Lodge.
The best time to visit the mountain gorillas is during the dry season (June to August and December to February) when the roads in the parks are dry and not slippery. Travelers are advised to carry raincoats because the weather in and around the park is unpredictable due to the dense tropical rain-forests. Travelers are also advised to pack strong waterproof hiking boots, sun glasses, insect repellents, cameras and binoculars to enhance the quality of their experience.
