Gorilla trekking is still one of the most recommended at least once in a life time activities all around the globe. Though Africa has several gorilla trekking locations other than Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo, it is only Uganda and Rwanda that have proved themselves as secure gorilla trekking destinations on the African continent.
The first instinct for people who consider gorilla trekking in Uganda is choosing a travel package from some of the leading tour operators in Uganda. Unfortunately, sometimes the travel packages seem far above the budget of some of the tourists.
In that regard, you are left wondering which other options to consider for a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda. The good news is, there is a fairly good if not better option for a gorilla safari in Uganda. That is a self guided gorilla safari in Uganda. Below are some of the reasons you should consider this option.
Privacy
It is sometimes hard to adjust to strangers more so where you have a language gap due to accents. When you choose a self guided gorilla safari, you do not have to worry about adjusting to accommodate a lot of strangers.
You will be a liberty to even avoid the hotel service by hiring a car with ground camping gear or a roof top tent. With this, you will only need to hire camping space never to worry about room service.
Saves Money
Self drive safaris help to save a fairly good amount of money on your gorilla safari. You can easily plan for your own accommodation, meals and transport by considering a self drive gorilla safari in Uganda.
Most of the travel information you might need to plan on your self drive gorilla safari can be found on the websites of most of the car hire operators in Uganda. Whenever you get stuck during your planning, you can easily contact any of the car hire operators in Uganda to help you out since they often offer this service at no extra charge.
Flexibility on your Trip
Unlike gorilla trekking that will require you to have a scheduled trekking permit, other activities such as game drives, and community tours can be done on impulse without necessarily a reservation.
Instead of restricting your itinerary because of the limited knowledge about what Uganda has to offer, you can opt for a self guided tour in Uganda with chances of doing en route activities in fort portal.
Secure Than Public Transport Means
It is very possible to do a gorilla safari in Uganda using public transport means but it is very unreliable. To a person with a timeline of a scheduled gorilla permit, you would not wish to take any chances on public transport unless you have two days prior to your gorilla trekking safari on your disposal.
Regarding safety on your trip, you cannot be sure about the state of the bus driver. They are likely to work overtime on some days which might put your life in danger. For this reason, a self drive gorilla safari is a better option
Enjoy a Long Drive through Uganda Highlands
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park which are the only two gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda; are located within a 9 hours drive from Entebbe international airport. It is a very long drive but worth trying.
The journey to the gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda offers some of the best topography views during your transfer to the gorilla trekking destination of your choice.
Pack Everything You Want For Your Trip
Many at times, tourists are told to only pack what they need not what they want. However with a self guided gorilla safari, you are at liberty to carry the entire luggage you might need since this will be a personal car where you won’t have anyone limiting you on how much luggage you can carry.
This liberty is not common with other types of safaris mainly conducted by tour operators. We highly recommend tourists to be considerate when choosing a vehicle for their safari. For instance, though a Rav4 is recommended for two people, when you have extra luggage with camping, a land cruiser is far recommended.
Cook For Yourself In The Jungle
One of the biggest challenges people face on trips is finding a place to have lunch. The beauty with a self guided gorilla safari is mostly garnished with the opportunity it presents to tourists to prepare their own food.
The only thing you will need to make this possible is hiring a car with camping gear. This will come with a gas cylinder, utensils and kitchen wear. As long as you pack raw food for your gorilla safari, you will be at liberty to cook whenever you find good parking space.
Unrestricted Travel
Self guided safaris make it very possible for individuals to adventure further even after gorilla trekking. Many at times, you have to wait for the tour operator to decide for you when to go in case you have extra time at your disposal, this is never the case with self guided gorilla safaris.
As long as you can identify fun activities within the locality, you will not need anyone’s permission to engage. You are always at liberty to do what you want without any restrictions.
Photography Opportunities
When you consider a self guided gorilla safari in Uganda, you can easily stop along the way to since you are the boss in this journey to take a photo of most of the things that you find interesting during your transfer.
The route to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park offer amazing photo opportunities ranging from communities, landscape and wildlife encounters.
Recommended For Family Travel
Gorilla trekking in Uganda can be done by anyone who is 15 years and above. To keep the family bond on your trip, you are simply hire a car and you self drive as a family for your gorilla trekking adventure.
For the sake of comfort, you can easily hire a car with a driver for your self guided gorilla safari in Uganda. Without contradiction, Self guided gorilla safaris remain the ideal safaris for family adventures.