Uganda is a landlocked country situated in the eastern part of Africa, the country boasts with good climate making it favourable for visiting all year round. Uganda is also crossed by an equator and has got two main seasons in a year. Mountain gorillas can be found in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in the south west and Mgahinga national park in the south part of the country, Bwindi has got half population of the endangered mountain gorillas.
Mountain gorillas are the largest apes surviving on earth inhabiting sub tropical and tropical rain forests of Bwindi and the Virunga volcanoes straddling across Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic republic of Congo. Rainfall in Uganda ranges from 1000-2000 every year and temperatures range from 21.5 C or 71 F and drop to 12 C or 54 F at night time. Though there are climatic changes every year and this makes weather unpredictable or inaccurate.
Best time to see gorillas in Uganda
Dry Season
Mountain gorillas in Uganda can be visited and trekked all year round though some months are better and more convenient than other months, the dry season’s starts from June to September and from December to February. The wet season is from mid march to end of May and October to November.
The best time for visiting mountain gorillas is during the dry seasons of June to September and December to February. During this time, its sunny most of the day and the vegetation is not thick therefore you can easily spot mountain gorillas. In the dry season, the roads to the park are easily accessible and the trekking trails are also in good condition giving you a memorable experience in your gorilla trekking encounter. Tourists visiting during this peak season should endeavor to obtain their permits in advance before arriving in the country.
During the dry season, most hotels get fully booked so it’s advisable for tourists to book hotels in advance before travelling to the park and when trekking in Bwindi national park, you should book a hotel in an area you have acquired a permit from.
Wet Season
During the wet seasons of October to November and March to May, food is abundant for mountain gorillas and easily accessible so they don’t move far to higher elevations looking for food, they can easily be found while trekking though the rains during the wet season make some roads to the national parks impassable and the trekking trails also become muddy and slippery. You might also get a bad experience with rain falling during the gorilla trekking process.
Another advantage of the wet season is that some lodges within the parks reduce their rates making it a perfect time for budget travelers to travel, gorilla permits are also easily accessible unlike in the peak season. In the wet season of October to November, bird lovers can combine their gorilla trekking with bird watching because this is the best time for birding as migratory birds are present from North Africa and Europe. It’s also the best time for photography when the vegetation is lush green.
