Wildebeest Migration- Tanzania Kenya Safari with 4wd Africa
When planning a combined Tanzania and Kenya Safari, its never complete without the visit to the wildebeest migration that is a seasonal Safari activity within East Africa.
When we talk about Wildebeest their migration is one of the most spectacular wild life events on the planet reorganized as one of the seven wonders of the natural world, they always begin their cycle in southern Serengeti area of Ndutu. Its inspiring when witnessing thousands of wildebeest’s zebras and gazellas making their way across African plains not only wildebeests but also predators who prey on the wildebeests like lions, leopards and cheeter’s stalking their prey. All this experience gives you a chance to take photos and capture stunning images of the migration and the surrounding giving unforgettable experience. Enjoying scenery and sunset of the Serengeti and Masai Mara
This migration occurs in the Serengeti national park in Tanzania and Masai mara national reserve however, to enjoy this activity there, the best viewing sports that’s is Serengeti national park Tanzania Ndutu river and Mara River Maasai mara national reserve Kenya “the paradise plains”. The migration typically occurs in response to environmental changes, leading the beests to travel across continents. The timing of the Great Migration, particularly in the context of the well-known annual animal migration in Africa, refers to the movement of wildebeest, zebras, and other herbivores across the Serengeti and Masai Mara. This migration is one of nature’s most spectacular events and follows a cyclical pattern closely tied to the seasonal rains.
Mountain Gorillas in the Wild are only found in Africa ( Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic republic of Congo) . They are native to the equatorial forests of central and eastern Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species: the western gorilla and the eastern gorilla, both of which are found in different regions of Africa.
On this article we are focusing mainly on the Eastern gorillas which are mainly found in Rwanda, Uganda and Congo. Choosing the best gorilla safari trekking experience depends on your budget and sense of adventure. Also, scientists have habituated a few groups for tourism out of the undocumented gorilla family groups roaming Africa’s tropical forests and that means that people can visit them in their natural environment without fear of harm.
Best Gorilla Safari – Safe Gorilla Trekking in Africa
When we discuss about the safety of gorilla trekkers during the gorilla trekking experience in Africa, we explore the process where the armed rangers will follow you on the gorilla trekking along side the experience gorilla trackers and porters to act as the support personal on the gorilla trekking . This is similar to everywhere within Africa where gorilla trekking is done . Uganda and Rwanda are the safest destinations for gorilla trekking and they are the very destinations that offer shorter gorilla trekking tours like 1 Days Gorilla Trek , 2 Days gorilla Safaris yet for Kahuzi biega in Congo the shortest is 3 Days Gorilla trekking . Never miss to come face to face with the mountain gorilla or eastern lowland gorillas within the wilderness of tropical rain forests in Africa.
Day 1 : Arrival in Kenya ( Jomo Kenyatta Airport )
Depending on the travel plan , if its self drive Safari , the team from 4wd Africa will drop the car at the airport , orient you about the rental jeep and hand over the key to you to hold it for 11 days during your adventure in Kenya and Tanzania .
- Rental Option : Pop up roof or Rooftop Tent
- Accommodation options: Nairobi Serena Hotel and Radisson Blu Hotel, B&B.
After a relaxed breakfast at 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Visit the National Museum of Kenya or Karen Blixen Explore Kenya’s rich cultural heritage through exhibits of traditional artifacts, historical items, and ethnological collections then at 11:00 AM – 01:00 PM explore Bomas of Kenya a cultural center showcasing traditional Kenyan villages and charges.
Learn about the history and significance of the site at 01:00 PM – 02:00 PM you will have your Lunch at the Kenya Restaurant for a taste of Kenyan cuisine 02:00 PM – 04:00 PM later in the evening visit Village market a popular large shopping centre and dining complex with range of local and international options in Kenya.
04:00 PM – 06:00 PM, walk around Two Rivers Mall and experience the vibrant local market where you can find fresh produce, local crafts, and street food. It’s a great place to interact with locals and get a feel for daily life in Kenya dinner will be at the hotel at exactly 06:00 PM – 07:30 PM.
Day 2: Nairobi City tour & Giraffe Centre
Day 1 : Arrival in Kenya ( Jomo Kenyatta Airport )
Depending on the travel plan , if its self drive Safari , the team from 4wd Africa will drop the car at the airport , orient you about the rental jeep and hand over the key to you to hold it for 11 days during your adventure in Kenya and Tanzania .
- Rental Option : Pop up roof or Rooftop Tent
- Accommodation options: Nairobi Serena Hotel and Radisson Blu Hotel, B&B.
Depending on the travel plan , if its self drive Safari , the team from 4wd Africa will drop the car at the airport , orient you about the rental jeep and hand over the key to you to hold it for 11 days during your adventure in Kenya and Tanzania .
- Rental Option : Pop up roof or Rooftop Tent
- Accommodation options: Nairobi Serena Hotel and Radisson Blu Hotel, B&B.
Day 1 : Arrival in Kenya ( Jomo Kenyatta Airport )
Comparison guide to Gorilla Trekking Rwanda vs Uganda vs Congo
The popular gorilla trekking in Africa are Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park , Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Virunga National Park ( Closed) in Congo then the favorite destination of Kahuzi Biega National Park for Eastern Lowland Gorillas in the wilderness of Africa . It should be noted that Rwanda and Uganda have massive gorilla trekking compared to Congo.
Volcanoes national park- Gorilla Trekking Rwanda
Rwanda is one of the best places to see gorillas in the wild. Rwanda is home to about 30 percent of the remaining population of mountain gorillas. All gorillas of Rwanda are found in the Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda.
This is where the famous primatologist Dian Fossey established base in the 1960’s to study the behavior of these majestic creatures. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is very popular and attracts thousands of visitors to the country every year. There are ten habituated mountain gorilla groups in Rwanda at the moment. Rwanda is thought to be the most convenient place to spot mountain gorillas in the world. Rwanda is perfect for seeing gorillas because of well-developed tourism infrastructure and comparably more professional services.
Bwindi impenetrable National park & Mgahinga National park
Uganda is one of the best places to see mountain gorillas. Half of the overall population of mountain gorillas are found in Uganda and in two national parks – Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Mgahinga National Park. Mgahinga National Park has only one habituated gorilla group while Bwindi has 17. The mountain gorillas in Mgahinga live in relatively high altitudes while those in Bwindi prefer lower land. Because of the high numbers, many of the gorilla groups in Uganda remain wild. Uganda also stands out as the only country where one can take part in the gorilla habituation experience.
This unique experience involves observing the primates for about 4 hours compared to standard gorilla trekking where tourists are only allowed one hour with a gorilla group. Uganda is also blessed with a greater variety of wildlife and activities which visitors can get involved in after seeing the gorillas. Uganda is arguably the better destination for gorilla trekking but the government isn’t as aggressive in promoting the activity as Rwanda. The driving distance from the capital Kampala or Entebbe to Bwindi or Mgahinga is very long hence discouraging some tourists. Many prefer crossing to Uganda from Rwanda to avoid the long driving distance.
Virunga National park Vs Kahuzi Beiga National park
I must state that this is a great mistake to compare Virunga National park and Kahuzi biega National Park due to the uniqueness of each place right from the things to do in each park to the travel destinations and lodges . Kahuzi Biega National Park hosts the Eastern Lowland Gorillas and Virunga National Park hosts Mountain Gorillas hence the unique destination for Primate Trekking tours with Africa.
Virunga National Park offers extra things to do like Nyiragongo Trekking , Golden monkey tracking , Chimpanzee watching , Mount Mikeno Hike and Mount Nyamuragira which is not open for hiking . Yet the Kahuzi Biega National Park offers hike to Mount Biega , Mount Kahuzi , Lwiro Chimpanzee Visit , Water falls and Tea plantation, never miss to see the old Mubuto presidential house.
Congo Gorilla Trekking – explore Eastern Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo is also home to 3 of the 4 mountain gorilla subspecies. Gorilla Trekking in Congo is not more developed like the case for Rwanda and Uganda which is well organized and Congo has more gorillas in the wild than the habituated gorilla families. Also it has three destinations that host the gorillas that is Kahuzi Biega National Park, Maiko National Park, Virunga National Park but many tour operators offer gorilla trekking in only 2 Parks. Maiko National Park has never been opened for Gorilla trekking so its not safe for gorilla tours. Gorillas can be spotted in the Congo at the Kahuzi Biega National Park, Virunga National Park.
The eastern lowland gorillas have a stronghold in Kahuzi Biega National Park, which offers one of the best opportunities for gorilla watching if your interest is the Eastern lowland gorillas. Although Bakavu is also the closest town and has some nice hotels, You will have to cross from Rwanda, Spend a night in Bukavu and the next day in the morning drive to the park for gorilla trekking . This is the reason many tour operators state that Kahuzi Biega gorilla trekking starts from Rwanda.
Mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park are amazing and currently its closed. Each gorilla permit costs 400USD here, making gorilla trekking in Africa a budget-friendly option. Virunga offers gorilla safaris as well as hikes up Mount Nyiragongo.
Safe Destinations for Gorilla Trekking in Africa?
Safety is every travelers concerns as well as tour operators like 4wd Africa that offers gorilla trekking, there are always updated about the safety conditions of places where to see gorillas in Africa and we recommend that if your planning self drive Safari in Africa focus on Rwanda and Uganda for gorilla watching . The cost of the Rwanda gorilla permit is abit expensive compare to Uganda permit. Congo has cheap permits but its not safe for Self drive Safaris and its among the reason few operators do accept cars to cross to Democratic republic of Congo on Self drive.
How do gorillas behave on trekking?
Mountain Gorillas are very peaceful animals, and since they are omnivores, gorillas are uninterested in humans. Gorillas are safe and are not aggressive to human presence since they are already habituated and in case you meet the wild gorillas, the rangers will see how to handle it.
On Gorilla Trekking, the gorilla families that are to visited are also used to human presence since they are habituated since researchers take time to habituate these apes, a process that helps gorillas to understand that the visiting humans are friends not enemies.
You will get close encounter with the gorillas, and a distance of 20 feet from these animals must be maintained. There are several safety measures that are addressed to you at the time of briefing and you are expected to adhere to these rules.
Visiting the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Burera
Relax from the tiresome activities of gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking and hiking by taking part in the boat cruise experience on the deep waters of the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Burera. During the boat cruise, sight beautiful features like birds, hill landscapes and waterfalls.
Best time to go gorilla trekking in Africa.
As its well noted that all adventures comes with Risks the same goes to Gorilla trekking Africa which is an incredible adventure that brings you face-to-face with one of the world’s most majestic animals in their natural habitats, and miss the chance once you decide to visit Uganda, Rwanda and Congo.
Accessibility to Gorilla Trekking Parks in Rwanda vs Uganda vs Congo
As your already aware that when you talk about Africa, all travelers think of 4wd Landcruiser that are made for Africa – Accessibility to all gorilla trekking in Africa doesn’t come on silver plate and requires you to have extreme care from the time of selecting the Car type on your adventure . All National Parks are located in remote areas which require you to have a strong landcruiser and us as 4wd Africa we recommend that you hire Landcruiser lX for ultimate safari experience in Africa .