No, gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking or tracking cannot be done on the same day in Uganda. This is one of the commonly asked questions from our clients, and this article will explain why it is impossible to do both activities on the same day.
You see, to understand why it is practically impossible for one to track gorillas and also add chimpanzees on the same day, we need to separate these activities and understand them. It is only then that one can tell or have a defining answer to this question.
Gorilla trekking
The process of navigating the dense tropical canopies of dense undergrowth searching for mountain gorillas and spending an hour in their presence is what we call gorilla trekking. However, words should not deceive you into thinking that this activity of gorilla trekking is a piece of cake. It is rather one of the most intense and tiresome tourist activities done on the African continent.
Mountain gorillas, as their name suggests, are a primate species that live in the mountainous regions of the Virungas. They are considered an endangered primate species because only a handful of over 1,062 are left in the whole world. This makes their protection and conservation of their habitats a worldwide duty and responsibility.
Gorilla trekking as an activity is highly sought-after by many visitors every year. Gorilla trekking is done by only 8 people per day to a particular assigned gorilla family to avoid stressing these primates.
Visitors, after screening and checking the permits, venture into the dense canopies along steep terrains and uneven surface trails until they find the gorillas. These mountain gorillas have a vast habitat and often wander deep looking for food. This means gorilla trekking can last between 2 and 7 hours, depending on where the gorillas are.
Chimpanzee trekking
Similar chimpanzee trekking involves traversing the forests looking for the chimpanzees and then spending up to an hour watching them. Chimpanzees are agile primates with incredible intelligence, with 99.8% same DNA as humans. Their territories are vast and have many tall trees, and thus require patience and precision to encounter them.
Just like gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking is also done by 8 people per chimp community. These chimp primates are always curious about intruders and often run away or hide when they feel threatened. This is why a limited number of visitors is allowed to encounter these primates per day. Most of the chimpanzee destinations have a relatively flat and uneven terrain of very dense undergrowth.
Why is it impossible to do gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in one day?
By now, you surely have a distinctive understanding of both gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking and their similarities. Below, we shall take you through why these two trekking activities of gorillas and chimpanzees cannot be done on the same day.
Distance between destinations
Gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking are both done from different destinations that are far from each other. Gorilla trekking is primarily done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
These parks are located in the southwestern regions at a reasonable distance from the other destinations. Kibale National Park, Kyambura Gorge, Kalinzu Forest, and Budongo Forest, among others, are major chimpanzee destinations.
All these destinations are further from each other, making it impossible to do both gorilla and chimpanzee trekking on the same day. These destinations are protected and governed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Time differences
Gorilla trekking is only done in the morning, kicking off with a pre-trekking briefing. Chimpanzee tracking, on the other hand, is done twice a day, in the morning and afternoon, and also starts with a briefing.
The uncertainty of where the primates could be during a trekking experience pushes the trekking period into uncertainty. Therefore, such irregularities with time during these activities make it impossible to do both gorilla trekking and chimpanzee tracking on the same day.
Physical demand
It is no brain teaser that both gorilla and chimpanzee trekking are physically demanding activities. This is because they require one to navigate the challenging wilderness of uneven, steep terrain of dense undergrowth to get to the gorillas or chimpanzees.
Their unpredictable location sees visitors trekking for over 7 hours before encountering the gorillas or chimps in their respective destinations. Therefore, it is practically impossible for a visitor to do both gorilla and chimpanzee trekking on the same day since both activities are incredibly exhausting.
Finally, now you have an understanding of why you cannot do gorilla trekking and chimp tracking on the same day. Although these activities cannot be on the same day, they can surely be on the same trip.
Our expert tour consultants at Monteero Safaris can help you to design a perfect tour package that includes trekking both gorillas and chimpanzees, and also other attractions in the country and beyond.