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The opposite experience, and much the better for it
Gorillas are quiet, still and close. Chimpanzees are loud, fast and somewhere above you, moving.
How it differs
| Gorillas | Chimpanzees | |
|---|---|---|
| The animals | Quiet, largely terrestrial, slow-moving | Loud, largely arboreal, fast |
| The tracking | A directed walk to a known position | Following calls and movement through forest |
| Where you look | In front of you, at close range | Up, frequently steeply up |
| The hour | Still and concentrated | Constant movement and a great deal of noise |
| Photography | Dark, close, a fast lens | Dark, high contrast against sky, a longer lens |
| Permit cost | The dominant line on the invoice | Considerably lower |
| Physical demand | Steep and muddy | Faster walking on flatter ground |
Where to do it
Kibale in Uganda is the strongest place for it in the region, with a large habituated population and a long research history.
Nyungwe in Rwanda is the alternative, in beautiful montane forest, and it fits neatly into a Rwandan itinerary that is already on tarmac.
Both are proper forest walks rather than viewing platforms, and both are a genuine second experience rather than an afterthought.
The habituation experiences
Uganda runs longer experiences with groups still being habituated — for chimpanzees at Kibale, and for a gorilla family in Bwindi.
These are several hours rather than one, in very small numbers, with the researchers doing the work. They are demanding, places are extremely limited, and they need booking a long way ahead.
For somebody who has already done a standard trek, the gorilla habituation experience is the most interesting thing either country offers.
Golden monkeys
In Rwanda, and much easier than either — a short walk in the bamboo at the foot of the volcanoes, an hour with a troop of small, fast, bright animals leaping about.
It is inexpensive, it takes half a day, and it makes an excellent second morning for anybody not doing two gorilla treks. It is also a good option for a party member who cannot manage the gorilla walk.
How to sequence them
Gorillas last, if you can. Chimpanzees and golden monkeys are wonderful and they are not the same order of experience, and going in that order means the trip builds rather than tails off.
If permits force the other order — and they frequently do, since gorilla permits are the fixed point — it does not spoil anything. It is a preference rather than a rule.
What it adds to a trip
Days and variety rather than cost. Chimpanzee permits are considerably cheaper than gorilla permits, so adding two or three days of primate tracking to a Uganda itinerary changes the total far less than adding a second gorilla trek would.
It is the main reason a Uganda trip runs longer and comes out better value per day than a Rwandan one.
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