The Gorilla Adventure in Uganda 2024
Challenge level: 4 out of 5
Challenge level: 4 out of 5
| 9 October - 18 October 2024 | On Sale | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 10 days |
Gorilla tracking permit included!
As gorillas are sadly critically endangered, their habitat is carefully protected and trekkers must have a Gorilla Tracking Permit to enter the Bwindi Impenetrable Rainforest. We arrange and pay for all our participants' permits (£550 per person), so you don't need to worry about it. It's all included in your challenge costs!
Trek through the rainforests of the Virunga Mountain Range and encounter endangered species on this once-in-a-lifetime gorilla tracking adventure.
Together, we'll trek through valleys, lush vegetation and local communities, with chances to see golden monkeys. The excitement will continue with a breath-taking boat ride across the volcanic Lake Mutanda in wooden canoes. Then, it's time to go ape!
We'll venture into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to track the amazing Nkuringo Gorilla Family Group! Encountering these magnificent and sadly, critically endangered, animals in their natural habitat is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that few will ever get to experience. This vibrant forest is alive with other wildlife too, so look out for birds, butterflies and over fifty different reptile species!
Left with an unforgettable sense of awe, we'll end our adventure by getting involved with a variety of ecological activities for the local community at the Singing Gorilla Project. Choose to help out at a local school, music school or health centre or you might even be able to help the charity install water tanks for the community.
Giving back to the planet
We're dedicated to practising responsible tourism and we've designed this amazing itinerary especially to give back to the places we visit.
We have picked fantastic suppliers local to the area; plus we get involved with local eco work at Singing Gorilla Projects in Nkuringo.
This special charity funds and manages community-based projects that improve the welfare of the local communities and enriches the lives of individuals in Uganda and would make the perfect charity to support on your trek.
You will be trekking moderate distances but on sometimes difficult terrain and difficult environments. It will be hot and humid in the Bwindi Forest. Day 3 sees us trek up a volcano and so hills should definitely be part of your training regime.
Pay the registration fee (£399) and challenge costs (£2,695) + airport taxes/fuel surcharge (capped at £475).
$4,043
Pay the balance
Pay your registration fee (£399) and airport taxes/fuel surcharge (capped at £475), and fundraise £5,390 or more for your chosen charity.
$8,085
Minimum sponsorship target
Our Gorilla Adventure Trek in Uganda is tough, but you don't need to live in the gym to complete it. Loads of people who sign up for our non-competitive charity challenges have low levels of fitness when they register. The point is to train, do your best, and reach your fitness goal while making a big difference for the charity that means the most to you.
That said, we strongly recommend you train for the trekking challenge. We'll face long days of trekking in humidity, encounter steep climbs in the mountains and tackle a lot of uneven terrains and overgrown trails in the rainforests.
Once you register for the Gorilla Adventure in Uganda 2024, we'll send you a realistic training plan. This builds up gradually over time so you'll be ready and raring to go by the time we depart for Uganda. We also recommend checking out our top trekking tips here and our indoor training ideas here for the days you don't feel like facing the weather!
Please invest in a pair of quality hiking boots with ankle support to wear during your training and on your trek in Uganda, as these are essential for walking on uneven terrain. We also recommend incorporating hills in your training treks.
Please don't be! The majority of people will sign up on their own and our Dream Challenges are renowned for the amazing camaraderie and life long friendships made as our groups take on these incredible feats together.
Once you've signed up for the challenge, we'll send you a link to a private Facebook group for everyone registered for The Gorilla Adventure in Uganda 2024.
Please feel free to use this space to swap questions, advice and updates with your fellow trekkers on your training and fundraising. You may also want to reach out to the fellow participants in this group to see if there's anyone in your local area you can meet up to train and fundraise with.
Your registration fee of £399 per person is used to administer the challenge and secure your seats with the airline.
Your challenge costs of £2,695 (ie. 50% of the fundraising target if you choose the sponsorship option) cover:
*The Gorilla Permit (approx. £550) is included in the challenge cost of £2,695.
No the cost of the Gorilla Tracking Permit (approx. £550) is included in the challenge cost of £2,695.
In addition to paying your registration fee (£399) and either paying your challenge costs (£2,695) or fundraising the minimum sponsorship target (£5,390), you'll need to budget for your:
We'll camp in comfortable tents (all equipment provided, except for your own sleeping bag) throughout the challenge on a twin sharing basis, with two nights at a wonderful local guest house, where we will be split between camping and staying in the house.
Travel Insurance
You will need to take out your own personal travel insurance covering health, accident, loss and repatriation. Please arrange your insurance as soon as you can after you sign up to ensure you have coverage for your booking as well as the challenge.
In your Welcome Pack, you will receive information about an insurance provider that specialises in our type of overseas challenges and also covers you for cancellation due to medically-diagnosed COVID-19.
You can, however, take out your own insurance, providing it covers you for a charity trek in Borneo. Please ask the insurer about the nature of the cover. It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate coverage for your challenge.
Please ask the insurer about the nature of the cover. It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate coverage for your charity trek.
Visa
You will need to arrange your own tourist visa. As we pass through Rwanda on the way to/from Uganda, you will need to apply for an Eastern African Visa (currently $100 for UK citizens), which will allow you into both countries.
We'll send all participants details on how to do this well ahead of our departure date.
You will need a pair of quality walking boots with ankle support — these are essential for trekking on uneven terrain. Please also bring a 2-litre water bottle and a two-to-three-season sleeping bag.
We will supply you with a comprehensive list of everything you will need to take on our challenge in Uganda well before your departure date.
Everyone who is 18 years old or over by the departure date is more than welcome to join our charity trek in Uganda. We'll have adults of all ages taking part to achieve something awesome for charity — one of the many things that make our overseas challenges so special
If you would like someone under the age of 18 to join you on our trek, please contact us to discuss (01590 646410 or bookings@dream-challenges.com, Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm).
The Dream Challenges team are here to help you achieve your trekking challenge for charity and we will support you all the way. We are on hand from the minute you sign up to answer any questions that you may have about your training or the challenge itself.
Once you have registered, we will send you a Welcome Pack with everything you need to know about your challenge, including the itinerary, an example insurance policy, details about our challenge destination in Uganda and the weather we can expect on our trek, the structure of an average trekking day, a full kit list, and a realistic training plan to help you get fit for the challenge. The training programme builds up gradually as the trek gets closer.
We'll also send you regular updates in the lead-up to the adventure, with more important details and seasonal fundraising ideas. During the trek in Uganda, we'll have a UK doctor with expedition medicine training accompanying the group at all times, along with a team of outdoor remote first-aid trained challenge guides and porters.
The group size is likely to be around 25 people.
As we're not medically trained, we're afraid we can't offer you advice on this. We recommend you contact your GP or your local travel clinic, who will have the latest travel health advice.
We also recommend you visit the NHS Fit for Travel website here, to keep up to date with current travel health news and advice on staying healthy abroad.
NHS Fit for Travel website: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home
Yes of course! If you wish to extend your stay in Uganda, simply get in touch and we can find flight options for you.
Please let us know if you decide to do this at least 17 weeks before our departure date by emailing us at bookings@dream-challenges.com or calling us on 01590 646410 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm)
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