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Obviously for people keen to trek in the mountains having the best
weather conditions possible for walking is important for safety
and comfort. Therefore clients looking to trek in the Rwenzori
Mountains, Mount Elgon or in the Virungas will travel to Uganda
and Rwanda in the dry season. Even in the dry season there is
always a risk of a heavy downpour, but these are normally
short-lived and cause little disruption to itineraries.
For many clients their main physical activity will be the Gorilla
trekking in Uganda and Rwanda. Obviously they also will want to
avoid rain, but very sunny conditions can bring their own
problems. Not only does strong sun make the trekking more
demanding and potentially risk clients getting sun burnt or
dehydrated, it can also make photography a little tricky. If you
find the Gorillas in fairly open terrain, as I did in both Uganda
and Rwanda, bright sunshine on the dark coats of the Gorilla can
make it difficult to get the right exposure level. However, if you
are tracking a group that is located in the much thicker and
darker primary forest and the weather is cloudy, you will find
that low light levels are a problem.
For clients wishing to travel in the dry season there are a few
subtle differences to take into account depending on what wildlife
you are keen to observe. For general wildlife viewing at the
savannah parks such as Murchinson Falls and Queen Elizabeth, the
best month is March just before the rains when vegetation is
lowest. But Lion viewing is better when the new grass is a bit
longer after the rains (August/September), as they favour the
cover of a few choice locations from which to ambush their prey.
Certainly travelling straight after the rains (July or December)
will ensure less dust for the long car transfers between locations
and that is certainly an advantage when vehicles have no
air-conditioning.
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