This is an opportunity to roll into the forests and initiate a search for the endangered mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking safaris have remained only for Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are no other amazing rewards like nature allowing you in and letting you experience this unrated jungle adventure.
This summarized information guides some of the things any person planning for an amazing gorilla trekking safari would like. You just have to know that gorilla trekking in Rwanda is an upmarket undertaking that is set by the cost of a permit to trek at Rwanda’s solo Volcanoes National Park as the gorilla park.
Rwanda Gorilla Permits
A permit in Rwanda costs US$1500, doubling or tripling the permits from other mountain gorilla trekking countries. Like the earlier notice, gorilla trekking is very competitive due to the limited space for one to have a chance with the apes. It’s advisable for one to book their permits at least three months before the trekking dates.
Fitness for Rwanda gorilla trekking
Though gorilla trekking is done through an elevated geographical platform, anyone can trek gorillas. Unfitness is never an obstacle when opting to trek with the gorillas. However, if you want to go by yourself, you must ensure a certain level of fitness. Must be able to walk for a distance to sustain for hours.
If you can’t afford to walk through, you can use porters who carry you through the rough forests to watch the gorillas and bring you back. Those in wheelchairs, elderly people over 80, and mountain gorillas can still use porters. Porters to carry you cost $300 for the full trek.
What is included on a Rwanda gorilla safari?
A gorilla trekking safari package includes several to ensure that guests are not troubled with any worries on their trek. A full gorilla trekking package includes a trekking permit(s), vehicle and fuel, driver, accommodation, park entrance, all meals, and complementing adventures alongside gorilla trekking.
A day on an amazing gorilla trekking safari
A day starts with a sweaty wake-up, freshening up with a shower, and enjoying the freshly served breakfast. Then, board your safari vehicle at your lodge and drive to the park information center at Kinigi. Get briefed about the trekking etiquette, which starts at around 7:30 a.m. and get grouped into 8 people per group to trek a single habituated gorilla family.
At around 8 a.m. you will drive your safari vehicle to the starting point, depending on your assigned gorilla family. With your assigned armed ranger guide, you will roll into the forest and start a search for the gentle giants.
The trek continues through this amazing jungle, judging and appreciating the natural endowments of valleys, slopes, and vegetation until the gorillas are encountered. The trek can last for about 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on where the gorillas are located. Either a sight or a special sound directs you directly to the gorilla, with indications of the flesh flora breaking.
Finding yourself before the gorilla is a lifetime adventure that can’t be afforded elsewhere. At the sight of maintaining 7 meters off the gorillas, you have a limit of an hour before the gorillas. Seeing the gorillas, there is a lot of entertainment and learning here as the little ones jump around.
What’s after seeing gorillas?
When you encounter the mountain gorillas in their natural environment, you have a limited amount of time before them. When an hour elapses, you set out to go back to the starting point; the walk length depends on where you encountered the gorilla trekking family.
Find your driver, and it’s believed you still have enough time in the day to refresh with lunch. Then, optionally, you can decide to visit Diana Fossey graves, visit the local communities, or drive to Musanze Caves, all of which are available after a day of trekking.
Depending on the time you have at the park and the nature of your safari trip, if you’re looking at refreshing, visiting Lake Kivu, or driving back to Kigali, all are amazing alternatives to consider after a trek.
A time best for gorilla trekking
The record of watching the mountain stands possible throughout the year. Mountains have a record of being endemic species limited to only Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo; all are converged at the proximity of Albertine Rift Valley. The Rift Valley region shares the equatorial climate of the tropical the tropical rain forests that inhabit mountain gorillas are kept moist throughout the year, and it can rain all the way through.
However, around Volcanoes National Park, the weather alternates twice a year, with the moist rainy weather and the dry/shiny season. The two weather situations double a year, and this subject travel trends to doubling a year. Being in tropical volcanic forests, during rainy weather it is colder, and the ground in the jungle is slippery and muddy. This makes it uncomfortable for many trackers. When opting to see gorillas in any of the rainy months, expect it to rain each day.
The rainy month’s surface from March to May, and they double back from September to November. The season is not so competitive, and permits can be obtained anytime of the month; fewer trackers are expected. When opting to watch gorillas during certain times of the year, expect a small number of trackers.
And the sunny or dry months are the most preferable months to trek gorillas; during the dry seasons, the grounds are dry, so expect no or even limited downpours sometimes.
This season surfaces during the months of December to February and doubles back from June to August. This is the best time to travel within the equatorial zone; however, you should understand that these being tropical rain forests, they can dry any day of the year.
Packing for a gorilla trek
Gorilla trekking needs enough preparation, not like any other safari around. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment within the deep tropical jungle; you must make sure that all that it takes is catered for.
Alongside the trekking permits, ensure to have the following: enough drinking water, sugary simple foods, a walking stick, sunscreen, insect repellent, binoculars, and a camera.
Get yourself ready when you have long pants and long sleeves (green, Khaki, and dark colors that match the forest) a waterproof jacket, struggle jungle boots, long hiking socks, head socks, and gardening gloves. Then you’re ready to roll into the forest to initiate a search for the gorillas through Volcanoes National Park.
