Gorilla trekking is one of the best adventures you can ever take in the world. This adventure involves a visit to some of the rare mountain gorillas in their natural habitat in one of the national parks home to these gentle giants.
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
Looking for a gorilla trek in Rwanda? A visit to the gorillas in Volcanoes National Park can entail anything from a 1 to 4-hour trek through the forest. If you are looking to taking a gorilla trekking trip in PNV, it is advisable that you should book your gorilla permit early enough. Some travellers book a year before most especially if you are to travel during the peak season June – September and December – January! Though gorilla permits are always scarce during this period at times there are last minute deals available; endeavour to contact us for a last minute trip!
On the exact day of gorilla tracking, trackers report early at the Volcanoes National Park headquarters and get assigned to which gorilla group they are to visit. If you do have any physical fitness problems, we can help you get assigned to gorilla groups known to always involve shorter treks. For the disabled or old people, there are porters whom we can arrange to take you up the hike!At the park headquarters, the Rangers will give you a briefing of the way they will conduct this fantastic guided nature walk to the gorillas. They will give you extensive information on the environment, the gorilla family you will visit and the way you should behave with them. The so named gorilla rules will be clearly set out because its a corner stone in the conservation of the gorillas. There is not only a high risk of disease transmission to gorillas and vice versa, but the daily visits can cause behavioural disturbance and stress to gorillas. Please respect the rules!
Led by experienced trackers who have spent most of their entire lives living in or close to the forest, start your hike within the forest and search for the endangered mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking is unpredictable and its difficult to foresee how many hours you will hike. The trail takes you through overhanging vines, moss-covered Hagenia trees and giant Lobelias that thrive in the tropical climate.
The trackers will help you locate the gorillas starting from the last known position where the mountain gorillas were left the other day. The trek to the gorillas is enchanting and meeting the gorillas up-close in just a distance of about 7 meters is an overwhelming, life changing experience! The park rangers and the porters are extremely helpful and will do everything they can to make sure that visitors can see the gorillas. For conservation purposes, upone meeting the gorillas you have up to 1 hour to enjoy the company of the mountain gorillas. The daily visits have an impact on gorilla activity patterns. The daily visits are a source of animal stress and less feeding is a strong justification for the one-hour rule.
Locations for Gorilla trekking
There are three countries where one can see the endangered mountain gorillas; Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
What to Pack for a Safari in Africa
1. Gorilla Trekking Gear
2. What to Wear for a gorilla trek
Planning a Gorilla Trek
1. Gorilla Permits – how to secure the gorilla permits
2. Best Time to go gorilla trekking – Learn about the best time to take a gorilla safari to Rwanda.
3. Planning a gorilla safari – tips and information.