How To Stay Safe While Gorilla Trekking In Africa

Safety is key while on holiday in Africa but during gorilla trekking, you need to feel safe as this is a wilderness experience. The Jungle is thick with huge tree trunks, lots of creeping plants and several wild animals share this home with the mountain gorillas too.

What Safety Measures To Take while On Gorilla Trekking Safari

Pack the right gorilla trekking gears

Safety starts with you as you prepare to start your gorilla trekking safari. Pack the right gorilla trekking gears like tracking boots, long sleeved shirt, mask, hand sanitizer Read More

In case you miss the vital gears, you may hire from the ranger station especially in Rwanda at a fair price.

Carry a First Aid Box During Gorilla Trekking

The wilderness has many occupants and accidents are unexpected injuries so carrying your personal first aid will save your life. At least pack some ointment, anti-bacterial, pain killers, bandage, to mention but a few.

Buy Travel Insurance before starting gorilla trekking holiday

It may be safer to purchase travel insurance in your country than on ground. This is because of the long procedure of securing insurance in Africa. Travel insurance will keep you confident and safe in case of any emergency while on safari.

Stay close to the rest of the group while gorilla trekking

After briefing, you are divided into groups of 8 trekkers and led into the forest by the ranger guide to find the mountain gorillas. The ranger guide follows the slowest person of the group but some people may decide to stay a little behind and take extra photos.

The jungle is interesting and full of wonders but your mission is to keep moving as the time of finding the gorillas is not known. They are mobile primates that feed on only foliage to support there sheer size.

It is very safe to stay close to your gorilla trekking group so that you are not lost in the middle of nowhere. Even if you have Communication gadgets, telephone service or internet in the forest may be poor.

Wait For the Ranger Guide’s Instructions Before Meeting the Mountain Gorilla

The excitement of finally meeting the gorillas may overwhelm you but wait for the ranger guide’s instructions. He has to first establish the behavior and mood of the mountain gorilla family. If the family is happy it is good enough moment to join the feast but if in a bad mood your visit may be bothering.

Avoid staring in The Eyes Of Mountain Gorillas

Gorilla look lovely, adorable and being with them make you get a sense of attachment but staring at them makes them feel suspicious. When they get agitated they start beating there chests, walk on one limb, pull the close by grass and move into hiding.

Staying with mountain gorillas is limited to just one hours so in order to exhaust all the time, you must avoid staring in the eyes of the mountain gorillas.

Do not touch Infants of the mountain gorillas

Any family of wild animals normally highly protects the infants and mountain gorillas are no exceptional. The entire group takes care of infants and so during gorilla trekking, do not touch any infants as this may cause the rest of the gorillas to rage.

Accommodation In Safe Lodges During Gorilla Trekking

Most tourism areas in the world are normally infested by skimmers who wait for chances to steal traveler’s belongings. At Arch Safaris And Tours, we believe in the safety of our clients and their belongings. We book accommodations and recommend accommodations that are safe for our clients’ stay.

During gorilla trekking, some travelers may wish to stay in extremely budget accommodation that may be of the lowest cost but we do not recommend such facilities or campsites. Even if you are travelling budget, we have built relationships with lodge owner that are safe for your stay.

 5 Day Gorilla Trekking Itinerary In Uganda

Day 1: Drive To Bwindi forest National Park

Our driver guide will pick you from your overnight hotel and take a road trip to Bwindi Forest. This equatorial rain forest is placed in South Western part of Uganda and home to huge numbers of primates.

 The roads are bumpy but close by scenery is amazing. The stopovers make the route interesting like Mpambire drum village, photography at the equator, Lwera Swamp home of the renowned shoe bill to mention but a few.

Enjoy a lunch break enroute and arrive late evening to check into your room.

Accommodation: Gorilla Forest Camp/ Engage Lodge/ Trekker’s Tarven

Day 2 Gorilla trekking In Bwindi Forest

Gorilla trekking is the main activity of the day. Wear a mask, carry a hand sanitizer and all necessary gorilla trekking gears.

Head into the forest where you may have the chance to see other primates like black and white colobus, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys the list is endless.

Finally when you meet the gorillas stay in a distance of about 8 meters apart from them and enjoy there presence. Avoid eating while in the presence and take as many photos as you can but do not use flash camera as this scares them.

Return to your lodge carrying only memories of the day.

Day 3 Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park

 The feeling of being close to the only mountain gorillas in the wild makes you feel like not leaving the area but you need to proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The home of the tree climbing lions that reside in Ishasha Sector.

Enjoy a game drive where you may have the chance to see animals like buffaloes, elephants, bush bucks, warthogs, leopards, lots of birds and so much more.

Accommodation: Mweya safari Lodge/ Katara Lodge/ Simba Safari Camp

Day 4 Game drive and Launch Cruise

Early morning, head to the northern part of the park for a game drive. You may have the chance to see animals like lions, elephants, buffaloes, water bucks, bush bucks, birds roam the park too.

After lunch head top the pier to enjoy an amazing view of Kazinga channel. Throughout the day, the shores of Kazinga channel are graced by lots of animals that come to quench thirst.

Return to the lodge to relax

Day 5 Return Flight after gorilla trekking and game drives

Having seen the huge mountain gorillas on your gorilla trekking safari and enjoyed a colorful game drive in Queen Elizabeth National park return home. Drive to Entebbe Airport to catch up with your flight back home.