What To Pack During Gorilla Trekking Safari | Gear

Packing List For Gorilla Trekking And Gorilla Habituation Experience safari

When packing for gorilla trekking safari in Uganda or Rwanda or Uganda gorilla habituation experience, you need to use the guide list so that you do not forget the essentials. Gorilla trekking  and habituation experience are in the jungle which is quite thick with rough surfaces that affect your skin. Some of the items you need to pack for gorilla trekking include safari boots, garden gloves, back pack, energy bites and more.

Details of what items to Pack for gorilla trekking and Uganda Gorilla habituation Experience safari in Rwanda and Uganda

Long sleeved shirt and trouser

Pack convertible trousers and long sleeved shirt to wear when on gorilla trekking safari to protect your body from the tough surfaces in the jungle. The biting nettles, sharp surfaces and other tough surfaces in the jungle may hurt you while exploring the forest while searching for the mountain gorillas.

Water proof gears like rain coat or poncho

Rains falls in Bwindi rain forest any time without warning no matter the season when you choose to travel. When rain falls in Bwindi forest and surrounding areas it may last an entire day.

Water proof Back pack to carry in the Gorilla safari gears

You need a back park to carry with sensitive items that can get damaged by water from getting so wet or scattering in the forest in case you tripe.

Sturdy water proof safari boots

Wear sturdy safari boots that extend beyond the ankles to protect your feet from the rough and slippery ground at times. The Virunga area has a dense network of rivers and streams that over flow at times leaving the ground wet most of the times.

When the matter in Virunga area decomposes it turns slippery when mixed with water yet less sunlight sips through the dense canopy to the ground.

Insect repellent

Gorilla trekking or Gorilla Habituation Experience is in the jungle where stinging insects live that may injure your body causing you to feel confortable, you need to carry a familiar insect repellent.

Camera

Moments with the mountain gorillas are worth keeping so carry a camera with a good lens. Do not forget a water proof cover to protect your camera from water that drips off the leaves or rain drops.

When leaving the forest after gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience, you are encouraged to leave nothing only foot prints and carry nothing except photos and memories.

Garden Gloves

On the way to do gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation Experience, you may need extra support from close by vines and creepers.

There are over bent tree branches and other plants that may be thorny or slipper so you need garden gloves to assist you in getting hold of these branches.

Sun glasses.

These protect your eyes from the penetrating sun rays, drops of water from the tree leaves and flying insects that may fall into them.

Energy bites

These help you to carry on since you are not sure at what time you expect to see the gorillas. They also keep you busy and not hungry.

Wide Brim safari hat

A wide brimmed hat would also be of importance to protect your head and hair

A walking stick can be hired before the start of the trek.

Hard Cash

It is wise to have some hard cash on you to be changed into the local currency to pay and purchase some items that you wish to buy while on your tour. Although credit cards are used by some entities in Uganda or Rwanda, they are not commonly accepted and used.

Transfer of funds takes long to be confirmed and money also delays to get to the account of the purchasing entity yet it has to be used immediately. This hassle makes it hard to use credit cards.

Extra fully charged batteries

Do carry extra batteries to exchange with during the gorilla safari if one runs out. At most lodges, power supply is supported by solar system yet sunlight is not hot enough all day to allow charging.

Foldable drinking water bottle

Expect to feel thirst while on gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience because of the hiking. You need to quench thirst and carrying many packed water bottles may be too bulky so carry it in a foldable water bottle.

Toiletries

Although most lodges in the gorilla safari destinations avail toiletries, having your personal items saves you from getting worried about the reaction you may get like skin eczema.

Extra safari attires

After gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience, the clothes are too soiled to stay in so you need to change into some fresh clothes warm enough. The temperatures of the Virunga areas are low most of the times so you need warmers.

A pair of Binoculars

At times the mountain gorillas stay up in the canopy so you need a pair of binoculars to capture a better view.

A torch

At times the lodge may get load shading because the solar batteries may not store enough energy to take you throughout the night so you need a torch

Water proof packing bag

Upon returning from gorilla safari the boots are too dense and muddy to keep with other items in your baggage so you need a water proof bag to keep them from staining them.

Warmers like a fleece, sweater

The temperatures of Virunga area is low sometimes and can go as low as 7 degrees centigrade so you need warmers. Carry warm pair of stocking wear while at the lodge especially when away from the fire place.

Sun glasses

The forest has flying insects that may fall into your eyes while walking in the wilderness.

First aid kit

Carry a first aid kit with items that can be used for an emergency while on gorilla safari. Do carry prescribed medication from a doctor.

A charger

If your electronics need to be charged carry your own charging gears.

Where To Go For Gorilla Trekking Or Gorilla Habituation Safari

In Rwanda

Volcanoes National Park

In Rwanda, the only habitant for gorilla trekking is Volcanoes national park a pristine rainforest in North western part of the country. At the moment Volcanoes National park is home to 12 gorilla trekking families

To do gorilla trekking in Rwanda, you must book a gorilla permit from Rwanda Development Board.

The mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park Rwanda live with golden monkeys an endangered primate specie, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey and more.  More than 200 bird species are residents of Volcanoes forest including Albertine rift endemics.

In Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable national Park happen in a vast primeval rain forest in south western Uganda. About half the total number of the mountain gorillas live in Bwindi forest and this explains the ever increasing number of gorilla families.

Currently Bwindi forest is home to more than 23 gorilla families but these live in the 4  sectors under which the park is divided that is Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo.

Gorilla habituation experience is currently open in the southern sector of Bwindi where maximum 4 tourists are allowed to accompany a team of researchers for four hours around the mountain gorillas.

Best Time For Gorilla Trekking And Gorilla Habituation Experience

The dry season is preferred time for gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experience that is June to September and December to January in Uganda and Rwanda. Even though the Virunga area is known for experiencing untimely rains, in the dry season this is less.

Mountain gorillas spend most of the day closer to the ground since there is competition for food up in the canopy with other forest inhabitants. Most of the other forest inhabitants are quicker to trace in the dry season since more sunlight filters through the dense leaves.

In both Rwanda and Uganda, the dry season serves as the peak tourism season so expect to find no or less gorilla permits due to high competition for the limited supply.

Gorilla safaris in the wet season of Rwanda and Uganda that is March to May and November are open too. Most of the time if the day is too wet, the mountain gorillas keep in confined spots but you get to them.

How Sure Can I Be To See The Mountain Gorillas During Gorilla Trekking Or Gorilla Habituation Safari

There are about 99% chances of finding the mountain gorillas during gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience. Even though mountain gorillas are mobile, there bodies are too bulky to move very far from their previous location. A fully grown male gorilla weighs about 100 kilograms whereas the female almost half this weight so cannot move very far.

Every morning a team of ranger guides wakes up to patrol where the gorilla family may have nested the previous day and estimate the direction to take for the day.  This is one of the clues that ranger guides with tourists use to trace the mountain gorillas.

Mountain gorillas live in cohesive families that stay in a particular area for sometime until food becomes insufficient then they seek new feeding grounds. The gorilla families normally do not migrate to new feeding grounds very far from their previous location so you can trace them.

As part of the fun, tourists are requested to help with tracing the mountain gorillas using the clues they leave behind like foot prints, freshly chewed foliage and more.

Which is the better gorilla safari destination Uganda or Rwanda

• For short notice gorilla trekking experience, Rwanda offers better opportunities with chances of having 1day gorilla trekking in Rwanda whereas Uganda’s least number of days on gorilla tour is 3 days. This is because the drive time from Kigali to Volcanoes National park is about 3 hours while drive time from Entebbe or Kampala to Bwindi is about 8 to 9 hours
• Uganda has more gorilla trekking families that is about 23 gorilla families with better chances of finding a gorilla permit while Rwanda currently has 12 gorilla trekking families open to the public. In Uganda gorilla habituation experience is open to the public.
• The cost of gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda is $1500 whereas that for Uganda is $800 per person.
• Uganda has more optional safari activities to combine with gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience including game safaris, water activities, primate safari, visit source of River Nile, birding and more. Rwanda has limited safari activity options to combine with gorilla trekking including one game safari destination, Nyungwe forest for chimpanzee trekking and more.

How Long Is Gorilla Trekking Safari In Uganda And Rwanda

Time to take on gorilla trek in Uganda or Rwanda varies with a number of factors as some tourists have repotted locating the mountain gorillas in 2 hours while others over three quarters of the day.

In case you take long before finding the mountain gorillas, it is better shift focus other interesting features and inhabitants instead of giving up on this long await African safari adventure.

When you locate the mountain gorillas only one hour of gorilla trekking is allowed so as to let the mountain gorillas carry on with their other daily activities. Human presence disrupts the mountain gorilla’s daily programs.

Do exercises to keep fit before gorilla trekking so as not to delay the rest of the group especially if you are not sure of when and where to find the gorilla family.

Why Go Gorilla Trekking Or Gorilla Habituation Experience

Meeting the mountain gorillas is one of the top list African safari encounters with chances of staying in the same space with the few leftover primates to know more about them. Mountain gorillas are mistaken to be aggressive which is quite different when around them.

Beyond the mountain gorillas, the Virunga forests where they live are homes to other endangered species like golden monkeys, Albertine rift endemic birds, rare plant species and more. Some of these Bwindi inhabitants may be spotted using while searching for the mountain gorillas.

If you wish to support the conservation of the mountain gorillas, by purchasing the gorilla permits a part of these funds is used to support the conservation fund. Even the local communities around trekking or gorilla habituation experience habitants benefit from visitors to these areas.