Things To Be Careful With During Gorilla Trekking Safari

• Staring in the eyes of the mountain gorillas is a no go gesture during gorilla trekking safari in Uganda or Rwanda as the mountain gorillas are very shy primates. When you stare in the sunken brown eyes of the mountain gorillas, you may push them into hiding as this is suspicious.
• Never report to the ranger station without a gorilla permit hoping to secure one on ground because these sellout fast as their limited supply with demand for them over the top world over. Maximum 8 gorilla trekking permits are open to the public per day.  While on ground without a gorilla permit, you have less chances of securing one and even when an opening comes up it may be in a difficult to get to destination.
• Choose a comfortable season for gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda. Even though gorilla trekking is known to be best done in the dry season which is June to September and December to January, the wet season that is March to May and November has its greatness too.
• Adhere to rules of gorilla trekking as fully explained at gorilla trekking briefing because at this moment the most recent updates about the mountain gorillas is communicated. Most of the rules of gorilla trekking were set after through research right from Dr Diane Fossey’s era to date and these have been approved through gorilla habituation process to create harmony between humans and the gorillas.
• Maintaining some level of fitness before gorilla trekking saves you from delaying the time to find the mountain gorillas and being capable of completing the entire adventure. The terrain for the Virunga area was entirely affected by Volcanic forces that ended in the formation of several highlands which tourists have to hike to get to the gorilla families.
• Pack right for gorilla trekking like safari sturdy boots, long sleeved shirt, trousers, warmers, rain proof gears and more. The jungle is not forgiving because of its roughness like stinging nettles, sogginess, dampness, stinging insects and more. These should not be the barriers to enjoying the best of gorilla trekking and creating ever lasting memories.
• Cross check the ages of children travelling with for gorilla trekking. The eligibility of gorilla trekking is 12 years in Uganda and 15 years and over in Rwanda. These ages where set considering how tourists get to the mountain gorillas, level of resilience to the delay in finding the gorillas, presence of mountain gorillas and more. 

Popular Gorilla Trekking safaris

3 day Gorilla Trekking safari Rwanda

4 Day Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda

6 day Gorilla And Game safari in Uganda

10 Day Gorilla, Chimpanzee And Wildlife safari in Uganda

5 Day Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda

Where to do gorilla trekking Safari

 In Rwanda

Volcanoes National Park is the only home for gorilla trekking in Rwanda. The experience of gorilla trekking in Rwanda is the most accessible because of the time you take to get to Volcanoes national park from Kigali which is about 3 hours drive.

At the moment about 12 gorilla trekking families are open to the public including Amahoro, Umubano, Hirwa, Susa and others.

In Uganda

Bwindi impenetrable National Park is the largest home of gorilla trekking in Uganda. Because of the vast nature and hard to traverse possibility in Bwindi forest, it is divided into four areas that is Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo.

When booking the gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi in Uganda, they are reserved according to the four areas. Even when booking accommodation to use during gorilla trekking in Bwindi consider these area before confirming any thing or else you may be antagonised on to drive long distance to get to another area.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has more than 21 gorilla trekking families providing more chances to finding gorilla permit availability. Gorilla habituation Experience where tourists have four hours with semi-habituated mountain gorillas is open too.

Mgahinga National Park

Even though Mgahinga National Park is the smallest Uganda National Park with about 33.7 square kilometres of land, it is home to the mountain gorillas too specifically Nyakagezi gorilla family. If you are looking for raw gorilla trekking experience, Mgahinga National Park is the ideal destination since it is less travelled with every detail of the jungle still intact.

Golden monkey trekking and habituation experience in Mgahinga National Park is still open to the public in Mgahinga National Park.

Alternative Activities To Do At Gorilla Trekking Destinations

Birding

The birding experience in the gorilla safari destinations whether in Uganda or Rwanda is unmatched with over 200 bird species in Volcanoes forest, More than 350 bird species in Bwindi forest especially Ruhija area and over 115 bird species in Mgahinga National Park.

While on gorilla trekking, there is a double opportunity to bird watching where you may get the chance to find birds like Handsome Francolin, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Rwenzori Turaco and more. Several Albertine rift endemics can be identified by ornithologists.

Batwa Cultural Experience

No one understands the jungle and mountain gorillas better than the Batwa who called these forests home until when conservation took presidency in the early 1990s. 

The Batwa make demonstrations for tourists on how they survived in the jungle with the mountain gorillas like fire making using rudimentary methods, harvested honey, collected food, herbs and more.

Hiring a local guide with a Batwa background simplifies the Batwa cultural experience for you a moment that offers more than expected.

Nature walks

Guided nature walks in Volcanoes National Park, Mgahinga National Park or Bwindi National Park gets you closer to more details of the jungle. Get to spend time identifying plants for botanists, ornithologists have so much to see, enjoy the sparkling water falls and more.

Golden monkey trekking

The golden monkeys are another endangered primate species in Volcanoes National Park and Mgahinga National Park. These primates have a physical uniqueness with a larger body compared to other monkeys, golden brown hairs on the lower bottom and more.

One needs a golden monkey trekking permit to be allowed top engage in this adventure. Golden monkey habituation is open in Uganda where four hours are allowed with semi-habituated golden monkey community.

Local Community tours

Other than the Batwa visit, a tour in the local community tour to engage with the other people that live around the gorilla trekking destinations is worth your choice. Get to visit some of their projects that help them to co-exist with these homes of the mountain gorillas without encroaching or engaging in malpractices that affect conservation of these primates.