Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is like a new item on a travel Menu every time anyone wants to book it. It doesn’t matter if you are a return participant or a first timer. Each time you are part of gorilla trekking in Rwanda is different because of the constantly changing forest adventures.
Several travel destinations offer the same look or may be altered a little beat but Volcanoes National park has natural changes. Its hard to predict what to find in the forest even the ranger guides that constantly roam the forest get surprises every time.
If you have watched the movie” Jumanji” movie, gorilla trekking in Rwanda is almost like its reality. As you start the trek into Volcanoes National Park you feel as if entering another world but as you marinate into the flavors of the deeper forest its becomes more interesting.
Dianne Fossey trek
Dr Dianne fossey opened the world to gorilla trekking and Rwanda was her case study. She created an exceptional friendship with the mountain gorillas and set up an institute for this purpose. Its hard to believe how a human can passionately fall in love with mountain gorillas.
When in Rwanda for gorilla trekking you have the chance to walk in the steps of this heroic lady who surrendered her life to the existence of mountain gorillas. She endured all challenges both political and economic in order to save the gorillas.
This mountain gorilla enthusiastic Philanthropist met her death at the battle field of gorilla defense in Rwanda. Only someone with an authentic connection with wild nature can lay down there life for these gentle giants.
A gorilla trekking permit from Rwanda Development Board is the entry ticket to gorilla trekking. Most destinations offer walk in and buy a ticket service but it’s a risky decision for gorilla trekking. You must pre-purchase the permit atleast 3 months to travel date and upon conclusion of your gorilla trek, a certificate is awarded as souvenir.
On the day of gorilla trekking, briefing at the ranger station is a must and missing it equates to missing the gorilla trek. A lots of information about the forest, how to behave while with the gorillas and so much more is communicated.
Its amazing that like humans, gorillas also have swinging mood and for this reason a group of rangers rises up to take a trek to the families to be visited that day. They communicate to the headquarters about the mood in the forest per day.
Viewership of the gorillas in the zoos is guaranteed but in the forest even if huge families of gorillas live there, they follow there own principles. Once inform of the gorillas, you must be at your best behavior and follow there principles like no over staring into there eyes, no touching there infants, no using flashing cameras to take photos, no noise making and so much more.
Failure to follow these simple mountain gorilla principles may push them into hiding costing you the chance to fully watch and enjoy them. The silverback will alert the rest of the family in case he notices anything suspicious amongst there visitors. They retreat into the deeper ends of the forest
Other Adventure Activities To Combine With Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda
Golden Monkey Trek
Rwanda is not only a cradle land for mountain gorillas but also home to the rare golden monkeys. This rare monkey specie enjoys then same environment of Volcanoes Park in Rwanda. The unique brown hairs that cover up there bodies and interesting forest life style wins these monkeys a special place in the forest.
Rwanda primate lovers never miss a chance to spend part of there time with the golden monkeys.
Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda
The rich nature forest environment of Rwanda makes the primate life comfortable. Chimpanzees are some of the beneficiaries of this great natural food supply. Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda is inhabited by chimpanzees which can be trekked upon booking a permit.
This area however has limited accommodation facilities so in case you pick interest in including the chimpanzees on your Rwanda safari package you must say it in advance. Chimpanzees have about 98% human genes making them the closest human cousins amongst animals.
A pair of camouflage trousers and long sleeved shirt make gorilla trekking a comfortable adventure without you fearing to get down and dirty. This being a forest activity may not have a cleared out path to follow as gorilla trekking depends on the movement of the gorillas.
Rain gears or poncho offer extra protection to you when it gets too wet. Volcanoes National Park being a tropical forest with a mixture of equatorial environment calls for irregular rains. It falls at any time of the day without warning so you must be ready for any changes.
Garden gloves offer a tighter grip in case you slide while moving in the forest. The ground being soggy throughout the day with limited sun ray penetration keep it wet and slippery.
Insect repellant provide extra protection to your skin against biting nettles in the forest. The wilderness is home to any nature creatures and insects are not excluded. You need to carry a repellant comfortable for your skin safety.
A Camera to keep memories of your encounter with the gorillas alive every time. After Volcanoes National park after gorillas trekking you are advised to leave nothing but foot prints and take nothing as souvenir except photos and memories of your experience with the gorillas.
Some energy snacks keep you energized while in the forest search. Even if you have breakfast, you may get hungry so you need to revamp your energy with a snack. The time of spotting the gorillas may not be known butyou must keep moving.
Check For More About What To Pack for Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda
What Is the best Time For Booking A Rwanda Gorilla trekking Safari
The entire year is open for gorilla trekking but the peak season is normally June to September when demand for travel to see the gorillas is high March to May are normally low season and the remaining months are shoulder seasons. Its is best to pick time that is comfortable for your experience with the mountain gorillas
What Is the cost of gorilla Trekking Safari In Rwanda
The standard cost for gorilla trekking in Rwanda is $1500 per person as this is the coast of a gorilla permit only. Additional safari components like accommodation, car hire, fuel, meals enroute contribute to the gross safari cost in Rwanda.
Different safari packages are available for anyone to book based on your budget. These are packaged according to Luxury safari package, mid range safari package and Budget safari package. Each of these has different components .