Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla trekking / gorilla tracking / gorilla trekking safaris is an activity that involves searching for gorillas in their natural habitat. In East Africa, some of the locations for gorilla trekking include Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. These 3 locations share the last of the population of gorillas in the whole world.
Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda are often compared in terms of which location provides the best gorilla trekking experience. In Uganda gorilla trekking costs USD 600 and in Rwanda gorilla costs USD 1500 congo happens to have the cheapest gorilla trekking experience where a gorilla permit goes for USD 400.
Many initiatives have been put in place to promote gorilla trekking in Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda. Some of Rwanda’s marketing strategies include contracting with the famous Arsenal football team to wear jerseys that promote visiting Rwanda.
Rwanda permits prices are higher compared to the price of Uganda’s gorilla permits and Congo Gorilla Permits due to the need to pay for gorilla conservation in Rwanda as well as helping the local communities around. The high permit prices in Rwanda are also a way of promoting Rwanda as an upmarket trekking destination.
In Rwanda, trekking is done in Volcanoes national park also known as Parc Nationale des Volcans. The permits for gorilla trekking in Rwanda are booked with Rwanda Development Board. Gorillas are a major attraction in Rwanda and many festivals and sculptures have been made in honor of these creatures.
The beautiful scenic views in Rwanda, the fascinating hills, deep valleys, the green environment and the clean streets of the Kigali city and the general hospitality and togetherness of the people of Rwanda are among the reasons why people visit Rwanda for different activities which also includes gorilla trekking.
Flights connecting to Rwanda via the Rwandair airlines make Rwanda accessible to tourists by air transport making it easy to connect from other airports to Rwanda for tourist activities such as gorilla trekking making the tourist experience in Rwanda easier and convenient.
The amazing accommodation facilities located around the tourist destinations in Rwanda such as Volcanoes national park make it easier for tourists to have rest after their gorilla trekking experience. The accommodation facilities range from luxury accommodation, midrange accommodation and budget accommodation which widens the accommodation choices for tourists.
In Rwanda, the best time for visiting the gorillas is during the months of mid-December to early January and from June to September. The trekking activity can also be done all year round in Rwanda but the recommended months for gorilla trekking favor the hikes during gorilla trekking and reduce the risks of trekking during the rainy seasons such as malaria. The mountainous terrain and the dense forests also make it difficult to trek during the rainy seasons.
Security and safety of the tourists is a major aspect during a visit to a tourist destination and in Rwanda, many security measures are put in place such as security checks at the airports and rangers are also available during gorilla trekking to keep the tourists safe.
A number of other wildlife species can also be seen living in the same habitat as the gorillas and they include primates, hogs, forest elephants, golden monkeys and a variety of bird species hence improving the trekking experience as nature sounds fill the air in Volcanoes national park.
The local community living around volcanoes national park also promotes interactions between the tourists and the local community such as the Iby’lwacu village where tourists experience different local cultural practices such as traditional dances, local beer brewing, and many others.
A visit to the place where Dian Fossey was buried is also among the activities which tourists engage in during a visit to Volcanoes national park. Dian Fossey is known to be one of the researchers who did research about the gorillas and brought other groups to learn more about the gorillas in volcanoes national park and to save these magnificent creatures.
Other activities that can be carried out alongside visiting the gorillas include nature walks, hikes, cultural experiences, and many others.
However, the choice of which destination for a tourist to engage in gorilla trekking greatly depends on the tourist’s preference and the convenience of the location as well as the client’s budget of trekking.
In Uganda Trekking is done in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. For Congo, Gorillas can be trekked in Virunga National Park for mountain gorillas and Kahuzi Biega National Park for eastern lowland gorillas. In Rwanda Gorillas are found in Volcanoes National Park.
