Top 5 Common Gorilla Trekking Mistakes To Avoid : Mountain Gorilla Trekking : Top 5 common gorilla trekking mistakes to know and avoid for your unforgettable safari experience: There are a few mistakes that people make when going gorilla trekking Safari in Africa. Here are five frequent blunders to avoid before embarking on your gorilla trekking experience. We also have a bonus tip specific to gorilla trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi Forest. Whether you’re going to Rwanda or Uganda for a gorilla trek, you’ll want to avoid these classic blunders, which can entirely derail or at the very least diminish your enjoyment of the adventure.
- Arriving on the wrong day
The first and most common error visitors make while visiting mountain gorillas is arriving on the wrong day. Permits are only valid for a given day and are not transferable. This is due to the fact that trek groups fill up well in advance. There are no refunds available.
- Failure to reserve permits in advance
Permits for gorilla trekking are limited to eight people per gorilla group per day. While Uganda currently has several habituated gorilla groups, trekking to observe them has become extremely popular, and permits are often in short supply. Permits are frequently required months in advance. If you walk up on the day hoping to get permission, you will most certainly be disappointed.
- Not bringing your passport on the trek
Visitors must bring their passports on the day of the gorilla hike since park officials will check them against permits to ensure that only authorized permit holders are admitted. If you forget your passport, you might not be able to enter the park! It’s possible you’ll be able to hurry back to your lodging to retrieve it, but that will be stressful at the very least. In the worst-case scenario, you’ll miss the journey.
- Not wearing hiking boots
Many people underestimate the difficulty of hiking through central African alpine forests. This should not be attempted in brand new sneakers. It is critical to wear strong hiking boots with worms. These will help you stay steady on the slick jungle terrain.
- Not packing the right clothing
As we detail in The Ultimate Guide to Packing for Gorilla Trekking, you must be adequately dressed to avoid becoming chilly, wet, scratched, bitten by insets, or sunburned. Pack a long-sleeved top, a warm jacket, long leggings, long socks, a waterproof jacket, sturdy gloves, and a sunhat. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your face. Finally, bring a bag as well as enough water and snacks to last the duration of the trek. If you like, you can hire a porter to carry things for you.
BONUS TIP FOR GORILLA TREKKING IN BWINDI
Many would-be gorilla hikers in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park make the usual (and dangerous) mistake of arriving at the entry to a different region of the park than what’s on their permit. Bwindi is a vast park covering 331 km2 (128 mi2), and you can’t get from one entrance to another quickly. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is divided into four regions:
- Buhoma in the northwest
- Ruhija in the east
- Rushaga in the south
- Nkuringo in the southwest
When you book a Bwindi gorilla trekking permit, you get one for a specific area of the park. This cannot be modified. So, for example, if you arrive in Buhoma with a trekking permit for Nkuringo, you will miss your trek!
Some of the reasons we advocate traveling with an experienced and respected tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris are the aforementioned mistakes. We are quite knowledgeable about gorilla trekking and make certain that our guests do not return home with any regrets, such as not seeing mountain gorillas on their mountain gorilla vacation. Another reason to book with a tour operator is the cost-effectiveness of traveling in a group for transportation and lodging.
