Meeting mountain gorillas
Encountering mountain gorillas in the wild can be a deeply moving experience. These gentle giants possess intelligence, gentleness and an obvious sense of family, which makes them easy to identify with. Gorilla trekking to see mountain gorillas in either Rwanda or Uganda is something that will remain with you forever and give you a more profound sense of the interconnectedness of all life.
What to expect when you go gorilla trekking
One of the biggest clues is in the names, ‘mountain gorillas’ and ‘gorilla trekking’. Whether you choose to see gorillas in Rwanda or Uganda, you should expect to work a little for the experience. However, we promise you that hiking up into the mountain forests will be worth it.
Hiking up through the high-altitude rainforests in the Virunga Mountains (the cross-border region that is the last stronghold of these great apes) can be physically demanding. It involves negotiating steep, sometimes slippery paths, rocks and thorny vegetation. During the rainy season, you can also expect daily cloudbursts.
Lodges in both Rwanda and Uganda generally provide most of the equipment you will need including waterproof jackets and perhaps trekking poles. This certainly makes packing easier! However, due to the limited range of sizes available, we would recommend you invest in a pair of sturdy, comfortable hiking boots.
The ultimate wildlife encounter
Your reward will be a close encounter with these amazing creatures. Time spent with the mountain gorillas is strictly limited to one hour per visit and you’ll be required to maintain a minimum distance from the gorillas (typically around 7 metres or 23 feet). These rules are in place to reduce stress on these endangered primates and to minimize the threat of them contracting human illnesses. In fact, if you have a respiratory or gastric infection, you won’t be able to join a trekking group. In the same vein, there is a minimum age for gorilla trekking (currently 15 years old in both countries).
Another way that the gorillas are protected in both Rwanda and Uganda is through the requirement to have a gorilla trekking permit. As a tailored travel agency, we handle securing these for you prior to your Journey. Your permit will be for a specific date and entitles you to spend one hour with a family group of gorillas, and the costs of the permits are then channeled back into gorilla conservation.
Typically, each group consists of females with their playful young and the impressive dominant male or ‘silverback’. Unlike with many other wildlife experiences, you are almost guaranteed to see the gorillas. That’s because they are monitored daily by researchers and rangers, meaning that the location of each family group is confirmed each morning.
Depending on food availability and social interactions, gorillas move up and down the mountain slopes. As a result, you may be given the option to trek to see a group that is lower down, or higher up. This in turn will affect how strenuous your day is and how long you may be hiking for.
Passionate gorilla guides
Whether you choose to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda, you’ll enjoy the knowledge and dedication of the guides. Many of them have years of experience and know the gorillas almost as well as they know their own families.
Rwanda vs Uganda – the differences
Gorilla trekking is an incredible experience in either country, but if you’re trying to choose between the two destinations, you may want to consider the following factors:
Uganda is generally more budget-friendly, in terms of the cost of permits (around US$800) and lodge accommodation. Trekking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is both rewarding and challenging, with treks to the gorillas typically longer.
Rwanda, in contrast, has focused more on the luxury end of the African travel market, with permits costing around US$1500 per person and lodges typically being more high-end. You may also find that average hike lengths are shorter.
Whichever country you visit, you’ll find that gorilla trekking – and spending time with the gorillas – will exceed all your expectations.
To experience gorilla trekking for yourself, contact the travel experts at Journey Beyond today.