Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
Rwanda’s gorilla trekking takes you to Volcanoes national park that allows travelers to view gorillas in their natural surroundings, a trip to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda will leave you dumbfounded and inspire you to relate stories to others. the Volcanoes National Park also features other primates including chimpanzees and golden monkeys, which attract lots of tourists for treks. The mountain gorillas can be seen in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo. At Rwanda especially, the mountain gorillas can be found in the volcanoes national park, which can be reached from Kigali in 2 hours and 18 minutes if there is no traffic.
Volcanoes National Park is among the oldest national parks on the African continent and was officially designated as a national park in 1925. to keep poachers away from the mountain gorillas. Volcanoes National Park is located in northwest Rwanda and accommodates five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga ranges, including Mount Kirisimbi, Mount Bisaya, Mount Muhabura, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Sabinyo. It also covers 160 km2 of rain forest. It borders the national parks of Virunga in the Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, which protect mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. Volcanoes National Park is also famous because of Dian Fossey, an American primatologist.
Can I go mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park?
Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is situated on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes, Volcanoes National Park protects over twenty families of mountain gorillas, totaling over 280 individual gorillas. Twelve of the twenty families are visited, with ten families being visited daily. It is also known that the gorillas in Rwanda are split into two groups, one for research and the other for conservation. The ten gorilla families for tourist purposes include the Ugenda Umubano gorilla group, the Susa gorilla group, the Karisimbi gorilla group, the Sabinyo gorilla family, the Hirwa gorilla family, the Amahoro gorilla family, the Bwengye gorilla family, the Agasha gorilla family, and the Kwitonda gorilla family.
What time does gorilla trekking begin in Volcanoes National Park?
Mountain gorilla trekking in volcanoes begins very early, at 7 a.m., at the headquarters, with a brief introduction to the guidelines for trekking gorillas. After that, you’ll be split up into groups of eight people and given permission to enter the jungle. A skilled ranger will assist you while you are in the bush so you can track the gorillas, since they occasionally graze from a distance in the jungle.
What to Bring on a Mountain Gorilla Trek
When departing on your mountain gorilla trekking vacation, remember to pack the following items: an umbrella, long sleeve shirts, a raincoat, a hat, a jacket, and long trousers to protect you from the cold and small branches in the jungle that could damage you while trekking. We encourage you to bring everything mentioned above because the weather can vary and occasionally be inhospitable to people.
What should you expect on your gorilla safari in Rwanda?
Upon your arrival at the park, the staff will greet you at the park entry point, check you in, and then point you in the direction of the lodge where you will spend the night. You won’t do anything on this day since you’ll be late. As you wait for the following day, you will then need to relax.
The volcanoes’ national park is only a two-hour drive from Kigali, so you will need to get up very early in the morning to get ready, have morning tea, and then be picked up by a guide who will drive you there. The ranger guide will first brief you, divide you into groups of 8, and go through the rules and regulations of trekking with you, such as not to imitate the gorillas, don’t feed them, don’t get too close, and don’t make too much noise because that will make them agitated and make them attack you.
What is the price for the gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda?
Rwanda’s gorilla trekking permit costs $2500 per traveler, and it is a one-day trek.
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