Rwanda gorilla trekking is a not miss for anyone seeking adventure on an African safari. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is done in Volcanoes national park located in the northern province of the country. Rwanda is second to Uganda in sheltering the highest number of mountain gorillas in the whole world. Over 60% of total travelers on Rwanda tours are interested in meeting the endangered mountain gorillas and spending intimate time with them.
Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park is one of the three Virunga Conservation Area mountain gorilla national parks, the other two being Virunga national park in Congo and Mgahinga national park in Uganda. there are roughly 1006 mountain gorillas surviving in the world shared between Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Over 500 mountain gorillas live in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Uganda while the rest live in the Virunga Conservation Area comprised of Volcanoes National park Rwanda, Mgahinga gorilla National park Uganda and Virunga National park in the Democratic Republic of Congo
From Kigali, the park is situated north about a 2hours drive from Kigali in the Musanze district. The park head offices are located in Kinigi, and this is where the park entry point is located.
Why choose Rwanda For Gorilla Trekking
High number of mountain gorillas
With over 300 mountain gorillas, Rwanda is your best place for mountain gorilla trekking. 10 gorilla families have been habituated in Volcanoes National park to ease gorilla trekking experience. The gorilla families in Rwanda include Hirwa, Umubano, Sabyinyo, Agashya, Ugenda, Susa A, Karisimbi, Titus, Pablo and Amahoro Gorilla Family. Everyday, each gorilla family is visited by eight travelers. 80 permits are therefore issued everyday.
Ease of Access
Located roughly 120 kilometers from kigali International airport, the drive time Volcanos National park from kigali is roughly 3 hours. This short distance make it the mots accessible gorilla tour destination compared to other gorillas parks n Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Volcanoes National park is the gorilla trekking destination for short time travelers. The 1 Day Rwanda gorilla trekking starts with an early pick up at 3:00am from Kigali International airport or your hotel in Kigali. In terms of transport, Volcanoes National park is the best place to go since distance is short and cheap.
Less Difficulty in Trekking
Yes, trekking through Volcanoes National park is much easier compared to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park Uganda or Virunga National park in Congo. Vegetation cover in Volcanoes National park mainly comprise of bamboo forests which are easy to trek through compared to Bwindi impenetrable Forest Park. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is therefore less strenuous than hiking through Bwindi impenetrable forest.
However, the time taken to see the great apes is still unpredictable and hence you should try to be in good shape when going gorilla hiking. Gorilla treks are categorized as easy, medium, and tough gorilla trek on the day of gorilla tracking. I think this is what makes the Rwanda trek less straining as you get to choose what you can handle.
100% of visitors who come to see gorillas make sure to take pictures of these intriguing apes. Volcanoes national park comprises an open terrain with bamboo trees which allow more light into the gorilla forest which allows observation and taking great shots of the gorillas. Bwindi on the other hand is a very thick forest with quite a lot of foliage
Luxury gorilla tours
With a single gorilla permit costing $1500, Rwanda is a center for luxury gorilla tours in the whole of Africa. The gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda was double hiked in 2017 from $750 to $1500 which transformed the country into a luxury gorilla safari destination compared to the neighboring Uganda and Congo. However, those who have trekked Rwanda gorillas before attest that the magical encounter with these endangered primates in their natural habitats is worth the penny
Gorilla trekking addons
In addition to mountain gorilla trekking, Rwanda offers several other interesting experiences to make a complete package. The gorilla addons in Rwanda include golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes, Chimpanzee trekking /canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest, cultural tours, bird watching, Kigali city tour and big five game in Akagera National park.
Conservation successful
Rwanda has proved a successful conservation story which make it worth visiting. Destination Rwanda has a more appealing conservation story given the steady increase in gorilla numbers in Volcanoes National park. Since the time of Dian Fossey, the population of mountain gorillas in VNP has continued to increase and much thanks go to Rwanda Development Board for the great work done. Als, Rwanda has a touching history and how far she has struggled to beat her past and now considered Africa’s fast-growing economy. This is a great indication that the government uses its revenue for a good cause. Kigali is one of the cleaned cities in Africa.
Tips to Note
A gorilla permit in Rwanda goes for USD 750 which gives you only an hour with the gorillas. Much advisable to buy your gorilla permit in advance as they get finished early. You don’t want to book your flights and fail to get a gorilla permit!
Best time to go – Going to see gorillas is best during the dry seasons as it makes trekking much easier, this is the period of December – march and June – September and the wet season runs from March-May, and July – September. Please note that gorilla tracking is possible all year round as the county has good weather in general.
In your backpack – Pack a waterproof gear jacket, pants as well as backpack in your backpack even during the dry season, you never know.
What to wear – Trekking shoes are a good idea and garden gloves come in handy to protect your hands from nestles, also insect repellent will be useful. Carry enough drinking water as it gets very hot during the joke and snacks too as you do know what time you will be back for your lunch.
Don’t forget your walking stick as it will be very much useful for support and very importantly take a porter. Your portal comes in handy to help you carry your backpack and assist you through slippery routes plus helping a locale put food on his table.
Protect Gorillas – Don’t go for the trek with a cold, when you are sick or have an infectious disease. Gorillas easily catch human diseases and don’t have a strong immune system as we do.
Meeting the gorillas – Once you meet the gorillas, take time to take good photographs but don’t spend this very precious moment on only pictures. Take some time to observe and immerse yourself into this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. You don’t eat in the presence of the gorillas, keep a distance of 15 feet, and don’t start directly into the eyes of the gorilla. Keep your voice low and don’t make sudden movements.