Gorilla trekking is a fascinating experience involving hiking to high altitude areas to visit the endangered and habituated mountain gorillas and it’s enjoyed in only three African countries; Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. These large primates can only be found in highland areas and therefore in Uganda find them at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park, their home in Rwanda is on Mount Bisoke and Karisimbi located within Volcanoes National Park and in DR Congo, Virunga National Park is where they find their solace.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park located in Uganda are the two locations in which gorilla trekking can be experienced with Bwindi holding over 600 gorillas which make up the 21 gorilla families and as a result almost half of the mountain gorillas global population resides here. Uganda is a special destination for gorilla trekking because you get to choose from any of the two gorilla habitants. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is less expensive with its permits costing around $700 for foreigners, 600$ for foreign residents and UGX 250,000 for East African Citizens.
These two locations are located in the western region of the country and take about 9 hours to get there from the city center Kampala.
The most luxurious region for gorilla trekking is Rwanda, this activity is experienced in Volcanoes National Park at Mount Bisoke and Karisimbi and has over 150 habituated gorilla families available for trekking. This is where Dian Fossey, a celebrated primatologist who made sure that gorilla trekking becomes a reality did her study and research works from and spent most of her last moments of life. As a result, during gorilla trekking on Mount Karisimbi, you get the opportunity to pass by her tomb where she was laid to rest.
Gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda cost $1500 hence being the most expensive place to enjoy this adventure. The revenue got from this activity has highly improved the lives of the locals and the country’s development at large.
The most affordable gorilla trekking experience can only be got from Democratic Republic of Congo in Virunga National Park at a cost of only $400. There are a total of 8 fully habituated gorilla families available for trekking on Mount Nyiragongo which is also well known for holding the world’s largest lava lake. During the trek on this mountain, tourists can spend the night at the summit close to the lake. This is the most unpopular yet cheapest gorilla trekking destination and it is so due to the political instability frequently taking place in the country.
However, measures have been set up to promote security and protection for both the tourists visiting and the mountain gorillas. Deployment of over 700 armed rangers has been implemented and these surround the park while some protect each gorilla family. During trekking which usually commences in the morning hours, tourists are always accompanied by armed rangers, therefore it is safe to enjoy this once in a lifetime adventure.
Democratic Republic of Congo has double blessings in that it also host another gorilla species known as the Eastern Lowland Gorillas, these can be traced at Kahuzi Biega National Park and suitable for those who won’t manage hiking to high areas, trekking these is easy because they stay within lowland areas which are easily accessible.
All countries offer the same gorilla trekking experience which involves hiking to where the gorilla families are, some of them stay very close to the starting point and therefore they are easy to trek but those that prefer very altitudes are very challenging and difficult to trek because tourists have to hike long and steep distances to find them. The difficulty also depends on the terrain of a particular place such as Bwindi is the more difficult compared to Rwanda because of its steep slopes.
Age Restriction.
Only visitors above the age of 15 are allowed to be involved in gorilla trekking adventure because this activity requires being calm and healthy. Children usually have colds which can easily be transmitted to the gorillas, they are playful and may fail to adhere to gorilla trekking rules and they may not stay calm when around them. Therefore, controlling children around the gorillas maybe hard so that is why there are prohibited from visiting them.
Best time to visit gorillas.
For a better experience, gorilla trekking should be carried out during the dry season which runs from December to March and June to September because during this time hiking is easy since the trails are always dry hence easy to navigate through. This applies to all countries because they all experience tropical climate.
