The time spent by tourists to spot a gorilla family is unpredictable and depends on where the creatures travelled to look for food and spent their night. This journey is somehow challenging as the surface over which the trekkers move is ragged and expose tourists to cut threats from tree branches. Bamboo cannot be phased out in the lives of Ugandans completely even when the construction of bamboo houses is on extinction.
For travelers who are not physically fit or handicapped, the park came up with a special arrangement where they get to be lifted from the starting point until they spot a gorilla family. With the advancement in technology, government introduced modern stretchers called sedan seats that offer more safety to the visitors since they are made of hard steel.
However, the bamboo stretchers have not gone into extinction hence tourists have a choice of either opting for bamboo stretchers or sedan seat stretchers.
The difference between Sedan seat stretchers and bamboo stretchers in Bwindi impenetrable national park.
The sedan chair is made from steel while the bamboo stretcher seat is made of natural bamboo wood. This explains that the bamboo stretcher is quite cheaper than the sophisticated sedan stretcher.
Sedan chairs are made of metallic handles while the bamboo stretchers are made of bamboo wooden handles. This increases the strength and safety of these stretchers.
Sedan chairs are designed with seat belts unlike bamboo stretchers. This basically implies that sedan chairs offer more protection to the trekkers than bamboo stretchers.
Why are they used in Bwindi national park?
Gorillas inhabit high raised areas that are covered by thick rain forests. Therefore, the location of a given gorilla family necessitates the need to have external help to ensure that unfit individuals don’t miss out on their planned safari.
They are used to help the elderly and physically disabled visitors not to miss their dream and long-awaited gorilla trekking adventure. The park’s landscape is rugged and hilly which requires a certain acceptable level of fitness that tourists above the age of 60, pregnant women and people with walking inabilities do not possess.
They are a source of employment to the individuals who carry them. Tourists pay USD 300- 500 for this service and 12 strong men are offered to each stretcher where four carry a visitor in different turns. Some of these people get a source of income from this and it’s a basis for their well-being.
How much do sedan chairs cost?
Sedan seats are hired at a cost that ranges from USD 300-500 depending on the weight of the visitor and other factors. This price is exclusive of gorilla permit fees. The traditional bamboo stretchers are cheaper to hire than the Sedan seats stretchers hence they go for $200-300 since they are locally made. And just like the gorilla permits, these services should also be booked in advance like 2-3 months before the trekking activity to avoid disappointments.
