Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park: Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is one of the most memorable activities that tourists can take part in for a rewarding experience during their Rwanda safari. The activity in Rwanda is carried out in Volcanoes National Park where you will access the habituated gorilla families along the Virunga Mountains namely, Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Muhabura, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Bisoke. Some of the activities that can be carried out in the park include the golden monkey trekking, colobus tracking, nature walks, birding, hiking the virunga mountains among other memorable activities but among the different activities, gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is the most memorable activity that tourists can take part to have an amazing time understanding the endangered primate species and because there are a few mountains gorillas that are left in the world it has attracted many tourists to visit the park where you can find half of the remaining mountain gorillas. For tourists interested in carrying out gorilla trekking in Rwanda, this travel guide will help you to plan for a comfortable trip, to know expectations of the gorilla trekking experience in the park.
WHERE TO OBTAIN A GORILLA TREKKING PERMIT
If you are interested in carrying out gorilla trekking in Rwanda, you should have a gorilla trekking permit that you can obtain from the Rwanda development board or a trusted travel company at a fee of 1500USD will give you access to take part in the memorable activity of tracking the endangered primate species. With a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda, you will have the chance to secure a knowledgeable guide who will lead you through the safe trails of the park and also offer all the relevant information concerning the endangered primates that you can get to ask during your activity, you will also have the chance to spend one hour with the gorillas understanding their behaviour in the park and after the one hour elapses you will be advised to head back to your starting point of your activity and if you violate the rule you will be fined therefore it is is important to follow the rules set up by the park management to be followed during the activity.
The gorilla trekking permit will also secure an armed ranger for you whose duty during the activity in the park is to protect you against any kind of attacks from either security threats or vicious animals that can claim your life therefore during the activity you should listen carefully to what the ranger and the guide say in order to have a safe activity and in such cases the armed ranger is always the last person following the group to protect them easily and for that reason no tourists should be lag behind in order to avoid any accidents.
PACKING LIST FOR GORILLA TREKKING IN RWANDA
- Hiking boots are necessary while carrying out gorilla trekking in Rwanda to make it easy for one to hike along slippery and steep slopes.
- A Camera should also be carried which will enable you to capture beautiful pictures of the gentle giants while they carry out their daily activities in the park.
- Insect repellent, should not miss out on your packing list because of the fact that there are a number of diseases spreading insects like mosquitoes that can spread malaria with their bites
- The perfect hiking clothes should also be packed like a hat, a rain coat because the weather in the park is cute unpredictable that it can rain at any given day there you should carry the perfect clothes for a comfortable activity.
- Binoculars can also be packed for tourists interested in seeing a number of bird species in the park while taking part in the activity. There are a number of bird species that can be seen in the bamboo trees where you can find the gentle giants.
Guidelines for gorilla trekking
- You should follow the lead of the guide all the time in the park in order to have a safe gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda. it should be noted that the guides are highly skilled and knowledgeable of the park area therefore they will lead you on safe trails where you will not encounter any attacks from wild animals that can be fatal to . Therefore it is important to always follow the lead of the guide for a memorable experience while in the park.
- When you come in contact with the gorilla species, it is advisable to stay at least 7 metres away from the gorillas in order to avoid being attacked by the gentle giants or spreading diseases to them this is because the mountain gorillas are vulnerable primate species.
- You should avoid eating in the presence of the gentle giants because it will attract them to come and eat with you which can turn into a dangerous affair.
- Littering in the park during gorilla trekking should be avoided because it can be a danger to the gentle giants in a way that the primates can choke on the litter.
- You should avoid making eye contact with the gorillas because it poses as a challenge to them as a need for leadership and in such a scenario it is survival for the fittest it can be fatal.
- Littering in the park is highly prohibited because it can cause choking to the primates and in case the travel has any disease, the primates can easily contract them which can be a threat to their well being since they are vulnerable primates
- While carrying out gorilla trekking in Rwanda you should avoid taking picking of the primates by using flash mode because the gorillas are flash sensitive which can trigger them as a threat and because they respond violent to anything that is a threat to their existence, there can be confrontation between the primates and the humans which can be fatal to the travel so to avoid such experiences, you should consider taking pictures without using a flash.
