How to prepare for gorilla trekking
How to prepare for gorilla trekking is the first determinant of whether you will enjoy your gorilla trekking experience or you will have some challenges on this safari. Gorilla trekking is an enjoyable, wild and authentic experience that gets the trekkers closer to the gorillas in their natural habitat.
Gorilla trekking has attracted large numbers of tourists looking to be a part of this experience and Explore Rwanda tours is one of the best tour companies to take you on this gorilla trekking experience. You may book a Rwanda safari or a Uganda safari with this activity as only three countries offer this safari.
Gorilla trekking is done in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic republic of Congo and guests get to do mountain gorilla trekking and lowland gorilla trekking. This activity will involve entering the forests, crossing small rivers, and paving way through muddy grounds so you will need to be prepared for this activity both physically and mentally. You will also need to be prepared financially as a small fee is charged for this once in a lifetime experience.
- Choose a destination
One of the first things to do ahead of your gorilla trekking experience is analyze, compare and agree on which destination best suits your interests. The mountain gorilla trekking can be done in either the Mgahinga gorilla national park and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park of Uganda, the Volcanoes national park of Rwanda or the Virunga national park of the Democratic republic of Congo thus How to prepare for gorilla trekking.
If you are interested in lowland gorilla trekking, you can opt to visit the Kahuzi Biega national park of the DR Congo. All these destinations differ in experience despite the activity being the same. You may consider price of the permit, accessibility of the park, security of the area in which the park is.
- Availability of gorilla permits
Trekkers will need to first check if there is availability of permits for the date one is interested in. There are some months such as August that have a high demand and most dates are usually booked out year in and year out so if you are looking at travelling within the peak season months, this will help you determine the ideal date for the activity.
The peak seasons for the gorilla homes are shared and these are the dry months of June to September and later in the year from Mid-December to February. If you are travelling in the other months, you will still need to check if your preferred date is still available. There are a limited number of permits available for booking per day to manage the maximum capacity of the parks.
- Physical preparedness
Once you are booked for a gorilla trek, you will need to start to rethink your physical decisions and if you have not been as active, it will be time to slowly transition your body to adjust to the strenuous activity. Trekking will require you to be physically fit as some of these destinations will require you to trek long hours in search of these animals.
You may cross rivers, hike up some mountainous lands as these mountain gorillas like to stay on higher altitudes or walk longer flat areas in search of the lowland gorillas that move at a faster rate eased by their terrain.
- Pack your travel bag
Your travel bag is a very important thing to get ready to avoid last minute panicking and extra expenses. If you do not pack the necessary gear or forget one or two items, it will be possible to buy or hire in the field but these may be priced much higher than you would have spent by packing it advance.
There are a few items that this write up can highlight such as great hiking boots. Hiking boots are a big factor to your activity and it is advisable to use boots that you have used before and are familiar with and have a good grip, gardening gloves for grip, long sleeved and dull colored shirts and trousers to protect your body from rubbing against the bushes and the dull color not to agitate the gorillas. Do not forget to pack your insect repellant and any medicines you may need.
Ensure to have batteries for your camera incase you need to change while in the forest and snacks are a great resort for the long times spent in the forest.
- Identify the best tour operator
Tour operators add a topping to your experience in any of the chosen destination as they ensure your safety first, share their knowledge and advise on the best way to enjoy the trip according to your interests. Explore Rwanda tours offers guests the best gorilla trekking tours and safaris and this is backed by a number of reviews. We look forward to hearing from you about your gorilla trek and let us discuss further.
