Searching for mountain gorillas in Rwanda
Rwanda is one of the only two countries in the world with safe gorilla trekking safaris where you meet mountain gorillas in the mist.
The Land of a Thousand Hills as it is commonly referred to by travelers, Rwanda has established as a leading conservation powerhouse using the revenue from the gorilla permits to develop her tourist destinations including national parks.
Mountain gorilla tours in Rwanda leads you to the misty mountainous forests of Volcanoes national park, part of the Virunga Conservation Area, Rwanda’s home for the endangered mountain gorillas.
How is the gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda?
Mountain gorillas are the top attraction in Volcanoes national park and trekkers are always given a detailed briefing in which they are given some of the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking.
Some of the dos and don’ts to observe while trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda include keeping at least seven meters away from the gorillas while you are in their presence and to always retreat calmly if a gorilla approaches.
Contact between human beings and the gorillas is prohibited in order to protect the apes from the spread of some infectious diseases which is one of the biggest threats to their survival. Though gorillas do not always follow this rule as they like coming towards their visitors, trekkers should always ensure to observe it.
There are about 10 habituated groups of mountain gorillas that are trekked or visited in Volcanoes national park. The groups include; Susa, Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, Amahoro, Agashya, Umubano, Kwitonda, Hirwa, Uganda and Bwenge.
Sabyinyo gorilla group is one of the most visited in the park due to its easy accessibility and it occupies the territory within the foothills of Mount Sabyinyo, one of the five dormant volcanoes found within the park.
The group moves under their leader, Guhonda, Rwanda’s oldest and largest silverback who was born in 1971.
Rwanda’s habituated gorillas have been trained to adopt the presence of humans and the Sabyinyo group is more fearless than others with a lot of confidence before people given the series of visits it receives almost on a daily basis.
When you visit the Sabyinyo group, you are likely to see Guhonda leading his family to a grassy clearing for playing after feasting on bamboo shoots for breakfast. Watch the teenage gorillas rolling and wrestling before one of them may attempt to dash up to you with that crazed look.
Due to their character and charisma, mountain gorillas have made friends abroad who have once come for “Kwita Izina”, a gorilla-naming ceremony for the newborns of the previous year. The ceremony takes place every September featuring several international celebrities who come to Volcanoes national park to name the new gorillas.
The gorilla-naming ceremony involves a week-long celebration with partying and at the same time focusing on conservation and community development programs to empower the communities living around the gorilla habitat.
Rwanda charges $1,500 per gorilla trekking permit and this was just doubled two years ago from $750 and authorities mentioned maximizing revenue to establish a high-end tourism destination and at the same limiting the impact of its activities the ecosystem as the major reasons behind the price hike.
The price you pay to trek the gorillas in Rwanda will become irrelevant immediately after a terrific experience encountering these gentle giants in their natural habitat. Several past trekkers have testified of the experience as a life-changing one.
Treks to meet the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park usually last for 2-4 hours before you may reach your assigned gorilla group. After meeting the gorilla family, trekkers are allowed to spend one full hour in their presence as they watch, photograph and video these extraordinary primates do their daily activities.
Though Rwanda faces stiff competition from the neighboring safari destinations of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, it remains the finest and safest destination for gorilla trekking safaris.
Uganda and DR Congo are the other two countries with mountain gorilla safaris since they share the Virunga Mountains with Rwanda, a conservation area for the mountain gorillas. However, insecurity cases, long journeys to gorilla destinations and difficult treks in these countries have given Rwanda an upper hand over her neighbors when it comes to gorilla trekking.
What else to see and do at Volcanoes national park?
In addition to trekking mountain gorillas, there are several other exciting encounters that you can enjoy on your safari in Volcanoes national park.
Before you leave Volcanoes national park, you can back up your gorilla tracking experience with golden monkey tracking, an adventurous hike to Dian Fossey tomb, a hike to Mount Bisoke or embark on guided treks and mountain bike excursions.
There is always an organized community visit as part of your gorilla safari to discover the cultural life of the communities living around Volcanoes national park.
This cultural tour takes you to the Batwa community, the pygmies who are reformed poachers who used to live in the forest where the gorillas are living currently. Discovering the cultural life of the Batwa is so amazing and it is coupled with exciting performances of their dance and songs.
The money paid for this cultural visit is used to develop their community and improve their standards of living in order to discourage them from poaching and encroaching on the conservation areas.
Interested in a Rwanda gorilla safari? Click here here to enquire and book for a lifetime experience with the gorillas in the mist.
