What to expect in Gorilla Trekking Tours: Well, Gorilla Trekking Tours and Safaris starts with tour operator – agent who reserves your valid gorilla permits in time after you sending in your money and scanned photocopy of your passport and you will need to carry them. And on your arrival day to the park make sure you pack all the necessary gear such as gloves, long sleeved wear, trekking boots, rain jackets, snacks and packed lunch, walking stick can be given out at the lodge or at the park headquarter, all this is what you expect on the day of the activity, What to Expect in Gorilla Trekking Tours.
On the day of trekking, don’t forget to carry your valid passport at the park headquarter for a pre-trekking briefing by park officials. Since it’s where your gorilla permits will be requested to present in with your passports in order to verify that you are the right owner of the permits. Before leaving the lodge, you are expected to be with your packed lunch boxes served at the lodge since time is unpredictable depending on their movements. However, gorilla trekking experience can take 30 to 7 hours searching for them. Once you locate them one hour is given to you to spend with them as you learn about their life style.
Upon arrival at the park headquarter expect to be entertained by the local traditional dancers ‘’Batwa people ‘’ to give you a good start of exciting day before the park ranger guide gives you tips on how to conduct a trek yourself on the trekking day. After a short briefing on safety measures and what to expect during the day of trekking, guess what you will be grouped in groups of 8 people which are assigned one gorilla family to trek. Uganda’s Bwindi has over 22 habituated gorilla family –group and Rwanda has 15 gorilla families thus 15 groups of 8 people are only allowed to trek on particular day.
Note; the limited age for gorilla trekking is 15 years’ age.
Assigning or choosing a gorilla group highly depends on the body fitness and age of the visitors. For example, those above 45 years and the ones assigned to easy location of gorilla families which do not move to far away from trail head. Even those with special interest about gorilla family may request for their guides to help them negotiate with ranger before assigning the groups. We recommend visitors-trackers have heavy luggage to pay a small fee to the potters to help you carry them.
Gorillas being wild animals in their natural habitat, they may wonder far in search for food. Therefore, it’s not a guarantee that they must be close or easy to find.
Moreover, each gorilla trekking group comprises of main guides who take you through trekking trails in search for gorilla family you’re assigned. As your trekking expect to encounter other wildlife species like forest elephants, black and white moneys, colobus monkeys as well as birdlife species. Once you find the gorilla family one hour is given to the trekkers to spend with them learn about their behaviors, feed, play and how they survive in the forest, take photography and video capturing. Taking your gorilla trekking in one of these countries Uganda and Rwanda shouldn’t worry, because both parks are safe and secure.
But before you enter in the forest trail head, the park rangers will have to first go early in the morning to find out the location of your specific gorilla family and access where they may be headed.
Take note, if you do not trust your fitness, say it out to your guide in time to know how he may help through hiring a porter at the park gate. A porter is hired between USD15 to USD20 the amount depends on what he is going to carry how heavy it is, What to Expect in Gorilla Trekking Tours.
Finding Gorillas –Gorilla Trekking Tours
The length of days taken on Rwanda Gorilla Safari and the amount of time spend to meet your gorilla family is said to vary widely. It may take as 30 minutes to locate the assigned gorilla family and as long as five to seven hours.
The forest is humid and there are no discernible trekking paths. The terrain is full of hills and steep volcano slopes that requires to pull yourself up steep grades by grasping onto branches, bushes, plant roots and more. As your trekking leads to follow your guides who knows the best path and form to take. If you’re need of resting let your guide know. Remember to carry some energy giving snacks and mineral bottled water to quench your thirst and gives you more energy.
While Encountering with the Gorillas
You are advised to stay and walk quietly, move slowly and avoid sudden movements in order not to irritate the mountain gorillas. Instead sit down and avoid direct eye contact with gorillas as they may irritate them thinking that you want to threaten them.
But if this happens a gorilla starts to charging at you, just hold your ground and lower your eyes to indicate that you do not want a confrontation but rather be submissive.
Then prepare your cameras and get ready to take as many photos as possible but flash discs are not allowed.
The gorillas may be feeding from the ground resting, moving around or in the tree branches. Try to get yourself the best clear digital camera and be able to view their amazing behaviors. If they are moving, follow them but you must be 5 to 6 meters away from gorillas. The most important idea is to follow the guide’s instructions.
While trekking – trackers will often clear the thick bushes with their machete so that you can get a closer look at the gorillas. This is incredibly life adventure you to meet up with the most graceful and peaceful of these animals. When it comes to the incredible size of the Silverback ‘’mature males’’, you will maliciously wonder around about its huge side and nice looks, it’s the species in charge of the gorilla family over the territory.
