Following mountain gorillas in the Virungas is really a rare experience. There are just a few hundred of these captivating animals left in the gorilla safari wild, with only three spots where you can encounter them in their common natural surroundings and a limited number of permits available every day. So while staring into the eyes of the Rwanda Silverback gorilla safaris you know you are one of a select group of individuals worldwide privileged enough to have delighted this brilliant experience.
To make the most out of your experience, we’ve assembled a few gorilla tracking tips and guidelines:
Where to track gorillas
There are three locations you can ask the mountain gorilla safari: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda; Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda and Parc National des Virunga in the Democractic Republic of Congo (DRC). Uganda and Rwanda are the normal first decisions, because of a past filled with political precariousness in DRC; however this could change later on.
Fitness and wellbeing
The Rwanda primates Tours and Safaris to reach the gorillas happens at a height on steep mountain slopes dense with vegetation, so you generally should be sensibly fit to bask the experience. There are porters available to hire at the beginning of your trek – they can make the trekking simpler by carrying your bag and offering you some assistance with up and down the steepest landscape. The cost of a porter is excluded in the expense of your permit or tour – the regular “tip” is around $20 per porter. Having a relative working as a porter is a vital source of income for many living near the National Park.
And being reasonably fit, you have to ensure you are also healthy at the season of following. Those suffering from infectious ailments won’t be permitted to trek. Gorillas are highly vulnerable to infection, so if you are experiencing a cold, flu or looseness of the bowels you should report it to the guide at the park headquarters. If you do, it is more possible you will be refunded the cost of your permit. Non-disclosure will mean you will be barred from tracking and the cost of the permit won’t be refunded.