Visit Rwanda Africa’s home to some of the last remaining mountain gorillas and a place where you will be warmly welcomed by smiling locals. Rwanda has bravely risen from a tragic past and stands proudly as a representation of Africa’s irrepressible beauty. Be awe-struck by the profound power of the endangered mountain gorillas.
Volcanoes National Park is located in northern Rwanda, about 80 km from the capital, Kigali. The park is home to 12 habituated gorilla families open to tourists each single day including; the Susa group which was originally studied by Dian Fossey and inhabits the slopes of Mt. Karisimbi together and Susa B – the Karisimbi group that broke away from Susa. The Sabyinyo group is the smallest, easy to trek family located along the slopes of Mt. Sabyinyo, The Amahoro group also called the most peaceful of all families and Umubano group which broke away from Amahoro. The Kwitonda group, Hirwa family, Bwenge, Agashya group and Ugenda are all part of the gorilla groups in Volcanoes national park.
Price for gorilla trekking permits differs in the different destinations; Rwanda sells its permit at $1500, Uganda sells at $600 during the peak seasons. In the low season at $450 and in Congo $400
On the day of your gorilla trekking tours, you will take a short drive to the Volcanoes National Park headquarters and meet with the excellent local gorilla trekking guides and trackers who will lead you up into the Virunga Mountains for your first trek with gorillas. First you will be given an informative talk on gorilla trekking etiquette, and assigned to your gorilla family group.
You’ll be divided into parties of 8 and, after a briefing on safety and do’s and don’ts of the gorillas. You’ll be driven to the start of the trail to reach your mountain gorilla group. Your guide will then lead you along generally clear paths up into the forest, in radio communication with the trackers that stay with the group so that they can be located, the hike is tiring and can be steep in parts, taking from 30 minutes to a few hours. Don’t be surprised if you feel a bit breathless at this altitude – this is perfectly normal.
Your gorilla trek starts in the general direction of the last sighting of your assigned family group. The trekking can take between 2 to 8 hours depending where the gorillas built their nests the previous day. The terrain in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park can be rough and at times muddy and slippery but your experienced trackers, rangers and porters will ensure that the group progresses at a pace that is comfortable for everyone, with frequent stops and opportunities to take in the views and take photographs.
Although the gorilla trekking experience can be physically demanding the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery always makes the trekking a worthwhile the experience. Once the gorillas are located all fatigue is forgotten, the exciting of finding your gorilla troop will only be overcome by the amazement of watching the gorillas go about their daily routine. If you’re a keen photographer, taking your own pictures of mountain gorillas is one of the most magical photo sessions you’ll ever experience. Do bear in mind that the light can be poor in the rain forest and that use of flash is not permitted. You might also need to protect your camera against heavy rain
After spending an hour with the gorilla family it is time to retrace your steps, trekking back to the ranger’s station. Along the way to or back from the gorillas the group usually pauses to eat. You generally carry your own packed lunch and water along with you. Back at the starting point of the trek you transfer to your vehicle and receive your gorilla certificates and make your way back to your accommodation.
Gorilla encounter’ regulations include maximum group size, the number of groups allowed to track per day and time allowed with them – all of which are to ensure the well-being of the critically endangered gorillas. Gorillas are highly susceptible to human diseases given how closely related we are to these apes 2% genetic difference.
There are several other primates have made Volcanoes National Park their home too and it’s possible to track two troops of habituated golden monkeys, a totally different experience to gorilla tracking. Golden monkeys tend to inhabit the bamboo forests on the lower slopes, so the walk to reach them is relatively easy. Again, once you find them, you’ll have just an hour in their presence. They’re also very pretty, with shiny reddish-gold backs that blend in perfectly with the golden bamboo.
A visit to one of the cultural centers in the area to gain an insight into local life and traditions is not only very interesting but also benefits the local communities and deters them from engaging in negative activities like poaching. Two very good examples are the SACOLA Cultural Centre, with excellent traditional Intore dancing, and IbyI’wacu Cultural Village, both near Kinigi.
