Meeting mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park Rwanda
Meeting mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park Rwanda is among the reasons as to why so many tourists visit the country. People do fly to Rwanda and visit volcanoes national park to simply encounter the mountain gorillas which are believed to be close relatives to human beings with 98% human DNA.
Mountain gorilla trekking is the most done activity in volcanoes national park and it’s done among 10 fully habituated mountain gorilla families – Ugenda, Karisimbi, Agashya, Sabyinyo, Umubano, Bwenge, Susa, Kwitonda, Hirwa, and Amahoro mountain gorilla family. With only 10 fully habituated mountain gorilla families this implies that 80 trekking permits are available for tourists on a daily basis at Rwanda Development Board.
Booking the gorilla trekking permits for volcanoes national park Rwanda
Tourists from allover the world can now book their trekking permits with Africa Adventure Vacations one of the local tour companies in Uganda allowed to book permits and organize safaris in Rwanda. All we expect from you is an email containing the days which you are likely to travel and using them we go ahead and check for availability with the Rwanda Development Board.
When the trekking permits are found available, we shall send you an email containing different ways of how you can send money and once we have received the money, we shall go ahead and book the permits for you. later we shall send you scanned copies for proof and on arriving in the country you will be given those permits.
Tourists can as well book for themselves the gorilla trekking permits by simply emailing Rwanda Development Board. The email should contain dates you want to travel and the number of permits you want. They will use your dates to check for the availability of the permits and once they are available, you will send money and they will secure you a permit which you will pick from the offices on arrival.
Process of meeting mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park Rwanda?
The gorilla trekking activity in the volcanoes national park is the same as that in Bwindi, Mgahinga, or Virunga national park. The activity involves tourists going for the trekking activity to wake up early in the morning and meet their driver guides who will transfer them to the Kinigi park headquarters. You will present your trekking permits and rangers will brief you about the whole trekking exercise.
You will later match to the starting point where you will meet ranger guides and they will lead you through different trekking trails searching for these gentle apes. As you search for the mountain gorillas, you will be able to meet some of the park animals like the buffaloes, giant forest hogs, duikers, bushpigs, elephants, several monkeys, and different bird species.
The moment you set eyes on the mountain gorillas, you will be given 1 hour to be around these primates, watch them do daily activities such as nesting, eating, breastfeeding, coupling, and much more. you will be able to learn about their habits and photography is allowed as long as you use flash-less cameras. Later you will trek out of the jungle and get back to your lodge or depart to another destination.
How much are the gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda?
In 2017 the gorilla permits for Rwanda were increased from $750 to $1500. The $1500 permit is sold to persons above the age of 15 years and they are valid for a single day. If you want a gorilla permit for volcanoes national park you can get it directly from the Rwanda Development Board or you can get it through a trusted tour operator who can even organize a whole safari for you. The gorilla permits for Rwanda are a bit expensive compared to those of Uganda and DR Congo but this doesn’t stop them from selling out quickly so we advise travelers to always book in advance of 3-4 months to avoid inconveniences.
The best time for meeting mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park Rwanda in their natural habitats
Tourists from across the world can encounter mountain gorillas on the slopes of Virunga volcanoes at any time of the year just that there are some months that are better than the rest and these are the dry months. The dry months do happen from June to September and December to February in volcanoes national park and they are characterized by little or no rainfall, this leaves the trekking trails less muddy and not slippery, the roads leading to the park are passable and the vegetation in the park is short which gives clear views of the park animals.
Tourists can also visit volcanoes national park and encounter mountain gorillas in the rainy season of March to May and October to November. The season is good for budget travelers since there are huge discounts on accommodation facilities but it’s characterized by little or no rainfall, the trekking trails are ever muddy and slippery and the roads leading to the park are impassable.
Accommodation on volcanoes national park trekking safari
Planning on encountering mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park, we would like to inform you that there are so many accommodation facilities in and around volcanoes that do range from budget to mid-range to luxury options with where to stay depending on your budget. Some of the comfortable lodges in volcanoes national park include Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Mountain Gorillas Nest lodge, Faraja Hotel, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Solution Lodge, Gorilla Volcanoes Hotel, Hotel Muhabura, Le Bambou Gorilla Village, Best View Hotel, Virunga Lodge, Villa Gorilla, Le Palme Hotel, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, and Kinigi Guesthouse among others.
