Mountain gorilla trekking guidelines in Volcanoes national park
Mountain gorilla trekking guidelines in Volcanoes national park- Mountain gorilla trekking is an activity that involves trekkers joining ranger guides and heading out to the jungle to search for the fully habituated mountain gorilla families and spend 1 hour with them. Mountain gorilla trekking is done in 3 countries in 4 national parks and these are Virunga of DR Congo, Volcanos of Rwanda and Bwindi and well, and Mgahinga of Uganda.
Mountain gorilla trekking is done by all people that are above the age of 15 years and all must be free from transmitted diseases on the day of trekking. Trekking is as well done by persons with valid gorilla trekking permits that they get from different authorities in charge of tourism like in Uganda its Uganda Wildlife Authority, and Rwanda its Rwanda Development Board.
Guidelines to mountain gorilla trekking
The following are the standard rules and regulations for mountain gorilla trekking activity in Volcanoes national park Rwanda;
Only persons above the age of 15 years are allowed to trek mountain gorillas
Every individual must have a valid gorilla trekking permit at the briefing point
Only 8 people are allowed to trek a single mountain gorilla family a day
People with signs of transmitted diseases are not allowed to trek gorillas
When trekkers are about to meet the mountain gorillas they are supposed to keep their voices low
On meeting the mountain gorilla, the voices of trekkers must be kept low
The trekkers have to keep a distance of 7 meters when they meet the gorillas
While photographing mountain gorillas, the cameras used must not be having flashlights
Trekkers must be with mountain gorillas for 1 hour
When the trekkers want to ease themselves they are supposed to tell ranger guides to dig a pit after it must be covered
Trekkers are not supposed to litter around the park, they must keep their rubbish and take it back
Trekkers are not allowed to eat, drink, or even smoke near mountain gorillas
Trekkers are not allowed to shout at mountain gorillas
When the mountain gorillas charge, trekkers are asked to step a bit back or act like the mountain gorillas themselves by walking on 4 legs and eating grass
When a trekker feels like they want to cough, they must step behind and cover their mouth while doing so.
Things to pack for a gorilla trekking safari in volcanoes national park
The list is endless but some of the essential things to pack for a mountain gorilla trekking safari in volcanoes national park include long-sleeved clothes, waterproof hiking shoes, a rain jacket, a pair of gaiters, gardening gloves, insect repellents, a walking stick, garden gloves, sunscreen, drinking water, packed lunch, sanitizer and face mask.
Gorilla trekking permits in volcanoes
Issued and printed out by the Rwanda Development Board, the trekking permits are cards that allow people be part of the trekking team and trek mountain gorillas in volcanoes for 1 hour. Gorillas trekking permits are cards issued out to all people that have fully paid to spend time with mountain gorillas of volcanoes national park.
Volcanoes national park is the only place with gorilla trekking permits because it’s only in this park that mountain gorillas are found on the slopes of the Virunga mountains in the rain forest and bamboo types of vegetations. The gorilla trekking cards are $1500 per person per trek from Rwanda development board.
How to obtain a gorilla trekking permit for volcanoes national park?
Tourists interested in trekking mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park can book their trekking permits with Africa Adventure Vacations. Using our email address, you will send us the dates you would want to have a safari in Rwanda and we shall check for the availability of permits with Rwanda Development Board in the quickest time then get back to you. Once the permits are available, you will have to send us money and we then secure the permits for you.
Tourists wanting to trek mountain gorillas in volcanoes and want permits first can still get them from Rwanda Development Board. They will send the Rwanda Development Board an email containing dates of travel and when the permits are available, they will ask you to send money for the permit and after that, they will send you scanned copies for your confirmation.
What is the number of permits issued out in Rwanda every day?
Volcanoes national park has a total number of 20 habituated mountain gorilla families and only 10 of these are open for trekking. Since 8 people are allowed to trek mountain gorillas according to Rwanda Development Board, there are 80 permits issued out on a daily basis in Rwanda. If you are out there and planning to trek mountain gorillas in the dry season then better book your permit in advance of 3-4 months to avoid inconveniences.
Best time for a visit in volcanoes national park
All days are good to visit volcanoes national park just that there are some that are better than the rest and these are the days in the dry season. The dry season occurs in June to September and December to February and are characterized by less rainfall and no rainfall most of the days. During the dry seasons, the trekking trails are less dry, the vegetation in the park is thin with better views of the park animals and the roads to volcanoes are in good condition.
Low season in Rwanda is the best time for budget trekkers because accommodation facilities do lower their prices. This season happens in March to May and October to November and the disadvantage with these moths is that the rainfall is always too much making the grounds slippery and muddy. Tourists can come to volcanoes at any time of the year for trekking not minding whether it’s shining or raining because the park is always open.
Accommodation in Volcanoes national park
Volcanoes national park is the best destination in Rwanda with several accommodation facilities that provide luxury, mid-range, and budget options depending on a travelers budget. Some of the famous accommodation facilities in volcanoes include Bisate Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Virunga Lodge, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Kinigi Guesthouse, Garr Hotel, Le Bambou Gorila Lodge, Muhabura Hotel, Mountain Gorillas Nest Lodge, and Gorilla Volcanoes Lodge among others.
