Sabyinyo gorilla family
Sabyinyo mountain gorilla family got its name from one of the Virunga volcanoes which is called Sabyinyo and the name means old man’s teeth in Kinyarwanda. Sabyinyo gorilla family has found its home and can be trekked on the slopes of Mountain Sabyinyo on the side of Volcanoes national park although the mountain is shared between Rwanda, Uganda, and DR Congo.
Volcanoes national park in Rwanda is where you can find Sabyinyo gorilla family on the slopes of Mountain Sabyinyo. There are other mountain gorilla families in Rwanda’s volcanoes national park apart from Sabyinyo and these include Umubano, Amahoro, Hirwa, Titus, Bwenge, Agashya, Susa, Karisimbi, and Ugenda. All these families have found a peaceful home in the thick forests of volcanoes national park.
In the begging, Sabyinyo mountain gorilla family was called Amayuni gorilla family but the name was later changed and the group was fully habituated in 1992 with a combination of members from different gorilla families. Sabyinyo gorilla family started with 2 silverbacks and 4 females but now it is made up of 13 members of which 2 are silverbacks. One of the silverbacks called Guhonda happens to be the largest ion volcanoes national park weighing over 220kgs.
Trekking Sabyinyo gorilla family
Trekking Sabyinyo gorilla group starts with trekkers waking up early in the morning and moving to the briefing point where they meet other trekkers. At Kinigi park headquarters, the trekkers will be taught about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking activity, and from here you will be grouped nit exceeding 8 people and assigned Sabyinyo gorilla family because your tour operator would have already informed the wardens.
After grouping, the trekkers do join their driver guides and they move to the starting points where they meet armed ranger guides. The armed ranger guides do lead trekkers through different trekking trails in the jungle as they search for Sabyinyo gorilla family and on locating it, they are given 1 hour to be around it, watch it do daily activities, and take photos. There are opportunities of meeting park animals like mammals, primates, and birds throughout the search.
How much are gorilla trekking permits for Sabyinyo gorilla family?
Gorilla trekking permits including those of Sabyinyo gorilla family are those cards that allow trekkers to spend time with mountain gorillas for 1 hour. The gorilla trekking permits for Sabyinyo gorilla group do cost $1500 per person per trek and they are sold to all persons above the age of 15 years.
The gorilla trekking permits for all habituated mountain gorilla families come with a paid park entrance fee, ranger guide fee and exclude transport or accommodation. 8 people are allowed to trek a single mountain gorilla family which means that there are only 8 gorilla trekking permits for Sabyinyo gorilla family.
To those travelers intending to visit volcanoes national park and trek mountain gorillas and in particular Sabyinyo family, you are advised to inform your local tour operator about it so that they inform the rangers at the park offices to join you in a group going to trek Sabyinyo family on the day of trekking. Book the permits for mountain gorilla trekking in advance of 3-4 months to avoid disappointments most especially in the dry season.
What is the best time to visit Sabyinyo gorilla family?
Sabyinyo gorilla group in volcanoes national park can be visited at any time of the year but there are months that are better than the rest and these are the dry months. The dry months occur in June to September and December to February and they are characterized by little or no rainfall and this leaves the trekking trails dry, the vegetation thin with clear views of groups members, and the roads leading to the park passable.
Tourists most especially the budget travelers can still visit the volcanoes national park and trek Sabyinyo gorilla family in the rainy season which occurs from March to May and October to November for they will enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities. The rainy season leaves the trekking trails slippery and muddy and this reduces the speed of trekkers, the vegetation is tall giving unclear views of the group members and other park animals and birds while the roads leading to the park are impassable.
What to pack for Sabyinyo gorilla group trekking safari?
Tourists planning to trek Sabyinyo gorilla family in the volcanoes national park are asked to come with the following equipment in order to have the best of their safari. The equipment includes waterproof hiking shoes, long-sleeved clothes, a pair of gaiters, a rain jacket, a camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, insect repellents, sunscreen, a hat, first aid kit, face mask and sanitizer, reusable drinking water bottle, and energy-giving snacks.
Activities to do before or after trekking Sabyinyo gorilla family
Birding
Tourists on a safari to volcanoes national park can do birding activities before or after trekking Sabyinyo gorilla family. Birding activities are led by well-trained ranger guides who take you to different birding spots around the national park and you will encounter birds such as Ruwenzori turaco, strange weaver, African swamphen, bat hawk, African goshawk, crested barbet, and nirana trogon among others.
Golden monkey trekking
Golden money trekking is another exciting activity that tourists can be part of while on a safari to trek Sabyinyo gorilla family in the volcanoes national park. tourists will need a golden monkey trekking permit that costs $100 to be part of this amazing activity. Trekking golden monkeys will give you a chance to see the golden monkeys and be around them for 1 hour as you learn about their habits, watch them do daily activities as you take photos.
Hiking
Tourists on a gorilla trekking safari to volcanoes national park can do hiking activities before or after the trekking activity. The hiking can be done on mountains like Gahinga, Muhabura, Karisimbi, and Bisoke at a certain fee. Hiking any of the mountains in volcanoes national park gives you an opportunity to see the surrounding mountains, the park’s surroundings, lakes, and much more. You will also meet some of the park animals such as hyenas, buffaloes, elephants, and much more.
Cultural visit
Cultural visits are things you shouldn’t miss when you are in volcanoes national park. tourists can visit the Iby’Iwacu cultural village before or after trekking Sabyinyo gorilla family and this will enable them to know about the way of living of the people in the area, watch them do daily activities, be part of local activities, support their local shops and get entertained by traditional dances through dance and drama.
