Where to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda?
Where to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda? Volcanoes national park is the place to trek mountain gorillas if you want to encounter them in Rwanda. The park is home to over 20 mountain gorilla families but only 10 of these are fully habituated and open for trekking on all days of the year. Volcanoes national park hosts about half of the mountain gorilla population left in the world and these have found a comfortable home on the slopes of Virunga volcanoes – Gahinga, Sabyinyo, Muhabura, Karisimbi, and Bisoke.
Apart from Rwanda, tourists can encounter mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga national park at a fee of $700 and in DR Congo’s Virunga national park at a fee of $450 in the dry season and $200 in the low season.
Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national parks Rwanda normally begins with briefing here trekkers are expected to be at Kinigi park headquarters for an early morning briefing from the rangers. At the briefing point, the trekkers will be taught about the rules and regulations of the trekking activity before being grouped into 8.
From here, they will match to the starting point where they will meet armed ranger guides that will lead them through the jungle searching for the primates. As they pass through different trekking trails on the slopes of Virunga volcanoes, they are likely to meet different park animals like elephants, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, duikers, several monkeys, and birds.
When the trekkers meet the gorilla group assigned to, 1 hour is given to them to be around these apes, watch them do daily activities like hunt, play, couple, and taking photos is allowed only when you are using flashless cameras. You can trek mountain gorillas of volcanoes national park Rwanda and be around them for 1 hour at any time of the year.
How much is gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s volcanoes national park?
Trekking mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park Rwanda happens to be the most expensive activity in the country. The gorilla trekking permit of Rwanda is also the most expensive in the world as it goes for $1500 per person per trek. The gorilla trekking permits are issued out by Rwanda Development Board to persons above the age of 15 years.
How many gorilla permits are in Rwanda?
Volcanoes national park has 10 fully habituated mountain gorilla families and with 8 people allowed to trek a single mountain gorilla family, it implies that the Rwanda Development Board issues out 80 gorilla trekking permits on a single day. The permits are sold at a fee of $1500 per person above the age of 15 years per trek.
Booking a gorilla permit to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda
To encounter mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park, you need to book a gorilla trekking permit in advance of 3-4 months most especially if you are intending to trek gorillas in the dry season. Booking a gorilla trekking permit for volcanoes will require you to send the Rwanda Development Board an email containing the dates that you would love to travel and by using these days they will check for availability of the permits and once they are available, you will be asked to send money for the permits and when they receive it they will secure a permit for you.
Alternatively, you can use Africa Adventure Vacations limited to book a gorilla trekking permit of volcanoes national park for you. All we do request from you is to send us an email containing days that you would want to encounter mountain gorillas and using these dates, we shall check for the availability of the permits with the Rwanda Development Board. When the permits are available on the dates given, we shall send you an email containing ways of how you can send us money and immediately we get it we shall just book for you a permit.
What to pack while on a safari to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda?
Tourists intending to visit volcanoes national park for mountain gorilla trekking must come fully prepared with the necessary equipment in order to have the best of their safari. waterproof hiking shoes, a camera, and extra batteries, a pair of gaiters, long-sleeved clothes, binoculars, a rain jacket, a hat, insect repellents, energy-giving snacks, enough drinking water, insect repellents, face mask, and sanitizer.
Where to stay in volcanoes Rwanda?
Tourists on a safari to encounter mountain gorillas in Rwanda don’t have to worry about where they will stay for volcanoes national park has a lot of accommodation facilities built in and around the park. these accommodation facilities do range from budget to mid-range to luxury options such as Bisate Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, One $ Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, and Amakoro Songa Lodge among others.
When to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda?
Tourists that would love to encounter mountain gorillas in Rwanda for one hour can do so at any time of the year just that there are some months that are better than the rest and these are the drier months. The drier months are the best for mountain gorilla trekking because they are characterized by little or no rainfall and these occur from December to February and June to September. During these months the trekking trails are dry, the roads to the park are passable and the vegetation in the park is short giving clear views of eth park animals.
Travelers can still encounter mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park of Rwanda in the rainy season and this favors mostly budget travelers. The rainy season in volcanoes does happen in March to May and October to November and during these months, there is plenty of rainfall that makes the trekking trails slippery, roads to the park impassable and the vegetation in the park is tall giving unclear views of the mountain gorillas.
