Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park is a very exciting activity and this is available for booking anytime of the year. The Volcanoes national park is one of the national parks of Rwanda and is the home of the last remaining mountain gorillas. The mountain gorillas can be found in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic republic of Congo. These are the only three countries in the world that are a home to these endangered animal species.
Gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes national is much more popular and is considered the ideal destination for this experience of coming into close contact with the mountain gorillas in Africa. Tourists every year in and year out flock Rwanda looking to experience the mountain gorillas in the wild and those who fly into Rwanda, are advantaged to visit any of the gorillas in the three destinations as the Kigali International airport is the closest to all three.
The Volcanoes national park is located in the north western part of the country and currently covers an area of 16,000 hectares of land and on this land is a diverse ecosystem with a variety of flora and fauna. This land is comprised of mountainous lands, savannah grassland, bamboo forests, afro-montane forests and swamp land. The volcanoes national park besides the gorillas, there are other animals like the spotted hyenas, forest elephants, bush bucks, buffaloes, bush duikers and some other primate species.
The gorilla trekking experience in the Volcanoes national park is very seamless and the chances that guests have of encountering the mountain gorillas on their trek is up to 99.8% and this is in the shortest time possible. Guests will be required to attend a pre trekking briefing where the rangers will initiate them on what to expect and the ideal code of conduct expected in the forest, what to expect and what to do and not to do.
The gorilla trekking experience in the Volcanoes national park Rwanda will require guests to prepare to take on some hiking on the steep mountain slopes through the bamboo jungle before they meet their gorilla family of the day. The type of vegetation in the gorilla area of the Volcanoes national park gives guests a great chance at having a clear view of the gorillas with less distractions.
The gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes national park of Rwanda usually takes about 2 hours before guests come close to the mountain gorillas. This is the most rewarding experience through out the Rwanda safari and one every one in the country should have. Once you meet the mountain gorillas on this trip, you are allowed to spend a whole full hour in their natural home however maintaining a 7 meters distance.
The 7 meters distance between the visitors and the mountain gorillas is so as to not scare these gentle giants away or to agitate them and they attack guests in fear of them being a threat. The views given in the Volcanoes national park are clear and less distraction as the bamboo trees are long and spaced enabling guests to see the gorillas clearly.
The Volcanoes national park is close to the other three gorilla homes and these are the Virunga national park of the Democratic republic of Congo, the Mgahinga gorilla national park and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park of Uganda so it is possible to visit all these for the ultimate experience and compare experiences. There are a number of safari packages which you can choose from.
There are about 12 gorilla families in the Volcanoes national park and each of these gorilla families can only be visited by 8 guests and a gorilla permit of Rwanda in the Volcanoes national park goes for 1,500 USD per permit and per person. You will have to book your gorilla trekking permit in advance to avoid last minute disappointment especially in the peak season months where the demand is much higher.
This mountain gorilla trekking experience is available for booking any time of the year by everyone however there is an age limit as only those aged 15 years and above are allowed to take on this experience or qualify for a gorilla permit.
Ensure to carry great hiking shoes as the terrain is a bit demanding, warm clothes as temperatures get very low in this area, cameras and change of batteries incase you run out of battery capturing the moments for a later time during the activity. We look forward to hearing from you about your mountain gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda.
