Gorilla trekking in Africa is every traveler’s dream they want to experience, mountain gorillas are found the Virunga massif volcanic region and Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in Uganda endowed with half of the entire population.
How difficult is gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda?
Gorilla trekking is one of the most sought tourists activity though the most expensive in Africa, it is difficult to tell how difficult or how easy gorilla trekking can be in a given county on national park. The trek can be easy or difficult depending on the location of the gorilla family you are trekking as some families are easy to find while others are hard to trek because they live on higher elevations.
Weather in gorilla national parks can sometimes be unpredictable, the trekking can become hard if it rains during gorilla trekking. You have to pass through tough terrain and thick jungles. You will need long sleeved clothes to protect you from biting insects and rain coats in case it rains while trekking.
Mountain gorillas live on higher elevations that will require some physical level of fitness to conquer; you might get very tired and slow the phase of other hikers if you are not physically fit. It’s advisable for you to be engaged in some exercises before the actual trekking date.Mountain gorilla trekking also becomes difficult when it rains this because the trekking trails get very muddy and slippery making it hard to trek gorillas. The best option is visiting during the dry season of June to September and December to February.
Mountain gorilla trekking has also become difficult in the recent times because of high demand for gorilla permits, thousands of tourists visit Africa to trek mountain gorillas and this has led to shortage of permits. You must endeavor to book your gorilla permit at least “ months in advance before arriving to your place of trekking or you will get disappointed and go back without trekking gorillas because permits will not be available.
Mountain gorilla trekking has also become difficult because it comes at a cost, some budget travelers cannot trek gorillas because gorilla permits are expensive especially in Rwanda charging $1500 per person per permit.
Mountain gorilla trekking has also become difficult for children under the age of 15 years because they’re not allowed to trek mountain gorillas, people of over age might also find difficulty hiking but they have options of being carried with a sedan chair or traditional bamboo carrier which is better but costly.
Tags: Travel Information
