Gorilla Trekking in Africa : Gorilla trekking is one of the top activity that is conducted on an African continent in countries like; Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, Gabon, Central African Republic among others. Gorilla trekking helps individuals gain a new experience and crate good memories they move around forests and mountains. More so, Gorilla trekking safaris in Africa involve trekking both mountain, which are known as western gorillas and Eastern lowland gorillas within their natural habitats. Trekkers always walk through forests and hike through mountains and they encouraged implying in tricks like; tracking gorilla footprints, following areas with broken plant shoots, fresh feces that help to locate the gorilla species so easily.
Gorilla trekking activities normally begin in the morning where tourist first gather at the park headquarters where they are given short briefings about the do’s and don’ts that they should follow while trekking and then, they are put in different groups with a maximum number of 8 people depending in what gorilla group they are going to trek. More so, each of these groups is being assigned with a park guide whose role is to lead tourists through and answer some questions that the trekking will ask in case there is something they do not understand. And this trekking activity takes about 4 to 8 hours however after these endangered mountain gorilla species have been located, tourists are always given about one hour to spend with the species and it is during this period of time that individuals get chances to observe and learn more about the mountain gorillas behaviours and characters.
Tourists who have their best interests of exploring through Africa on a gorilla trekking safari should note that this activity is charged at different costs depending in which country you love to trek its gorillas for example; Uganda’s gorilla trekking permit is charged at a fee of about 700 USD per person, in Rwanda they charge about 1500 USD per person and in the Democratic republic of Congo, they charge at a fee of about 400 USD per person. More so, Gorilla trekking activities in Africa are restricted for only individuals above 15 years of age because this activity involves trekkers to hike through high altitude areas, walking on the steep slopes and slippery trails and navigating through the dense forests with an aim of locating the endangered mountain gorillas hence emphasizing the point of how it is not suitable for young children because their emotions are unpredictable. More so, this activity is best for individuals who are physically fit and free from diseases like; conical heart conditions, pressure and many others. during the trekking activities, tourists are always accompanied by park rangers and guides whose role is to lead and guide tourists hence ensuring the safety of both individuals and the gorilla whereby before the trekking, tourists always gather in one area and get briefed on how to behave themselves most especially while in the presence of the gorillas and given the basic rules to follow while trekking and these include;
- Tourists are advised to lower their tones of their voices while near or within the park.
- Individuals are always put in groups with a maximum number of eight people depending on which gorilla group they are going to track.
- Tourists are encouraged not to litter within the park while during the gorilla trekking expedition such as; through empty water bottles, polythens.
- Avoid unnecessary movements while with in the national park, and they are encouraged to always move in groups because it is too risky to walk by yourself because you could get lost.
- For individuals who want to use their phones and cameras to record videos and take pictures, they are advised to disable the flashlights while in their presence of the mountain gorillas in order to avoid any harm.
- Do not maintain a direct eye contact while in the presence of the gorillas most especially the silver back that takes it as a sign of disrespect which may result into a fight, which lead to death of humans.
- Keep a distance of about 7 meters while in the presence of gorillas.
- Wash hands before and after the gorilla trekking activity and many others.
More so, for tourists planning to go on gorilla trekking safari in Africa are encouraged to pack things which they will use like; good hiking boots, sun screen which protects your skin from sunshine, a hat/cap, a light rain coat just in case it rains, long sleeved shirts and blouses, a camera for those who would love to take pictures and record videos for memories, long trousers due the fact that the trekking areas are always bushy, packed lunch and drinking water, walking stick, a sweater because the weather tends to be cold while they hike to the top of the mountains and they are advised to always book their gorilla trekking permits in advance in order to avoid an inconveniences among others.
Contact our trusted tour operators in case of any more information about gorilla trekking in Africa and book with our tours and travel companies who offer the best tour packages however, one should note that our companies will only give you chances to tour around countries like; Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
