Your Timeless Journey Awaits...
It’s the ultimate bucket list activity. You’ve read the articles, seen all the amazing pictures on Instagram and now it’s your turn!
You’ve read the articles, and seen all the amazing pictures on Instagram and now it’s your turn! On my recent educational trip to Rwanda, I was lucky enough to include the gorillas in my itinerary so let’s go through the day step by step:
Gorilla tracking is done by the expert rangers, Volcanoes National Park staff & researchers. They track down the individual gorilla families based on their last known location, where they’ve been feeding, and where they spent the night. Gorilla tracking is done so that guests have a guaranteed chance of seeing a gorilla family when they embark on their epic adventure.
Gorilla trekking is what visitors like yourself do, to look for the mountain gorillas with the help of expert rangers and trackers.
The luxury lodges that we use for our guests, like Singita Kwitonda, One&Only Gorilla’s Nest & Wilderness Bisate, can provide all necessary gear, so if you are coming from an East Africa safari, you needn’t pack additional items for the trek. You can borrow gaiters, gloves, waterproof jackets or ponchos, waterproof pants, backpacks, caps, water bottles and walking sticks. You can even borrow hiking boots at some of the lodges.
Please remember to tell your travel manager what you need & your size so the lodge can prepare accordingly ahead of your arrival. When you do check in at your lodge, they will reconfirm with you what you need and have it delivered to your room the night before.
It may be overcast when you head out in the morning but don’t forget to wear SPF on your face and/or bring a cap. You are at a high altitude and will sunburn easily
At the starting point of your trek, you will be allocated a porter which can be included in your costs.
It is always a good idea to take a porter even if you think you don’t need one (yes gentlemen, even you!). They can carry your backpack, hold your water bottle, help you through the mud, hold your phone, or even your hand – they are very helpful and you are providing a local villager with a day’s work for only $10.
Tip: If you feel unsteady on your feet or if it’s particularly muddy, you can get two porters – they are there to help you and make the experience better…
You will be dropped off at your starting point, given another short briefing and then you will begin your hike. Each starting point is going to have a slightly different experience – I started in a small village very near Wilderness Sabyinyo Lodge. You will most likely start walking through the local villagers’ farmland and upwards towards the National Park.
It is very scenic and this part of the climb is not difficult but very pleasant although it can be slippery if wet. Your ranger will stop along the way to share some information and make sure everyone is alright.
Go at your own pace!
A lot of the driver-guides in Rwanda are budding photographers and have good cameras and lenses. For about $200*, your driver-guide can accompany you on the trek and take semi-professional photographs of the gorillas so you don’t have to. The hour goes by so quickly, so not having to worry about taking good photographs is such a blessing – highly recommend it!
* cost may vary depending on time of year and group size – ask your travel manager.
At some point there will be a transition where you will enter the Volcanoes National Park and the vegetation will change dramatically – it is very thick and usually very muddy. In my case, we walked through a potato bed and climbed over a waist-high stone wall and were immediately surrounded by bamboo forests, we even saw a couple of golden monkeys!
Your guides and porters will have a machete to clear the way and will point out any precarious areas. Go slowly – the ranger will stop along the way to check that everyone is managing. This part of the walk/hike can vary from 20mins to 2 or 3+ hours and can get quite steep and challenging. You may be allocated to a family who is mobile, which can make your trek longer.
In general, you will have been allocated a gorilla family based on what your preferences/physical capabilities are.
The rangers are in constant communication with the trackers. Once the trackers have located the family, the guide will show you where to leave your bags, hats, walking sticks, and any food behind and you will proceed with just your camera/phone. Remain calm at all times and listen to the instructions that your ranger gives you. Once you first see the gorillas, you will have one hour to spend with them. You will need to wear a mask at all times, even in photos.
While you are with the gorillas, trackers will be on hand to assist and guide your interactions.
Once your time (1 hour) with the gorilla family is up, you will head back down to your starting point, where your driver-guide will be waiting for you with the vehicle and some hard-earned snacks & drinks! Head back to the lodge for that hot shower that you know will be so amazing. When you get back to your lodge, the staff will ask you for your boots and will clean them so well, you’d never know you were wading through mud!
Have some lunch and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure. The lodges all offer in-house activities like nature walks and village visits which can be done in the afternoon (I did the nature walk at Bisate and loved it!) but don’t feel obliged to do something after lunch. Relax, have a massage and enjoy your beautiful surroundings while reflecting on your special day!
Snacks after the trek
If you are anything like me, you will be blown away by the professionalism of the whole experience. Rwanda has brought back gorillas from the brink of extinction and in the process given so many people & communities jobs and an income. The tourism and conservation industries work hand in hand and without one you couldn’t have the other. On your trek, you will have your ranger, a tracker and a porter so please bring between $10-$20 for each of them.
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