Mountain Gorillas have emerged in the second half of the 20th Century to surpass the reputation of Africa’s ancient wild game such as the Big five a reason why apparently gorilla safaris including gorilla safaris in Rwanda is ranked the best safari activity in Africa.
To the north west of Rwanda, Mountain Gorillas make their homes in the Bamboo forest and the surrounding areas on the volcanic slopes of Virunga highlands sheltered by Volcanoes National Park. The native Rwandans have been trained and are in control of the species conservation including expert guiding of the travelers that take up gorilla trekking safaris and tours to Rwanda.
The moment of gorilla trekking is a historical one. It is a journey to an ancient re-union with our long lost cousins. The hike to the gorilla highlands has no fixed duration but can stretch from 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the allocated gorilla family. The journey back could take the similar duration but the bewilderment of the gorilla encounter will likely be the point of attention other than the journey.
The pre-tracking briefing by park staff refreshes the visitors on gorilla tracking in Rwanda of the gorilla trekking rules which have to be observed for the purpose of sustainability. The elevation of 2500m to 4000m can at times be challenging and thus considering a porter to carry a heavy back pack or a camera can be worth it.
The ten (10) gorilla families have been habituated primarily for this activity. Ranging from Susa to Sabinyo, Amahoro, Agashya, Kwitonda, Umubano, Hirwa, Titus, Ugenda and Kuryama, the chances of encountering any of them are guaranteed. The gorilla permit is still priced $750 and the minimum age for the activity is fifteen (15).
The Mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda is the leading tourist activity accounting for the tourism industry’s best performance among the foreign exchange generating sectors in the destination Rwanda.