These are some of the items to pack for your gorilla trekking tour while planning your mountain gorilla tour. Here is a list of things to consider carrying in order to enhance your gorilla trekking experience. Click here to view mountain gorilla trekking safaris

 

Hiking Boots.

Ensure that you carry ankle-waterproof boots that support hiking but are light in weight. That will enable you to climb these steep slopes as well as walk easily through the gentle slopes within the tropical forests. Click here to see our recommended mountain gorilla tour

 

While looking for the endangered mountain gorillas that move from one place to another within these national parks, be it Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Volcanoes National Park, or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

 

Rain Jacket

Travelers should carry rain jackets that are waterproof, windproof, and have a hood. This is due to the fact that forests in these national parks influence rainfall, whether it’s a wet season or a dry season.

 

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has a tropical rainforest, and its climate is influenced by There is no guarantee that it won’t rain. The vegetation and ground are always wet, mostly in the morning hours because of the humid conditions.

 

Garden Gloves

Travelers should always carry gloves that are similar to garden gloves for the protection of their hands during the trek through the forests in these national parks. As they climb the steep slopes, the muddy gentle slopes, and the ground that is always wet, it can be slippery, and you may need to hold some plants or branches for support.

 

Long Trousers

Travelers are required to carry long trousers, at least two pairs, to protect you from small insects and bugs. Long trousers also protect tourists from scratches because you may slide on the steep slopes.

 

Long-sleeved shirts or long-sleeved blouses for the ladies.

Travelers should carry long-sleeved shirts because they protect you from insects, itchy plants, sunlight, and scratches from tree branches.

 

A Pair of Binoculars

Travelers should carry a binocular to enable you to view various plant and animal species within the national parks in the tropical forest, besides going for Mountain Gorilla trekking. Like in Bwindi impenetrable forest National Park houses other animals like elephants, buffaloes, chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, buffaloes, and more than 350 bird species.

 

Cameras.

Travelers should ensure that they carry good cameras as they go on the mountain gorilla trek. Gorilla photography will leave you with a lifetime memory. Travelers should carry extra batteries to avoid disappointment.

 

Trekking poles

Travelers should carry trekking poles, which will enable them to balance the steep slopes within the forests as they trek. Although some lodges provide them for you, or your guide may cut a bamboo stick for you that acts as a pole.

 

Energy giving Snacks

Mountain gorilla trekking may require tourists to carry some energy-giving snacks since trekking involves hiking for long hours within the tropical rainforest step slopes. Lodges in either Uganda or Rwanda always have these snacks and can be packed for you.

Chimpanzee vs Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda Due to how rewarding both activities are, travelers interested in Rwanda's primate safaris may find it difficult to decide between gorilla and chimpanzee trekking. In this article, we'll give you more information on the various activities and make it simple for you to decide between the two locations if you're only interested in one activity. Among the places in East Africa where you can track chimpanzees and gorillas, it should be noted that Rwanda has the highest concentration of mountain gorillas in the wild, and Nyungwe National Park has over 1,000 chimpanzees that can be seen in the wild. Consequently, it is the ideal location for chimpanzee trekking.

 

The price for chimpanzee and gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda

The cost of the permits will enable you to partake in either of the two activities: chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda or gorilla trekking in Rwanda, depending on the distinctions between the two. The cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda may influence budget-conscious tourists to opt for chimpanzee trekking instead. The Rwanda Development Board, the country's tourism board, is where you can also reserve permits for a variety of activities in Akagera National Park and activities in Volcanoes National Park. A gorilla trekking permit can be obtained for a cost of 1500 USD, which is quite expensive compared to a chimpanzee trekking permit in Rwanda, which can be obtained for a cost of 90 USD, and numerous other parks in Rwanda.

 

What is involved in chimpanzee or gorilla trekking in Rwanda?

In order for travelers to access the habituated gorilla families in the Volcanoes National Park, visitors are required to hike the Virunga chained mountains in Rwanda, which is quite difficult for visitors who are not physically fit to hike the Virunga Mountains. As opposed to chimpanzees, gorillas can live up to 5000 meters above sea level, which makes their lifestyle quite hectic. Chimpanzee trekking is interesting because the chimpanzees are quite active during it, as opposed to gorilla trekking, where the gorillas are more passive and restrict their movement within the park. Chimpanzee trekking vs. gorilla trekking in Rwanda

 

The maximum number of people trekking per group

In contrast, there are two habituated chimpanzee troops in Nyungwe National Park and more than 15 habituated gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park, giving travelers more opportunities for gorilla trekking. For tourists interested in going on a gorilla trek, the maximum number of visitors to a gorilla family is eight, and the maximum number of visitors to a chimpanzee troop is also eight.

 

Distance

The distance between Kigali city and Nyungwe national park is longer compared to the distance between Kigali city and Volcanoes national park, which is just 113 km and takes about 3 hours, which makes Volcanoes national park more accessible for mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda compared to Nyungwe national park, which takes approximately 7 hours to reach. Once you are at the volcanoes national park, you can participate in cultural tours near the park due to its shorter distance from Kigali city compared to the primate hub, Nyungwe Forest national park.

 

Travelers can also participate in golden monkey trekking in the Volcanoes National Park while on a primate safari in Rwanda, giving them access to critically endangered primate species that are endemic to the Albertine Rift and can also is found in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Virunga National Park. You can go on a monkey trek in Nyungwe National Park and see a variety of interesting monkey species, including the Hamlyn's monkey, Dent's monkey, silver monkey, and many others.

The best months to go mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda are June, July, August, September, and December through March yearly. Uganda and Rwanda’s weather is unpredictable; travelers should expect some rain from time to time.