Rwanda is sometimes referred to as a country with’’ a thousand Hills’’ with beautiful scenery. It is a landlocked country like its counterpart Uganda and it is considered one of the smallest countries not only in the east but also in Africa covering an area of about. Such a small country is better than many other big countries in terms of tourist attractions. It is gifted with very many nature wonders most of them can’t be found elsewhere. Rwanda is blessed with much wildlife diversity and bird species which form its core products with hospitable people ,from the time you land on the Rwandan soil you will be received by hospital people until when you’re handed over to the range guide to the forest, all these among other have attracted a lot of safaris to Rwanda. Rwanda houses a unique creature considered endangered that’s the mountain gorilla which has made Rwanda very proud of as it houses almost a half of world’s population and it’s considered the best gorilla safari destination in the world. These giant gorillas are only found in three African countries the other two are (Uganda and the democratic republic of Congo). Many people whole over the world leave their beautiful offices and homes to come to this African country (Rwanda) and spend at least 1-2 days in the wild watching these giant species face to face in a close distance of about 7-10metres. Gorilla tracking is a major highlight to any travelers in Rwanda and about 80% of people who visit Rwanda go gorilla tracking, this has boosted the economy of the country.
Mountain gorilla are listed endangered by the IUCN and in Rwanda these primate species live in the rain forest of the volcanoes national park, the park is located in Ruhengeri Musanze district and the park can be reached in 2-3 hours drive on a clear weather condition from Kigali Rwanda’s capital and its largest city up to kinigi park headquarters . Rwanda’s Volcanoes National park is shared by Mgahinga national park in Uganda and Virunga National park in Democratic Republic of Congo all these inhabit these endanger mountain gorillas læs. These might giants mostly depend on fresh leaves, shoots, fruits and piths but they rarely drink water since most of the food they eat contain water and a lot of moisture.
Gorillas are the largest apes of all primate species, they are also regarded the second closest relative of man nest to chimpanzee sharing almost 98% of human DNA make up. Tracking these giant is a moment in life no one wish to miss seeing while on a safari in Rwanda they are fabulous fan to watch in their nature habitat.
Gorillas live in a group ranging in size from 15- 27 and each group is lead by a dominant silverback who take control of the group, he is responsible for mating, decided on where to feed, where to sleep the following night and also responsible for protecting the group in case of any attack from other animals and if it means dying a silver buck can lose its life when defending the group. How do you see meeting this giant ape and have a close look as well as taking as many photos as you can (a flash camera is not needed). In fact Mountain gorillas offer the best safaris experiences for ever while on your safaris to Rwanda and Uganda. Many writers contend that, a safari in Africa is only complete when you visit mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, in the true African wilderness, deep in the heart of Africa.
Gorilla safaris can be conducted in volcanoes national park(Rwanda) and this park has about 10 habituated gorilla families ready for tracking and you can’t mention gorillas in Rwanda without talking about Diane Fossy, this was a prominent primatologist who studied the behaviours of mountain gorillas for a period of 20 years he habituated gorillas to human standards that they can tracked safely in their natural habitat however she was killed by poachers whom she had made herself very unpopular. Gorillas in Uganda can be conducted in Bwiindi Impenetrable national park and the park is located in the south western part of Uganda and this park has about 11 habituated gorilla groups. Uganda also has another group of mountain gorillas known as “Nyakagezi gorilla group” found in Mgahinga National Park, however this group is unstable it still migrate to Rwanda or the democratic republic of Congo to look for new adventure so if you’re to in this group it is always better to inquire from your travel company before you book your gorilla safari in Mghinga gorilla forest national park. Gorilla trekking safaris also offer tourists with the additional opportunity to spot different bird species, other animals and other primates like the golden monkeys and the silver monkeys
You must wake up very early in the morning at report at the park headquarters in Kinigi (volcanoes national park) for a short briefing about the do’s and don’ts while with these animals and also to get assigned to the group booked for.
So it’s better to book you’re accommodation around the park a night before the trek. Among the accommodation options around Volcanoes National Park include Sabyinyo Silverback lodge, Virunga lodge, Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Hotel La Palme and Kinigi Guest House among others. If you decided to sleep in Kigali you are recommended to leave Kigali in the morning at 4.30am, takes about 2-4 hours up to Kinigi park headquarters. Gorilla tracking permits in Rwanda are at a fee of $750 per person per tracking and you are advised to pay in time at least 3-4 hours before you start your safari, gorilla permits are always on high demand, they are issued on first come first served basis so the earlier the better.
A certificate is given to however who has fully participated in the life time adventure at the end of each adventure. Contact us for more information about gorilla tracking or book with us any gorilla safari to either Rwanda or Uganda we shall provide you the best.
