Is gorilla trekking worth it?

Is gorilla trekking worth it?

Is gorilla trekking worth it? : Several of travelers who are interested in trek gorillas are perpetually confronted with the question of whether gorilla trekking safari is worth their money, and frankly, the answer to your question is yes! The cost of gorilla trekking safari is well worth it. It is nothing short of amazing, exhilarating, and thrilling to consider packing your bags, taking a journey to Africa, and going gorilla trekking in the wild. To witness gorillas in their native environment, tourists must visit Africa. Come experience this incredible journey for yourselves. A variet of gorilla species can be found throughout the world, including the severely endangered Eastern and Western gorillas. There are two gorilla subspecies that fall within the Western gorilla species: the Western Lowland gorilla and the Cross River gorilla. Under the Eastern gorilla species, we also have two subspecies which include; the Eastern Lowland gorilla and the Mountain gorilla. The most frequently trekked gorilla subspecies is the Mountain gorilla on Africa safari.

Mountain gorillas bring in an abundance of tourists who travel to Africa just to trek the subspecies in their natural habitat. There are just three nations in Africa where one can undertake mountain gorilla trekking safaris: Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It seems that these are the only nations on Earth where you can witness mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

Tourists who are interested in trek gorillas are required to pay for a gorilla trekking permit at a fee of USD 1500 dollars per person in Rwanda, USD 800 dollars in Uganda, and USD 450 in Congo. Despite Rwanda’s higher gorilla trekking costs than those of her neighbors, Uganda and the Congo, tourists are nonetheless drawn to the country for gorilla trekking. Your gorilla trekking permit price also covers government taxes, park warden fees, concession fees, park ranger and guide fees, and park entrance fees. Nevertheless, the gorilla permit fees does not cover costs such as; your flight ticket, transportation, accommodations, meals, Visa fees and any other expenses of personal nature. Tourists who are on a fixed budget can always cut costs when it comes to accommodation, and just choose for cheaper accommodation options, merely make sure that you consult your trusted travel consultant for the best budget options.

What does Gorilla Trekking Involve?

In general, gorilla trekking safari involves tourists looking for gorillas in their natural environment. This safari activity typically involves gorilla trekkers hiking mountains and through forests, trekking gorilla footprints, fresh feces and broken plant shoots; with the goal of discovering a gorilla group or family.

Activities related to gorilla trekking safari often begin early in the morning with a briefing from head rangers in the national parks where such activities are available. Trekking the gorillas can take from thirty minutes to six hours, with a one-hour break for trekkers when these primates are found.

Activities related to gorilla trekking safari are conducted in groups of no more than eight people per gorilla troop or family. To protect both the gorillas and trekkers, gorilla trekkers are typically accompanied by an armed ranger and skilled, informed park guide.

Where can one do gorilla trekking?

Gorilla trekking safari is an activity that tourists can participate in in Africa. However, you can visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, or Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo if you want to trek a particular gorilla subspecies, such as mountain gorillas. Visitors can only witness mountain gorillas in their natural habitat in these locations worldwide.

Is Gorilla Trekking safe?

Trekking the gorillas is completely safe. All the above mentioned national parks make it their mission to make sure that tourists are safe when trekking gorillas in the forests. Gorilla trekking safari takes place in groups of a maximum of 8 members per group, and a group of trekkers is additionally accompanied by armed park rangers and highly knowledgeable guides. These park guides know precisely where and how to find a particular group of gorillas. While in the park, trekkers and gorillas are both protected and kept secure by armed park officers. They defend trekkers from outside influences such as poachers and hostile wildlife like wild, unhabituated gorillas; and also protected the gorillas from poachers.

Furthermore, the majority of gorilla groups that tourists trek are habituated, which implies that the gorilla group you will be trekking is accustomed to humans and does not view you as a threat. It can take a gorilla group anything from one to three years to successfully become habituated, as it is a lengthy process. A group of researchers, gorilla behaviorists, and park rangers will spend a full day with a particular gorilla group in order to undergo gorilla habituation. In addition to studying the gorillas throughout this period of time, the team names each gorilla based on a distinguishing characteristic of the gorilla and its behavior, among other things. The gorillas grow more accustomed to the team’s presence the longer they spend with them. As such, trekking with a habituated gorilla family or group is far safer for tourists.

In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, there are 23 habituated gorilla families; fifteen of these groups are accessible for trekking by visitors, and the remaining gorilla groups are only used for scientific study. Currently, visitors can traverse two habituated gorilla populations in Mgahinga National Park. There are 10 habituated gorilla groups in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park which visitors can trek, and 8 habituated gorilla groups available for tourists to trek in Virunga National Park in Congo.

To sum up, visiting gorillas is an amazing safari experience that any traveler visiting Africa should not miss. You get to spend an incredible hour among the gorillas, which makes the full gorilla trekking experience well worth the expense.

Get in touch with us and reserve a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda, Uganda, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo right away to start one of the most amazing safari adventures of your life.