Silverback Mountain Gorilla Mothers and Babies © D. M. DeKraker
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
Volcanoes National Park
Rwanda’s Parc National des Volcans, is where the mountain gorillas live. Thick vegetation along the slopes of the volcanoes provides both food and protection. Mountain gorilla are also protected here by park officials. It is a great place to see the gorillas in the wild. It is shown in yellow on the map. The park is along the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is where Dian Fossey studied the gorillas, and was portrayed in the movie “Gorillas in the Mist”. The park can be reached by a small plane flight from Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, or by car. There is a good road from the capital, so driving takes only a couple of hours.
My Trip Information
This trip was an extension by Wilderness travel. I was alone on this extension. I flew from Nairobi, Kenya to Kigali, Rwanda. Today, Rwanda is peaceful and the cleanest country in Africa. I was met in Kigali by my local tour company and driven to a lodge in the area around Volcano’s National Park.
Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda’s Parc National des Volcans
Mountain gorillas are critically endangered. In this park, their numbers are now stable. In order to see the gorillas, you need a permit that can get from a travel agent or directly from the Rwanda Development Board, Rwanda’s tourist board. It needs to be obtained first to make sure you can visit. The cost of the permit to visit helps with the conservation effort. Visits are strictly limited to eight tourists to a family group of gorillas, and the visit is for only one hour. There are around 10 habituated groups that tourists can visit. Other gorilla families living in this area are off limits to tourists and are being used for research.
Kinigi Park Headquarters
I had to be at the Kinigi park headquarters at 7:00 to 7:30 AM to get checked in for gorilla trekking. While waiting to have my permit and passport checked, I watched a group of locals perform for those of us waiting. Park officials assigned us to a group of eight tourists and a guide. We saw pictures of the family group of gorillas we were to see and got a briefing of the hike. This extension came with permits for two days in a row, so I got to see two family groups, the Agashya group the first day and the Kwitonda group the second day. Francoise was our guide on the first day. He had worked with Dian Fossey, and is a great guide!, and very knowledgeable. Francoise also entertained us with stories and antics all the way up and down the mountain.
Trekking to see Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda
We drove to an area near the mountain where the gorillas were so we could hike through farmer’s fields to get to the park. I hired a local porter to carry my pack and heavy camera. This allows a local to make money from tourists, and helps locals want to save the gorillas
The hike up the mountain is difficult. The photo above was taken on the second day hike. The trail up the mountain is only a temporary trail through the dense vegetation. The trail is steep and slippery. We were lucky in that we did not have to go through nettles to see the groups of gorillas we visited. I wore protective clothing and had gloves as the guidelines suggested, but did not need the gloves. Rwanda is on the equator, and even at 5,000 feet of elevation, the sun is still extremely hot.
In addition to the guide, once we get to the park, the gorilla group scout, and armed guards join us. The scout knows where the group is located that day, and the guards protect us from wild animals. This is along the border, so the guards also discourage rebel groups from bothering us. When we got close to the gorillas, we left all packs, porters, and armed guards. We took only cameras. Only the scout and our guide led us to see the gorilla group.
Visiting the Gorillas.
It is amazing to be this close to wild gorillas! The silverback weighs over 450 pounds and is almost 6 feet tall. The other gorillas are smaller. We move out of the way if the silverback moves. We try to stay out of the way of all gorillas, but babies sometimes run into us as they play. One baby was constantly jumping on sub adults and then they wrestled. Mothers carried small babies and sometimes they fed them. Each gorilla has a unique face just like humans. The gorillas generally ignored us while we were there. Visiting with the gorillas is well worth the hike.
This extension is only 4 days, three nights, so we drove back to Kigali and I flew out of Rwanda the next day. Before this extension, I went on safari in Masai Mara in Kenya. After this extension I joined my husband and another couple to visit Tanzania, visiting Ngorogoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park
References:
Wikipedia
Gorilla Trekking Extension with Wilderness Travel: http://www.wildernesstravel.com/
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda Permits
Where I stayed near the park: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge. It is a nice place to stay. It has a view of the Volcanoes of the park. My room was large and comfortable. The lodge has a good restaurant as well.
