Rwanda is famously known for having a dark history of the 1994 genocide between the two dominant ethnic groups in the country, the Tutsi which was the minority, and the majority Hutus. In this genocide, over 600,000 people were killed just in 100 days. After that event when President Paul Kagame got into power, the country managed to rapidly develop its economy. When it comes to the tourism industry currently, Rwanda is among the most unique and amazing tourist destinations in the East African region. Rwanda can be easily accessible from Uganda, and Tanzania, and international travelers can access the country through Kigali International Airport. It is very simple, easy, and safe to travel the country. Rwanda is not just known for its many hills from where it got its nickname “The Land of Thousand Hills” but also very abundant in fauna and flora as well as the natural beauty that cannot be compared to other countries on the planet.
The country is blessed with a variety of unique and amazing attractions and tourist destinations you can visit when you are on a safari in Rwanda among these attractions include; the country is home to over 700 different species of birds, over 180 species of mammals, primates species in the national parks in the country. The most important and famous tourist attraction in Rwanda is the rare and endangered mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park which is found in the northwestern part of the country.
Mountain Gorilla trekking is done in only three countries in the whole world and Rwanda is among those 3 lucky countries that are home to these amazing primates plus Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Trekking gorillas is when tourists track through the forest on foot in search of where the mountain gorillas slept that night. The gorilla trekking experience can take from 3 – 8 hours depending on where these animals spent the night that day after searching and finding these animals, you will be given a maximum of 1 hour to spend with these animals as you watch the mother taking care of the babies, and baby gorillas playing on branches of trees, take photos and even record videos as evidence to take back home that you were with these gentle giants.
Baby Gorilla in Volcanoes National Park – Rwanda
Trekking mountain gorillas is considered one of the best and most adventurous tourist activities that most tourists love to do while in Rwanda or any of the 2 other gorilla destinations. Rwanda is the best destination from where you can easily visit the mountain gorillas just because of the strategic location of the Volcanoes National Park the home to mountain gorillas, the park is located just 2hours drive from Kigali city and Kigali International Airport which makes it easy for travelers with less time in Rwanda to do a 2-day gorilla trekking safari the thing which is impossible in Uganda whereby the Bwindi Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park the home to gorillas are found in far western Uganda around 8hours drive from Kampala the capital city of Uganda and around 9hours drive from Entebbe International Airport.
Gorilla trekking is an astonishing and interesting tourist activity that one should not miss even when he/she has two days in Rwanda. Gorilla trekking is a perfect activity for tourists who love nature, forest walks, and primates lovers because while on gorilla trekking there are high chances to see different primates like velvet monkeys, golden monkeys, and different bird species. This is an integral activity, wherein you will have the best chance to meet the mountain gorillas in the wild.
When you decide to combine Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the same safari, it will allow you to meet the gorillas of various races and species that can only be found in Africa. This is the best opportunity for you to discover more about these amazing primates.
Although it’s easy for a tourist to go for a self-drive gorilla safari in Rwanda by just hiring a safari vehicle from the many car rental companies in the country like 4×4 Rwanda Ltd, Hire Cars Rwanda Ltd, and others, if you feel that you don’t have that courage to drive in Africa or when you would love to explore Rwanda with a guidance of a professional tour guide, you can contact one of the many tour companies that operate in the country like Gorilla Expeditions Ltd, African Jungle Adventures Ltd, Let’s Go Travel among others and they quote for you the price of a gorilla trekking safari and you must remain with the task of flying into the country to enjoy your safari.
Tips to Remember in Rwanda Gorilla Trekking
Mountain Gorilla in Rwanda
Gorilla trekking is the best tourist activity for a group of family or friends. On the other hand, before thinking of planning a gorilla trekking safari to any gorilla safari destination in Africa, it is very important to keep these tips in mind. Below are some of the tips to remember before going for a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda, Uganda, or DRC.
Gorilla trekking permits: Before you start preparing for a gorilla trekking safari, you should know that a gorilla permit is necessary for everyone who will participate in the activity. Gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda are sold at Rwanda Development Board (RDB) at 1500$ per permit, in Uganda, they are sold at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and are sold at 700$ and those of the Democratic Republic of Congo are 400$ per permit. In case you going to use a tour company to organize your safari, the company can help you reserve the gorilla permits for you, and also when you going to take a self-drive gorilla safari, you can request the car rental company from which you going to book your safari vehicle from.
Another thing you should think of when planning a gorilla safari in Africa is age. you may be there when you have your kid and he/she loves primates a lot and you think of buying him a gorilla permit to trek mountain gorillas, this could be a good idea but he/she must be 15 years old and above. But still, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda has other activities the kids can participate in like the Golden monkey tracking, nature walks to spot different birds in the forest, and others.
Gorilla Family in Volcanoes National Park
Visitors should follow the rules and regulations given to them by the ranger guide during the time briefing before they start the gorilla trekking experience, among the rules and regulations include, visitors must put the flash of their camera off while in the jungle with gorillas, phones must be silent, visitors should keep a reasonable distance from the gorillas, Visitors should keep their voices down while they are in presence of mountain gorillas and others.
You are also not allowed to stay too close to the gorillas as they might carry some diseases that can be deadly. To get more information about Rwanda gorilla trekking, please visit our website at www.rwandagorillatrekking.com