Walking in the soft mist of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable forest or Rwanda’s ultra-lush Virunga Volcanoes, you will suddenly come across a family of rare and fireless protected mountain gorillas, a soul-stirring, heart-pounding and forever indelible experience that will last with you, for a lifetime.
Waking up early, having your breakfast and driving through morning dawned bright and early sunrise, and you head to the park headquarters to meet your trekking guides for a briefing on gorilla trekking guide lines.
Hiking parties are limited to eight people for one hour, to avoid overwhelming the shy gorillas, and each party visits one of the ten habituated gorilla families. Hikers can request an easy, medium or long hike, but there’s no guarantee.
You will jump into your jeep and drive off, depending upon where your gorilla family is located, hikes usually begin in lovely farmland before entering national park.
You glance up at the towering Virunga Volcanoes, hear a particularly symphonic birdsong, turn a leafy corner, your guide signals for quiet, and suddenly there they are, magnificent, peaceful, massive: mountain gorillas puttering about in their domestic jungle haven.
The headline attractions at Volcanoes National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and Virunga National Park, are, of course, the massive, gentle mountain gorillas, numerous healthy family groups of which inhabit this park. Almost as enchanting is their homeland: impressively variegated with five of the eight Virunga Volcanoes, the very epitome of marvelously misty, mythic-looking, densely jungle-clad volcanos. At Kahuzi Biega National Park, you will trek the lowland gorillas, which are quite similar to the mountain gorillas, though the lowland gorillas are quite larger in size.
Rounding the path, the forest will come alive. Large, black, shaggy beauties will be everywhere! A group of gorillas, large and small, will have taken over a small clearing of grass and scrub, with the silverbacks, several mamas with babies, and everyone else in between.
Juveniles will tumble past wrestling and running, oblivious to your presence. A new mother sits lovingly cradling her infant, with tender hands caressing his little body, evoking an instant memory of holding your own newborns. Mothers sleep with babies sprawled on top of them, occasionally rolling, repositioning, sitting up to observe you, then falling back asleep.
The silverbacks will be nonplussed, occasionally glancing your way, and even walking right next to you en route to a tree with a better view. They gaze, doze, play, display and even swing from trees.
One curious youngster will keep on breaking the 7-meter perimeter rule, coming close to inspect your group. The gorillas frequently break the 7-meter rule, of course, which gives you quite a thrill – not to mention amazing photographs, with a moment with the gorillas in the jungle.
A moment with the gorillas in the jungle, seeing and spending peaceful yet electric (and well-chaperoned) time with mountain gorillas is a rare, heart-filling experience.
For many of us this is an almost shockingly affecting moment. In an instant you viscerally experience your link with these wonderful creatures. Like awe-struck astronauts seeing the whole blue earth for the first time, you never quite look at your lives the same way. They are brave and loyal. They help each other. They play and have humor and they harm nothing. They are what we should be! Quietly gazing at us as if seeking a connection.
Gorilla trekking is inspirational, emotional, and profoundly fulfilling—perhaps the most magical few hours of your lives, as you share a moment with the gorillas in the jungle.
Gorilla trekking is a life-long dream that many guests have to wait until their children reach the age requirement of 15 (age requirement is +15 years).
There are only three countries where these magnificent and highly endangered great apes still survive—Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo; none live in captivity in zoos. About 500 mountain gorillas inhabit the Virunga Massif ecosystem shared by Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, the DRC’s Virunga National Park, and Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park. Another 300 or so live on a separate mountain in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
One More Adventure Safaris, stand your way, to guide you on booking your dream gorilla trekking safaris, not only to Rwanda, but also to Uganda, and DR Congo. We are experts when it comes to East Africa safari tailoring.
Your days of gorilla trekking will be exciting, overwhelming assaults on every sense.
A moment with the gorillas in the jungle, your hearts swell at the sight of the newborns and thrilled to a massive silverback beating his chest.
You will watch gorillas play, sleep, walk as families, scamper up trees, and swing down with a crash as you enjoy a moment with the gorillas in the jungle.
Gazing into those gentle brown eyes and observing their family interactions created a sense of real kinship with these gentle creatures. They will be the most magical hours of any day imaginable.
However, to conquer the gorilla trekking at ease, you will need to be in a good body shape. Physical fitness is highly recommended. You will need pre-gorilla trekking home fitness training prior to your travel, and as well as good gorilla trekking boots, with shoe gaiters and good socks, to make your gorilla trekking very comfortable.
Why not speak with our safari specialist at One More Adventure Safaris, and have this one a lifetime trip, put together for you, and all you got is to back your back, get to their airport, and our team from One More Adventure, will be waiting for you, and take care of the rest, from landing, to departing, and all in – between.
