A Trek With Rwanda Mountain Gorillas; A trip of a lifetime

Every year adventure lovers do a trek with Rwanda mountain gorillas to be part of some of the world’s safari adventures. Rwanda is among the only three destinations on the planet where one can trek mountain gorillas.

Mountain gorillas are apes that live in the forested mountains of East and central Africa. They are covered in black fur, vegetarian as their diet comprises of plant vegetation, and live in families headed by a dominant male. These primates are pretty outstanding with over 95% DNA similar to humans.

For a mountain gorilla family to be opened to tourists it undergoes a habituation process that makes it accustomed to human beings’ presence. There are over 10 habituated mountain gorilla families in Rwanda making it one of the best places for gorilla safaris. Below are some of the reasons why a trek with Rwanda mountain gorillas is life-changing and a must for nature and adventure tourists.

Rwanda Mountain gorilla. Gorilla Tours

 

Mountain Gorilla baby in Volcanoes National Park. Photo by Moses Nezehose

Mountain gorilla family set up

These incredible primates not only have over 95% DNA similar to humans but also have a family setup similar to humans. Each gorilla family is headed by a dominant male called a silverback that oversees the routine of its family members.

A typical gorilla family has females, young or infant gorillas, and juvenile gorillas that eventually grow to silverbacks, blackbacks, or adult females. Being in the presence of these gorillas makes one feel like they seeing distant family members. It’s a very amazing experience and highly recommended.

Ensure to have a trek with Rwanda mountain gorillas to get a chance to experience how great apes live and bond in the wild.

Vegetation

Much as mountain gorillas live in forested mountains, in Rwanda, much of the volcanoes national park is covered with a light bamboo forest. This makes it easy for tourists to easily spot mountain gorillas while on gorilla treks.

The park’s vegetation can easily be navigated also making photography very easy. Wildlife photography is very essential while on safari as you capture memories of a lifetime. For the best mountain gorilla photography, a trek in Rwanda’s volcanoes national park is highly recommended.

Diverse wildlife species

A trek with Rwanda mountain gorillas gives you a chance to see a variety of other wildlife species in park. These range from birds, plant vegetation, reptiles among others. The gorilla park is home to the endangered forest elephants and Buffaloes though rarely seen.

There are also golden monkeys in Volcanoes that can supplement the gorilla tours. Golden monkey treks are very much exciting as well giving you a chance to meet another rare primate species. For an awesome wildlife and primate experience ensure to have a trek with mountain gorillas.

Major park activities start in the morning and here you can track mountain gorillas more than once to have an experience of different families.

Gorilla population

Volcanoes national park has half of the mountain gorilla population in the Virunga massif. The Virunga massif if a range of dormant and extinct volcanic mountains along the Rwandan, Ugandan, and DRC border. It’s in these forested mountains where mountain gorillas live.

With a trek with Rwanda mountain gorillas, you are guaranteed of seeing them all thanks to the steadily increasing gorilla population. There are twelve habituated mountain gorilla families in this beautiful park that are open to tourists. Some families have adorable baby gorillas that make the whole gorilla trek experiences remarkable as they play around or stay at the safety of their mother’s hands for comfort.

Every year in the famous Kwiti Izina Ceremony newly born babies are named and officially welcomed by wildlife and primate enthusiast. We hope the gorilla population will keep increasing all thanks to the great conservation efforts that has been put In over the years.

Parks accessibility

Rwanda’s mountain gorilla park is the most and easily accessed of all the gorillas parks. It’s situated just a 3 hours drive from Rwanda’s capital city Kigali. There are also flights operated by Akagera aviation giving a provisos of flying directly to the park.

With this you get enough time not only for treks with Rwanda mountain gorillas but also explore other attractions in the area. There are great and easily accessed facilities like hotels and safari lodges for those who prefer to spend a night or more in the park.

For those with limited time in Rwanda but would still want to be part of the gorilla treks, you can do a 1 day gorilla tour with a 4:30 am pick up from Kigali. All these factors make a trek with Rwanda mountain gorillas an experience anyone must never miss while on a visit to the Rwanda expedition. The country has many other national parks that you can explore for overall primates and savanna wildlife adventures. Akagera National Park is the only savanna national park in Rwanda. Nyungwe National Park is home to chimpanzees and other primate species. 

Post Lock down Safari Adventures in East Africa

Wildebeest Migration. Tanzanian Safari Experiences
Wildebeest River Crossing. Photo by George the Explorer

The end of year 2019 hit the world with the Corona virus disease forcing many to cancel their safari adventures. The disease spread very fast around the globe forcing a number of countries to lock-down their economies.

The tourism and travel sector were among the most affected as airports were closed shattering hopes of adventure travelers. After over 5 months of lock-down, there is hope to the tourism industry as economies are opening up once again. 

Some East African countries that are worlds’ leading wildlife destinations have responded positively to restarting tourism.  So far Kenya, Rwanda & Tanzania have open to international travelers and those interested in safari adventures can visit.

Below are your favorite East African wild places where you can have the best post lock-down break.

Masai Mara Game Reserve Adventures

Located in the great rift valley region is the famous Masai Mara game reserve an ecosystem with diverse wildlife species. The Reserve is inhabited by over 95 mammal species, 400 bird species a number of reptiles and amphibian species. A combination of all these make safari adventures in the game reserve worthwhile.

Safari Adventures in Masai Mara

Masai Mara game reserve is one of the best places to see predators like lions, hyenas, leopards and cheetahs.

The predators take an advantage of the wildebeest migration a mass movement of over 1.5 million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles.  These move annually from the Serengeti plains of northern Tanzania across the border into Kenya searching for pastures. 

These natural wonders attracts various tourists and would be one of the best post lock-down safari adventures to opt for. Wildlife in Masai Mara can be enjoyed on game drives  where you see animals and birds the reserve has.

Safari adventures you engage in here include game drives, balloon safaris, guided nature walks, cultural encounters, camping, birding among others.

Best time to Visit

The best time to have a wildlife tour in Masai Mara is in the dry season from June to November.  In the wet season from December to May, you can still visit the park and have a great time.

Getting There

Kenya opened the airport to international travelers on 1st August 2020 and you can therefore a safari to Masai Mara.  Those who are in Kenya already can directly drive to the reserve for safaris after 5 months of lock-down.

Masai Mara can be accessed by road and air transport from Nairobi Kenya’s capital city. Main airstrips in the reserve include Mara Serena airstrip and Kichwa Tembo airstrip which reduces on the travel time.  A road trip is also rewarding as you start your wildlife experiences as soon as you enter the game reserve.  

Rwanda Safari Adventures

Just like Kenya, Rwanda also opened the airport to international travelers on 1st August 2020. Rwanda gorilla tours are among the most rewarding wildlife safari adventures while in East Africa.

Mountain Gorilla Tracking Adventures

In Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park  you can have ultimate post lock-down tours to meet the mountain gorillas. The mountain gorilla population is now 1063 and Volcanoes national park Rwanda is among the best places to see them. The park has over 10 habituated mountain gorilla families that are open to tourist visitation. 

Note that only 8 tourists are allowed to track one gorilla family per day. Tourists are allowed in the presence of the gorillas for one hour after a 2 to 6 hours hike. 

While on the hike, you get to see other wildlife species like birds and if lucky can spot forest elephants. Volcanoes national park has other primates like golden monkeys and you can have tailor made itineraries featuring them. Wildlife activities you can enjoy in the park include mountain gorilla tracking, birding, guided nature walks in the park.

Other Rwanda Safari Adventures

You can also opt for mountain hiking with a hike to mount Karisimbi and have an overnight in the mountain. For cultural experiences, visit the gorilla guardian village where you will get to know more about the local peoples’ culture.

You can visit Nyungwe national park further south to meet the chimpanzees, have a canopy walk and other primates.  For a combined primate and wildlife safari experience in Rwanda you can add Akagera national park to the itinerary.

Now that the airport is open, visit Rwanda for exclusive post lock-down safari adventures.

Tanzania Safari Adventures

Tanzania was against all odds of lock-down and totally refused to close its border to international travelers.  While other countries lock-down economies, Tanzania was open and welcoming those interested in exploring the wildlife destinations in the country.

Now that other countries are opening up airports, travel has increased and you can visit Tanzania’s Seregenti National park. Tanzania has many safari destinations but Serengeti takes the number one spot of the Must visit places while in Tanzania.

Serengeti Safari Adventures

Serengeti is the genesis of the wildebeest migration exodus of animals up-north across the border to Masai Mara game reserve. This is not your usual exodus but a mass movement of millions of animals. Animals on the migration include gazelles, zebras, and wildebeest as they look for fresh grazing grounds.

While in Serengeti you can have endless game drives following the wildebeest migration and spotting the predators. Major predators in Serengeti include lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, crocodiles. Savanna wildlife giants like Elephants, hippos can also be seen here in large herds plus a number of bird species.

Serengeti can be visited any time of the year but if best experiences can be enjoyed from June to September. This is the best time to witness the wildebeest migration and predator action. 

For now these three East African countries are very open for both local and international tourism. They are very highly recommended destinations as the world of tourism regains momentum.