Parc National des Volcans: Gorilla Trekking*
Early this morning we drive to the park headquarters where we are briefed by the guides of the Parc des Volcans before we start our gorilla trek. This 13,000-hectare national park protects the Rwanda sector of the Virunga Mountains, a range of six extinct and three active volcanoes which straddle the border with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bamboo forest is interspersed with alpine moorland, grassland and marsh.
Tracking the gorillas through the light mountain forest on the slopes of the Virungas is a magical experience. If you are lucky you will get to the gorillas, spend an hour with them, and be back at the base in time for a late lunch. Some gorilla families however are more elusive, and tracking can take a full day… especially when wet and muddy.
The Mountain Gorillas in the Parc National des Volcans are part of a worldwide population of just 740 individuals. The gorillas we are allowed to track belong to one of five habituated family groups. For up to five years each, these groups have undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually brought them to tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day and allowed a few privileged visitors to interact with them in the wild.
The gorillas are by no means tame, and are completely wild animals. However, experienced guides will accompany us on our tracking, many of who have been involved in the habituation process themselves. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorillas' habits and information from the previous day to locate the group’s whereabouts. Because of this, the time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as 1 hour to as much as 8 hours before one returns to base. Once the gorillas are located, our group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them.
Please remember that the mountain gorillas are a wild animal and are not enclosed in any form and free to move as they please. For this reason actual sightings of the gorilla groups cannot be guaranteed. For more information on gorilla tracking in Rwanda, go to www.ortpn.gov.rw.
* We have assigned our East African offerings in Rwanda, Kenya & Tanzania our lowest Difficulty Rating Level 1, strictly with respect to physical activity that occurs OUTSIDE of our one-day chimpanzee and/or gorilla trekking hikes, which can specifically be rated a LEVEL 3 (you can review info on all three levels via the "Tour Styles" on this tour's webpage). Aside from these two excursions, the only physical activity while on safari is limited to walking to/from your room from the main public areas of our hotels/lodges (some of which are spread out). One must also be aware that our programs are ambitious -- some early starts, long/full days of road travel on some some poor/rough roads, and some dust and heat, which can cause fatigue over time.
Overnight near Parc National des Volcans.
 
Included Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner