Gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda is done in groups of tourists of not more than 8 people per group. Each group not more than 8 tourists is allocated to one gorilla family that they will track down through the mountains and jungles and on getting to the gorillas the tourists will spend one hour following them, enjoying every view of every member of the gorilla of the gorilla family. Adult gorillas are a bit docile, so most times they are observed picking and munching on vegetation. The young gorillas on the other hand a more active and inspiring. While the baby gorillas stay clung to their mothers.
During planning for the gorilla trek tourists ask questions around the gorilla family one will be allocated. The park management does the allocation to gorilla families which is often random, however some certain categories of people, especially the aged shall be allocated to the easier treks.
While the park allocates the groups according to their wish, it is also possible for a guest to request for a type of gorilla depending on the kind of experience they want to have to kind of gorillas they want to see.
So you may want to be allocated to gorilla group basing on the following
Can I get the easiest or hardest gorillas group to trek to?
Elderly persons aged 50+ are given priority for gorilla families that may be easier to trek to. But other people that do not feel ready for a long trek can ask to be allocated to the easiest group.
The gorillas families are found in different areas of the park, and the time taken and level of difficult to find each of the group varies. Some gorillas may be closer to the trailhead and thus easier to trek to.
On the other hand, some people may want a harder challenge to find the gorillas which would also give them more time in the jungle and enjoy seeing more wildlife and great views across the mountain.
I want the best sightings of Silverback Gorillas
Coming face to face with the iconic Silverback Gorilla is one of the best moments of the gorilla trekking adventure. Every gorilla family has at least one silverback gorilla because he is the leader, but some groups have more silverback gorillas. The more the silverback gorillas the better sightings of this massive ape!
Therefore if seeing the silverback gorilla and having as many shots as possible of the gentle giants then you can request for a group with many silverback gorillas. But be ready for any kind of level of difficulty because the with more silverbacks may nearer or far away.
Would like to see the playful young gorillas and cute baby gorillas?
The gorilla family with young gorillas has more fun actions as these youngsters love to entertain with playful antics like provoking the big gorillas, swinging from trees, and even having a cheeky go at the tourists.
If you therefore you want a more fun gorilla family with more activity then request for the one with more young gorillas.
Baby gorillas are so cute but hard to see because they are always held tightly to their mothers bodies. Few gorilla families will have a baby gorilla in the family, so request to be allocated to a group with baby(ies) if want to see these little ones and witness how their mother gorillas passionately cares for them like human mothers do for their babies.
Big gorilla family – Do you want to see many gorillas?
Would you like to see as many gorillas as possible, then request for a gorilla family with a big number of individuals, say 12+ gorilla members. When reach the gorilla family in the jungles, it is impossible to see all the members because some are dispersed around and can be behind bushes so it is difficult to see all the members. Therefore you stand a better chance see many gorillas if you track a group with many members. Some gorillas families can have as many as 20 members, while others can have as few as 8 members.