Category: Rwanda

Is it safe to track gorillas in Rwanda?

Is it safe? This is the first question anyone will ask before joining in any adventure activity. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is one of the most captivating wildlife adventures in the world. The thought of trekking dense pristine jungles on beautiful mountain volcanoes and coming face to face with these massive apes without a barrier in between is quite thrilling but also thought provoking – how safe is it?

Is it safe for me?

Won’t the gorillas attack me? Won’t I encounter other dangerous creatures in the jungles? Rwanda neighbors the ever security volatile Democratic Republic Congo, what are the chances of falling victim to this insecurity from the neighborhood (especially that Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is connected to the Virunga National Park in DR Congo which is a hotbed of rebel activity)? Etc…

These are some of the concerns & questions of many travelers when thinking of booking a gorilla trekking trip to Rwanda.

I will address the above concerns below and give some assurances;

The gorillas are wild animals, won’t they attack me?

Gorillas, like other wild animals, their instinct is to attack or flee when they encounter an unfamiliar creature in their environment. Gorillas are the biggest primates, the strongest as well whose strength is said to be equivalent to about 8 grown healthy energetic human males. So they would rip apart or break a human with such ease…

However the gorillas you track in Rwanda are habituated. Habituation is the process of getting the gorillas used to seeing humans in their environment until they realize the humans mean no harm & will therefore not attack or flee. Gorilla habituation is done by trained personnel & habituating one gorilla family until its safe for tracking takes more than 3 years. The habituated gorillas can tolerate the humans who are observing gorilla trekking SOPs for some time. They are world animals and there are certain guidelines you have to observe when in their presence so that they feel safe. These guidelines are provided before setting out to trek.

What about encountering other dangerous creatures in the jungles?

True there other animals in Volcanoes National Park that could pose a threat to you while trekking, and these include; unhabituated gorillas, elephants, buffaloes, etc.. Elephants, buffaloes, are very few and quite shy. They mostly flee before they are sighted and most times you will see just their foot prints & dung. However, an encounter cannot be ruled out completely. So safety, on your trek you do go with armed personnel whose purpose is to shoot in the air to scare away buffaloes, elephants or even unhabituated gorillas who may try to face off with the travelers. These encounters are rare but they few times they happen the armed personnel are always on top of things.

Snakes also come into mind when one thinks of trekking in the jungles. Due the high altitude and cold temperature the Volcanoes are not favorable for many snake species. There are few snakes but these are very hard to come by. They are very shy and will flee immediately detecting an intruder many yards away.

How is the security situation in the Volcanoes National Park and shouldn’t I be concerned about the volatile security situation in the neighboring Congo and the Virunga Park?

Rwanda is one of the safest and most security conscious country in Africa, perhaps even in the entire world. Given her unpleasant past of turmoil, the country takes security and safety of every individual in the country as number one priority. The park is well protected by the armed forces, and besides most of the gorilla trekking takes place well away from the boundaries. An intrusion from the Congo side is almost impossible to go undetected.

Is it safe for the gorillas?

This is a very valid concern!!

The biggest threat gorillas face from humans is the possibility of transferring human disease to the gorillas. Gorillas and humans share up to 98% DNA hence diseases can be transferred between the two species. To prevent you from spreading diseases to gorillas, once you show any symptoms for easily transferrable diseases such as cough, flue you are not allowed to track the gorillas. During the encounter with the gorillas, tourists are advised to keep at least 7 meters from the gorillas.

What to pack for your gorilla trekking? Here is the gorilla trip packing list

What do I need to pack for my gorilla trekking trip? This is one of the most asked question by tourists booking gorilla trekking tours in Rwanda and gorilla trekking tours in Uganda. Below I shall discuss the items to include in your gorilla tour packing list. I categorize them into 3; the most essential items that you need to pack first, to those you may need but are not essential and can leave behind if you do not have enough space left in the bag or can’t spend any more, and the least essential but worth thinking about…

Most essential/must have essentials

  • Hiking shoes

Because you will be trekking on uneven rugged terrain where there is no defined trail (a trail will be created by a machete person) you need shoes with good traction that will give you stability on ground to prevent you from frequent slips, and shoes that will protect you from straining your feet and ankles. Mid-cut to high-cut hiking shoes would be the ideal because they provide more stability and protect the ankles.

Yes, your old pair of sneakers could do but if you will be trekking during the wet season (March – May, & Oct – Nov) you will be in for quite a challenge. Read more about best time for the gorilla trekking to learn about the seasons.

  • Long pants

Long outdoor/hiking pants will give you much needed comfort and freedom of movement in the thick of the jungles and across highlands, something your jeans may deny you. The ‘long’ protect your legs from prickly plants such as the stinging nettles which can be a menace during the trek. A slight rub off on a stinging nettle gives a burning irritation on the skin. The hiking pants which are made of light material are fast drying and some are water proof which is an important aspect as the rainforests can experience rain at any time.

  • Long-Sleeve shirt

Long sleeved shirt (preferably the outdoor/hiking type) also offer the advantages of the hiking pants mentioned above, especially protecting your arms from the stinging nettles and other prickly plants.

  • Rain jacket/poncho

A rain jacket or poncho is simply a must have irrespective of which season you are trekking! As much as there is a known wet season which receives frequent rains (March – May & Oct – Dec), and the other months being the dry season with little rains expected, the gorilla homes are mountain rainforests were the weather is unpredictable and rains can fall when you least expect. If you are trekking in the wet season such as during the months of April & May a rain poncho is highly recommended.

  • Sunscreen

The gorilla highlands are located near the equator and sun is overhead during your trek. Sunscreen will protect you from sunburn.

  • Insect repellent

The jungles have lots tiny insects flying around especially in the morning and can be quite irritating whizzing around your ears and eyes and some giving you a bite. Mosquitoes are the biggest menace. Applying an insect repellent will wad them off and keep your trek more focused and comfortable.

  • Day pack

A daypack is very essential to keep your items such as water bottle, camera, toiletries, and snack in one place in a daypack strapped on your back so that your hands are free as you maneuver through jungle. The daypack also keeps your items in place to avoid losing them in the jungle where they will be had to find.

  • Mask (post covid19 pandemic)

A mask in this covid19 era is an essential item. As humans we share 98% DNA with the gorillas and can therefore pass on the covid19 to them.

You need these but are not really essentials

  • Garden gloves

Garden gloves keep you warm and also protect your hands from pricky plants as you move through the jungle. They also give you good grip on the hiking stick and protect your delicate hands from blisters due to friction.

  • Cap/hat

This is almost a must have essential. The jungle has particles such as falling from the trees and you don’t want to keep some in your hair. The cap/hat also gives you shade over your face when hiking on a hot sunny day.

  • Gaiters

Gaiters will protect your pants from mud and also keep insects from crawling under your pants. If a single red ant succeeds in getting access to your bare underneath you may dance strokes you never though were capable of 😊

An alternative to gaiters is simply tucking your pants into stockings.

  • Hiking/trekking poles or sticks

You can bring own trekking poles that you have tested on hikes to be giving you the best stability and comfort. Otherwise, free trekking sticks are provided that are locally made from wood, they are technically small tree branches or stems.

  • Quality camera or just a good smartphone

The gorilla trek is a once in a lifetime experience and you would want to keep a memorable of this unique encounter. The gorillas can also deliver a special moment at time and you want to be able to capture it. However some people want enjoy these wonderful creatures and want to take in as much as possible this incredible encounter without being bothered by photos

  • Sunglasses

The sunglasses will definitely protect you from intense light especially if you are coming from a place that doesn’t receive a lot of it.

Least essentials, you don’t really need these but…

  • Camelback Hydration pack

You can have this if you don’t want to be inconvenienced by handling a water bottle

  • GPS

You may want to know how much you have trekked and where you have trekked

  • Binoculars

If want to observe other forest dwellers that may be seen far from you a distance such as monkeys, birds, etc…

  • Flare 😊

If you you just wrong turn and you got a phobia of being lost you can carry a flare to give you a bit of comfort, otherwise chance of getting lost are next to none. Unless if you are planning to stray away from the group unnoticed

What is the best time for gorilla trekking in Rwanda? Best time to see gorillas?

What is the best time to visit Rwanda for the gorilla tour? What is the best time for the gorilla trekking? What is the best time that will give me the best chance to see the gorillas?

These are common questions from tourists planning a gorilla trekking trip in Rwanda and Uganda. Gorilla trekking is number one on the list of top things to do in Rwanda.

What is the best time that will give you the best chance to see the gorillas? And the answer is simple:

ALL YEAR ROUND the gorillas can be seen.

BUT THE WEATHER…

However, the weather can have an effect on the level of difficulty of the gorilla trek (but not on the chances of finding the gorillas), and therefore you may choose to do the gorilla trek when it is easier to trek (or hardest to trek, for hiking fanatics) because the gorillas live in the rugged mountains densely covered in vegetation presenting a challenge for trekking. And of course, the mountains are easier to trek in dry conditions than in wet conditions.

There are two types of weather in Rwanda, the WET/RAINY season (March – May & Sept – Oct) that sees frequent rains, and the DRY season (June – August & Dec – Feb) which sees more sunshine and less rains.

The most preferred time for the gorilla trek is during the long dry spell from June – August and a bit of September. The mountains do not receive frequent rains and so the trails are dry most of the time. There will be some occasional rains though. This can be taken as the best time for the gorilla tracking in Rwanda.

The wettest period is from March to May, with rains experienced almost on a daily during the peak rainy month of April. This is the least favorable time for the gorilla tracking adventure.

During the wet season however, the gorillas tend to leave the high elevations of the mountains because it is too cold and will retreat closer to the warmer altitudes towards the base of the mountains. During this time the gorillas may be easier to find 😊. The irony!

BEST TIME WITH NO CROWDS

Don’t want crowds??? There are fewer people tracking the gorillas during the wet season hence you have a more intimate encounter with the gorillas. We call this time of the year the low season because of low numbers of tourists. A number of lodges discount their prices (low season prices) and therefore it is the best time for the gorilla trek if you want to save.

VERDICT:

The gorilla trekking can be done ALL YEAR ROUND

How difficult or hard is the gorilla trekking in Rwanda?

How difficult or hard or challenging is the gorilla trek? Will I manage the trek? How far shall I trek to find the gorillas? How long will it take to find the gorillas? What if I sprain or injure my leg while on the trek, what happens?

As a tour operator organizing gorilla trekking tours in Rwanda (and Uganda), these are some of the questions, or I should I call them concerns, we normally receive from clients asking to book a gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda. And since the mountain gorillas live in mountains (the Virunga Mountains), the level of difficult of the trek is a big concern especially for those that have no or little experience in hiking or climbing mountains.

So below I will try to explain the level of difficult you should anticipate:

The gorilla trek can be easy, moderate, difficult or even extremely difficult… It depends on; first your fitness levels 😊, and second the mood…eeh sorry, I mean the movement of the gorillas that day and their general location across the mountains. There are more than 10 habituated gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park for tracking by tourists and every morning before the trek groups of not more than 8 tourists are assigned to each habituated gorilla family.

Every gorilla family has a different location across the mountains, however the location is not static as the gorillas move, but still they do not cover a big distance & on average can cover just 1km in day under normal circumstance (though, still 1 km on a mountain is not a small distance). But under some abnormal circumstances the gorillas may travel very far, e.g. when attacked by another gorilla group or errant lone males wanting to take over the family forcefully, so the dominant male gorilla who is the leader of the family can flee his family as far away as possible.

The gorillas make new homes every day and therefore have a different location every day. The park has trackers who keep with the gorillas till they make new nests to spend the night, and so the general location of the gorillas at the start of the day is known. Alternatively, the trackers go out early in the morning and basing on where the gorillas were last seen the previous day, they track down the gorillas’ nesting location before they wake up and will stay with them as they start the day & relay the information of their movement to the park authorities at the head office. So, the park authorities have an idea of the general location of the different gorilla families and going by this the park may have an idea of how long it could take to find each family.

Going back to the allocation of the groups to tourists before the trek, the park authorities will give priority to older tourists in assigning them to gorilla families that are closer to the base of the mountain or may be easy to find.

Therefore, as an individual who may be worried about your fitness, you can request to be allocated an ‘easier’ group.

I deliberately put ‘easier’ in quotes because, as I did say, the gorillas do not have a static location, so what started out as an easy trek can fast turn into a hard trek depending on how the gorillas decide to move. They can move up the mountain so you have to climb to catch up or keep moving along the sides or even come down closer to the base and near to the trailhead and could be found in a matter of minutes.

On the other hand, the younger and more adventurous tourists can request for a harder trek. Tip: if you are the extreme adventurous type, in Rwanda ask for Pablo, notoriously hard-to-track group in Mt. Karisimbi (tallest of the Virunga volcanoes) but be ready to come back from the mountains at night fall 😊

PORTERS HELP!!

Porters are available for hire at $10 and you are encouraged to take at least one even when you feel energetic and fit enough because the altitude could get the better of you. Porters will carry your daypack and other items so that you are as light as possible. Porters can also give you a push or pull in certain situations.

What happens if you sprain or injure your leg during the trek??

Well, this is possible and happens sometimes, unfortunately. Since you are trekking on uneven mountain terrain you can miss a step or slide and strain an ankle. When this happens, the park cannot give up on you. A stretcher shall be improvised using tree branches and you shall be carried by able bodied porters for the rest of the trek.

If however before gorilla tracking you feel that you are in no shape to attempt trekking even one meter, you are still not left out as you can request for this specialized stretcher that you sit on comfortably and are carried to and from the gorillas. It however costs an extra fee and is booked in advance.

THE WEATHER AFFECTS

Ooh, weather too can affect the level of difficulty of the gorilla trek. During the rains the trails get muddy, of course, and the trek therefore gets more difficult. The two rainy seasons in Rwanda are from March to May and October to Mid-December. These are the months when it is most difficult to trek in the mountains. On the other hand, however, the gorillas are easiest to find during this time. This is because, due to the lower temperatures up the mountains, the gorillas tend to the get to the lower zones to escape the cold temperatures uphill.

ALL IN ALL

FITNESS is key or plan for THE STRETCHER

Did you know these 8 things about Rwanda?

Rwanda has been hailed as one of Africa’s biggest successes but did you know the following things about the country?

Rwanda is the safest country in sub Saharan Africa

Rwanda is located in the heart of sub-Saharan Africa, a region thought of an unsafe part of Africa due to the constant reports of conflicts and wars and sometimes epidemics. However, Rwanda has curved out herself as an oasis of safety and peace in this region. The government of Rwanda has built a robust domestic security system that guarantees safety of everyone. Petty crime that is a norm in nearly all modern cities is very uncommon in the Kigali City and all of Rwanda. One can walk the streets of Kigali or visit any remote part of Rwanda without any worry for their safety. Only in Kigali City can you comfortably use your phone on the busy streets without the fear of losing it to a snatcher.

Cleanest country in Africa

If one says Rwanda is the cleanest country in Africa, and one of the cleanest in the world, it may be difficult to believe because African countries are synonymous with disorder and dirt. It is actually difficult to imagine how clean Rwanda is until you have arrived in the capital Kigali City. When you have just arrived in Rwanda via the international airport you will be blown away by how clean and neat the streets of Kigali are. And, it does not end in the city, going deep into the villages of Rwanda the neatness and cleanliness is a constant.

To achieve what seems like a miracle in sub-Sahara Africa Rwanda adopted radical policies such as the banning of plastics bags, and introducing a day of general cleaning called “Umuganda” which is the last Saturday of the month on which every citizen is required to participate in the cleaning of their neighborhood.

There is only one tribe in Rwanda

Africa is a continent of ethnicities and tribes which is perhaps a good thing to see the diverse cultures and traditions of different tribes and traditions existing in every country in Africa. However, for Rwanda, the tribe identification became a tool of division and propagation of hate among the population which culminated into the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

Rwanda therefore decided to do away with any identification based on ethnicity and tribe and adopted a singular tribe for all the people which is the Rwandan tribe. If you asked anyone in Rwanda what his or her tribe is, he or she will reply, “I am Rwandan”. Only in Rwanda is the nationality same as tribe!

Rwanda is an open country for all people in the world

Rwanda does not require one to book a visa to visit the country. Anyone can be issued the entry visa on arrival in Rwanda.

Rwanda is home to the famous Big Five animals

Rwanda has not been famous for big game as it is mostly popular for primates especially the mountain gorillas, and chimpanzees and lots of monkeys. Most people visiting Rwanda are expecting to see only the gorillas and monkeys, however Rwanda is now a formidable big game country and provides sightings of all the famous “big five animals”, i.e. lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo. These and more wildlife is found in Akagera National Park, the country’s only savannah park.

Rwandans speak two international languages

Rwanda is probably the only country in Africa where both English speaking and French speaking visitors will not have much trouble communicating as the two international languages are widely spoken in the country. Both English and French were adopted as official languages of Rwanda. The two language are taught in schools.

It is important to note though, as a former colony of Belgium Rwanda was a francophone and English has only been introduced in the last two decades, so you will find some people may not be fluent in English (the older generation) and some not so fluent in French (the younger generation).

The highest point of Rwanda is Mt. Karisimbi

The highest point in Rwanda is at 4507 meters above sea level on Mt. Karisimbi. Mt. Karisimbi is the highest mountain in the Virunga mountain range. You can see Mt. Karisimbi when you visit Volcanoes National Park and the mountain offers a beautiful 2-day hiking adventure in the Virunga Mountains

Rwanda is the most women-centered country in Africa

No other country (in Africa) puts women at the forefront like Rwanda. This is best seen in the composition of the Rwandan parliament which has 67% women (54 of the 80 slots in parliament are filled with women).

Violence or any kind of harassment against women in Rwanda is one of the cardinal sins you can commit.

Rwanda is home to mountain gorillas

Rwanda is probably most known for the gorillas, but did you know that the country has a third of the world’s mountain gorillas which in live in Volcanoes National Park? Rwanda is also one of the only three countries that have the Mountain Gorillas. Rwanda is arguably the best place to see the do gorilla trekking due to a short journey to the park, the neat roads, safety and availability of many high-end hotels and lodges.