Category: Rwanda

Hiring and using porters for gorilla trekking – do you have to?

A common question about gorilla trekking is if it is really necessary for one to hire and use a porter? “Do I really need to take a porter for the trek? I am an active person and feel strong enough to make it without any help!”, says a guest booking a gorilla tour to Rwanda.

First and foremost, the porter’s primary role is to take the load off you by carrying your daypack and other items so that you can utilize all your energy for the trek which can be challenging, hard or difficult depending on your fitness level (how difficult is the gorilla trek).In addition to carrying your stuff he or she can provide physical support to you such as a push or pull when stuck or overwhelmed by a climb.

Porter provides tripod support for the guest to get the perfect shot

However you may be an active outdoors person who is hiking mountains regularly, and so you would find the gorilla trek is may be an easy to moderate hike…

Well there are other reasons one may want to take a porter than just proving support.

First of all, who needs to really take a porter for the gorilla?

The older people in 50, 60’s, 70s.. should not miss a porter

Any person irrespective of age but has not been active or has not properly prepared for any hiking should take a porter

Picked up any injury or strain in your legs during your preparation for the trek please take a porter

Do you love to support the local communities? Please take porters

Supporting the local communities by taking a porter

The porters are picked from the communities surrounding the gorilla parks. When you take one you are directly giving to the local communities which is a direct benefit from the tourism.

Supporting conservation by taking a porter

Porters are potential poachers and the income from got from being porters dissuades them from poaching. They actually become custodians of the gorilla habitats.

Therefore when you take porter you are contributing to conservation of the gorillas.

How much is a porter?

The porter for gorilla trekking in Rwanda is hired for 10$

The porter for gorilla trekking in Uganda is hired for 15$

How much should I tip the porter?

After the trek and seeing how much use the porter has been you can give extra fee in terms of a tip. You can tip as much as you want or you can afford. But $10 – $20 is a fair tip for the porter.

Covid 19 guidelines and requirements for tourists visiting Rwanda

After several months of closing the borders and stopping all passenger flights by the Rwanda government because of the corona virus (covid 19) pandemic, Rwanda finally opened up to passenger flights and tourists into the country on 1st August 2020. All the parks and other tourism destinations in Rwanda have been reopened for tours but with standard operating procedures (SOPs) put in place for each destination and activity.

Below I guide on what is required of the tourists before flying into Rwanda and during their trips in Rwanda during this corona virus situation:

The visitor must have done a covid 19 test not later than 72 hours before the date of arrival in Rwanda and shall present a certificate to prove the test which should obviously be negative. Only PCR tests are advised.

On arrival in Rwanda the visitor shall be required to take another Covid 19 test and shall not travel anywhere outside or within Kigali in the next 24 hours during which time the visitor shall be waiting for the test results.

The covid 19 test is done at $60, a cost incurred by the visitor/tourist.

Important to note is that during this time of waiting for the results the visitor is confined at the hotel until the results are back within 24 hours.

Also, only selected hotels are allowed to host visitors for the covid test so ensure your hotel is one of those that were selected by government. The standard rate at all hotels for this one quarantine night/day is 90$ per person including all meals.

If the test comes back negative you will then proceed on your tour in Rwanda but will keep maintaining the SOP guidelines.

Important to note that to visit any primates park in Rwanda, such as if you will be doing the gorilla trek in Rwanda‘s Volcanoes National Park or the golden monkey trekking in the Volcanoes N.P, or the chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park, you will be required to present a negative covid 19 test result done in the last 48 hours. Hence, if you have the gorilla trek on your Rwanda tour itinerary it is advised to do it first after being released from Kigali when the covid 19 certificate is still valid for the gorilla tracking requirement. However if you have to visit other places, say Akagera National Park for a safari, some days before your gorilla trek you will then be required to take another covid 19 test 2 days before your trek, i.e. 48 hours before the trek.

After the end of your tour and departing from Rwanda, you shall be required to take another covid 19 test 72 hours before your flight. Hence you have to include a full day at the end of the tour to allow for the covid 19 test and results.