Reasons that may stop you from trekking gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda

Although it is not rare not to see Mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, some reasons might stop you from spotting these endangered primates if you do not take caution and follow instructions. Uganda and Rwanda are top safari destinations that are with each offering a unique experience to the trekkers. Most of the gorilla trekking is carried out in the two countries, unlike DRC, which at the moment is not safe due to political unrest covering the area. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is in Volcanoes National Park and in Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. For tourists to be able to participate in the exercise, they need to purchase the gorilla permits, a document that allows one to gain access to the Mountain gorillas.

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After purchasing a gorilla permit, there are high hopes of seeing the Mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. However, there are reasons that might stop you from seeing them. The reasons that may stop you from trekking gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda include the following:

When you have no trekking permit

Uganda prints about 152 permits per day and Rwanda 96 permits per day and these are printed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority in Uganda and Rwanda Development Board in Rwanda. The gorilla trekking permit is the only ticket that will grant you access to the national parks and without it, you will not be able to access the Mountain gorillas. The permits have to be booked in advance at least 3 to 6 months before the trek date and the cost of the gorilla permit in Rwanda is $1500 for foreign non-residents, $200 for East African Citizens and $500 for foreign residents. The cost of the gorilla trekking permit in Uganda is UGX300,000 for East African citizens, $800 for foreign non-residents and $700 for foreign residents. Uganda also has the gorilla habituation experience which costs $1000 for both foreign residents and citizens from other African countries, $1500 for foreign non-residents and UGX750,000 for East African citizens.

You need to have fully booked and paid for the gorilla trekking permit to be able to participate in the tracking exercise because no permit is purchased if you do not make full payments. And without a gorilla permit, you are not allowed to access the gorillas in their natural habitat.

Failure to complete the gorilla trek permit payment

Gorilla trekking can be expensive because of the many services that are involved in the exercise some of which include accommodation, transport and personal purchases. When it comes to booking the gorilla permit, you can deposit at least 30% of the total cost of the permit if they are available and the balance has to be paid at least 90 days before the trek date. Failure to make full payments for the permit will lead to cancellation of your permit by the UWA and RDB authorities. You have to make sure that the cost of the permit is complete to be able to have the best experience during a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda.

When you are underage

Tourists who are below the set minimum age for trekking gorillas, for example, 12 years in Uganda and 15 years in Rwanda, might miss out on trekking gorillas in their natural habitat. No one below the set minimum age is allowed to purchase gorilla permits and yet no one can access these giant primates without a permit. The topography and terrain in the national parks might not be managed by children; gorilla trekking can take hours, and this can affect children who may throw tantrums when hungry, tired and scared, especially after the first glance at the mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking needs one to be patient, and this might not be possible with children. This is one of the reasons why they are not allowed to trek, hence missing out on the trek exercise in both Uganda and Rwanda.

When you fall sick during or before the gorilla permit

Mountain gorillas have 98% DNA similar to humans, and this has made them easily susceptible to human diseases, which might cause death to all the gorilla family members. Communicable diseases like flu and cough are extremely dangerous to the Mountain gorillas, and once they find out that you are sick, you will be requested to volunteer and stay behind to save the Mountain gorillas from the diseases. After you report to the wardens that you are sick, they will confirm with the doctor and following guidelines, a refund on the permit cost will be made.

Getting a bad injury during the trek

Gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda is carried out in remote areas that have different terrains, including steep slopes, valleys, and hills, and tourists have to hike through the different terrains when locating the Mountain gorillas depending on the location of the gorilla families on the day of the trek. The terrain is slippery during the rainy season, which sometimes makes it hard to trek through the forests, and this is why the ranger guides lead the way through the forest. Because you are in an unfamiliar territory, accidents are bound to happen, and although this is rare, when a bad injury happens, you might not have the strength to continue with the trek, hence, missing out on meeting the Mountain gorillas face to face.

When you do not show up on the date of trekking

Missing your trek day can be caused by several factors, but if you have no valid reason for missing out on the trek, zero refunds will be made. When you have valid reasons for missing your trek date and evidence, you need to write a formal letter to the Rwanda Development Board and Uganda Wildlife Authority informing them about your decision for missing the trek date and attach all the evidence needed. The process is a long one and you can also make a reschedule to trek gorillas on any other date. The first two reschedules are free but after this, a surcharge of 25% will be made on your third reschedule. Tourists have to book through a tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris because they will not only purchase the gorilla permit and organize your entire safari, but they will also remind you about your trek date so that you don’t miss it.

Tourists missing the briefing before gorilla tracking

Gorilla trekking is an exercise that many tourists would want to participate in when on a safari starting early morning with a briefing from the guides. The briefing is a must for all trekkers and failure to attend might cause one to miss out on gorilla trekking. During the briefing, the ranger guide takes you through the rules and guidelines for gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda; you will be divided into groups of 8 and assigned gorilla families during the briefing. When you are attending the briefing, a team of trackers is sent out to study the behaviours of the gorillas and find their last location. Armed with this information, they communicate back to the guides who will then find the best routes to take in trekking and locating the Mountain gorillas. When you miss out on the briefing, you will not be assigned a gorilla family; when sick, you will not be refunded a fee for the gorilla permit, and this means you will be asked to stay behind if you do not attend the morning briefing.

Arriving late/staying far off from the gorilla trek area

When planning a gorilla safari in Uganda and Rwanda, accommodation is one of the most important aspects you need to consider to make sure that you get to the gorilla trekking section on time. In Rwanda, you need to get accommodation that is close to Volcanoes National Park, accommodation close to the Mgahinga National Park and when it comes to Bwindi in Uganda, you need to make sure that you book accommodation that is in the sector you have been assigned and the sectors include Nkuringo, Ruhija, Rushaga and Buhoma. Getting accommodation that is close to the trekking sector makes it easy for trekkers to get to the start of the trek on time hence not missing out on trekking gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda.

Breaking the rules and guidelines during a gorilla trek

Uganda and Rwanda have gorilla trekking rules and guidelines and these were set to make sure that the Mountain gorillas are protected and the trekkers as well. To be able to easily manage the park and the visitors, these rules were set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rwanda Development Board and if you break one of these rules, this might stop you from seeing the Mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The rules and regulations that all tourists have to follow include the following:

• The age limit for gorilla trekking is 12 years in Uganda and 15 years in Rwanda
• No one is allowed to come close to the Mountain gorillas and have to leave a distance of 8 to 10 meters from the gorillas.
• All tourists with communicable diseases will not be allowed to trek the gorillas and should volunteer to stay behind.
• There are no toilets, and tourists have to dig a hole of 30cm, which has to be covered so that the Mountain gorillas don’t dig it up.
• Tourists are not allowed to touch the Mountain gorillas
• Feeding the Mountain gorillas and eating when close to them is prohibited.
• Smoke negatively affects the Mountain gorillas and that is why smoking is prohibited.
• Spitting on the vegetation within the National Park is prohibited.
• Making noise during the trek and after getting to the Mountain gorillas should be avoided
• All trek groups have an hour with the Mountain gorillas
• Always stay with the trek group and not wander away from the group
• Avoid circling the Mountain gorillas after locating them because they feel threatened.
• Follow all the rules and regulations given by the guides because the guides have extensive knowledge about the forest
• When taking photos of the Mountain gorillas, turn off the camera flash. The camera flash scares off the Mountain gorillas forcing them to retreat further into the forest.

How safe is the gorilla trekking exercise in Uganda and Rwanda?

Uganda and Rwanda are safe destinations for gorilla trekking. Some measures have been taken to make sure that gorilla trekking is a safe exercise and these are: putting in place the gorilla trekking rules and regulations, armed rangers are provided to ensure the safety of the Mountain gorillas and the trekkers, security agencies and the government provide 24/7 security at the National Parks that are located in remote areas and tourists also need to be vigilant about their surrounding areas. Personal safety is extremely important and tourists shouldn’t count money in public, leave valuable possessions in their rooms, trust and follow all the guidelines, always pack a first aid kit and stay close to the trekking group.

When to go for gorilla trekking

Gorilla trekking is an all-year activity in both Uganda and Rwanda, but the best time is during the dry season, which is from December to February and June to September. The dry season is considered to be the best because Mountain gorillas are easily trekked during the dry season. After all, the trek routes are dry, and the bushes are easily cleared during the dry season. The rainy season from March to May and October to November is good because there are few tourists and discounts, especially on accommodation, are offered. The downside of trekking Mountain gorillas during the dry season is the slippery and muddy routes, which make it hard to trek, and the downside of trekking in the dry season is it is an expensive time to travel, and there are large crowds.

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