How to prepare for a gorilla trekking safari –  Kahuzi Biega National Park.

How to prepare for a gorilla trekking safari: Trekking for gorillas is a popular pastime in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Guests who have booked a mountain gorilla adventure must be fully prepared for this, and here are some recommendations on how to do so. A mountain gorilla safari may be booked by an individual or through a reliable tour operator who can also organise all of the logistics for your safari.

A gorilla trekking safari is a once-in-a-lifetime event in which tourists follow trackers into the jungle for a breathtaking hour in the gorillas’ native habitat. The gorilla species is quite similar to humans in that they share up to 99.8 percent of their DNA, and you can even see the resemblance when visiting one of the mountain gorilla parks.

Mountain gorillas may only be seen and visited in the wild in three countries: Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These three nations charge varying prices for the experience, which may be done in four national parks: Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virunga National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

A mountain gorilla trekking permit costs $400 USD in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, $700 USD in Uganda, and $1,500 USD in Rwanda. The Bwindi Forest is estimated to be home to 459 mountain gorillas, or 43.2 percent of the overall population, with 50 gorilla families, whereas Mgahinga is home to a number of gorilla families but just one habituated gorilla family.

How to /prepare for a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo.

Book your gorilla permit

The first and most important step in preparing for mountain gorilla trekking in any of these nations is to reserve a gorilla permit for the day you wish to visit. Some dates are completely filled and may not be available for booking; therefore one must first reserve their position. A trusted tour operator can book the permits for you, or if you prefer to book it yourself, you can get it from the Irembo website for the Volcanoes national park, visit the Uganda Wildlife Authority office for a Ugandan gorilla permit, or book with the Virunga national park for a chance to go gorilla trekking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

If you decide to hike mountain gorillas and want to book with a tour operator, you should conduct some research on this company first. Here are a few pointers to help you choose whether your decision is the best: their travel adviser or review platforms, collaborations or any alliances in case of any issues. Response speed and website performance are also important considerations.

You must know the optimal time to hike the mountain gorillas in relation to your preferred dates.

Ensure that you are in good physical & mental health

Mountain gorilla trekking is a popular excursion, but people should be aware that it is a physically difficult exercise. Guests who sign up for mountain gorilla trekking in any of these parks will need to be of medium condition because it entails long walks and some hikes up hill, crossing small rivers, and making their way through dense woods, notably in DR Congo and Uganda.

The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a natural forest with trees, creepers, and dense vegetation, and certain sections, such as Nkuringo, are particularly mountainous. This is a 2 to 6 hour exercise, and spending this much time in the wilderness will undoubtedly demand one to be physically fit.

Mountain gorillas, as the name implies, like to live in hilly places, therefore the hiking.

Some of the activities you may do before this activity are simple walks, running, lunges, sit-ups, and stair climbing. However, if you are not ready to get in shape and would want to take the easier route, you can hire porters to be carried on a bamboo stretcher for an additional price.

Create a packing list.

This is a critical consideration when organizing a gorilla trekking tour because you will be away from home and in the wild, or rather, in a foreign environment. To minimize last-minute spending while on your Rwanda safari or Uganda safari, make a list of goods to bring for this safari and make sure you have them or plan to acquire them.

Here are a few items to include on your gorilla trekking packing list.

Carry a waterproof back pack, plenty of surgical face masks and hand sanitizer, and light weight, water-resistant clothes, ideally long sleeves and long pants, to protect your arms and legs as you go through the thickets and shrubs.

Excellent hiking shoes! These will be a highlight since they will either make the hike more fun or more difficult.

Temperatures in these locations are normally cool, so bring a thick sweater, a cap, gardening gloves for gripping tree branches, bug repellents, a water bottle, sunglasses or sunscreen, binoculars, and a camera with additional batteries.

You will be given a briefing by the professional ranger guides at the outset of your mountain gorilla trekking trip, and they will inform you about the must-haves. If you forget to bring one or two, you will be able to purchase them at the souvenir shops at the reception.