How difficult is Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda?

– Fear is only temporally but regrets last forever. Therefore fear not to travel to Rwanda because of its difficult factors such as the high costs of the gorilla trekking and then make up your mind to go and get a dose of fun under the sun. I have a common question which is usually asked saying how difficult is gorilla trekking in Rwanda? And the answer is trekking in Rwanda is sometimes difficult depending on a number of factors and these factors include the cost of trekking gorillas, the location, time, age of the trekkers, the physical fitness of the gorilla trekkers, the accessibility of the volcanoes national park.

But however, trekking in Rwanda would not have been so much difficult but people fear its costs which are high compared to those of others in the other countries, and yet the activities and services offered there are all the same as the countries where gorilla trekking is done in the world. For example Uganda in the Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and the mgahinga national park.

The following are the factors for the difficulty of gorilla trekking in Rwanda

The cost of gorilla trekking in Rwanda

Rwanda is said to have a very high price of gorilla trekking compared to other countries like Uganda. Rwanda charges 1500 dollars to the clients for the gorilla trekking while Uganda charges only 700 dollars which is lower compared to that of gorillas. Therefore, however much the client wants or wishes to trek in the volcanoes of Rwanda, he or she will not because of the high costs it charges its clients.

Location of the mountain gorilla family

The trekking of mountain gorillas in Rwanda is done mostly in the volcanoes national park. This park has a number of groups such as the karisimbi, amahoro, sabyinyo, agashya group, umubano group, Titus family, and then Susa B. These family groups are always grazing very high in these volcanoes which becomes difficult for the people to find and tress these primates to trek them because they are somehow very far. On the other hand, it is difficult for first-timers to hike. The trekking will last for over 2hours to five hours because of the difficulty the clients find in allocating them.

The time, year, and season of trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda

Visiting the volcanoes national park to trek the gorillas is done throughout the year . But however, the clients are advised to come and trek in the months between June, to September, and December to February. This is because these months are always dry and therefore they help the clients to hike easily without any disturbance like sliding in the jungle while trekking the gorillas and experiencing of the bad weather while in the volcanoes. The trails are always very dry where the clients pass to the volcanoes hence helping them to trek well without any convenience.

The age limit of the mountain gorilla trekker

Since the trekking involves hiking to the volcanoes to look for the gorilla families, it, therefore, involves hiking to the mountains. This means it requires mature people to hike those who are energy etic and they should be 15 years and above. The kids who are below 15 years are not allowed to hike because they might get problems there and maybe even faint. Therefore, this becomes also a factor in the difficulty of trekking gorillas in Rwanda.

The fitness and the ability or health of the gorilla trekkers

Since trekking requires hiking into the volcanoes to trek the primates, It becomes difficult for people with health problems to go trekking in the volcanoes. And more so the elders who have overgrown and their bones are too weak, it becomes hard for them to climb up and trek these primates. Therefore the trekking of gorillas requires people who are physically fit and energetic and don’t have health problems to hike up to the mountain and start trekking.

The accessibility of the volcanoes national park

The trekking of the mountain gorillas in the volcanoes becomes difficult because of the roads in the volcanoes national park once you are already inside . The narrow roads are many and not tarmacked so they are full of a lot of dirt which would stop most of the clients to go trekking hence giving an answer to how difficult is trekking in Rwanda . However, the other roads in Rwanda are well renovated and tarmacked which helps the clients to reach in time for those coming to trek in. Rwanda

How difficult is Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda — Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda

Where to stay while in the volcanoes national park for trekking

Sabinyo Silverback lodge

This is one of the best lodges that a visitor should not miss once he or she comes to the volcanoes national park in Rwanda.

The lodge has a total of eight ensuite cottages, they have standard, suite, and family cottages. The lodge has a dining room, lounge area, games room, library, responsible travel and awareness room, and a reception. The rooms have enough space, a fireplace, Rwandese terracotta tile roofing, and a veranda which to sit and relax from. They also have a bar which is well equipped with all types of drinks that the visitor may want, they have a veranda, indoor and outdoor where to relax from.

Bisate lodge

This is the newest and most luxurious of the other lodges, it is the wilderness’s latest camp which makes it the heart of the forest. it opened up in June 2017 and since it opened up it has boosted the views of the volcanoes national park. The lodge offers good activities which are quite amazing and that makes every visitor come back. It offers gorilla trekking since it is situated near the volcanoes national park. It also offers services such as meals including the full board and half board, it has a bar which is fully packed with drinks that every visitor would want, the lodge has rooms which are self-contained, have showers, hot water, free Wi-Fi, electric kettle and a balcony where to relax from.

Virunga lodge

platform This is a luxury lodge filled with Rwandan design and culture. The lodge has ten stand-alone bandas that are spread out across the ridge. The lodge has a lounge area, a dining room, and a Dian Fossey map room, the ensuite bandas, which are named each after the surrounding area, the lodge has a fireplace and a private terrace, a for panoramic views across the mountains and the twin lakes.

Mountain gorilla view lodge

The lodge is located only 3 kilometers from the entrance of the volcanoes national park. This lodge is a perfect base for mountain gorillas and the golden monkeys trekking, it is also a comfortable property to visit because it has fires that are lit at night for enjoyment and to feel warm. This lodge boasts the view of the volcanoes national park because its services are at point. The lodge has an ensuite bathroom, comfortable bed, generator in case the power has gone, the fire which is usually used to protect the visitors from the cold, The lodge is only a 10-minute drive from the volcanoes national park.

Singita kwitonda lodge

This is one of the lodges that is so amazing, interesting, flowering meadows and cross rushing streams to the visitors who come to visit the volcanoes national park. The reason why everyone should love the singita kwitonda lodge is that it has an onsite garden growing fresh, these are the local produces on their farms that they always tend to add on the meals they serve. They have akarabonursery bed and it aims for the conservation of endangered mountain gorillas through reforestation and not forgetting the in-house conservationists to ensure that you leave this wonderful world with the love of protecting it .The rooms at singita kwitonda lodge have windows opened into the views of sabyinyo ,gahinga and the muhabura volcanoes .The rooms are ensuite and they are self-contained for example they have water showers ,bathrooms inside , toilets , the television , telephones ,the swimming pools not forgetting the meals which are full board provided . More on that, the rooms have fire that is always organized in the evening hours to protect the visitors from coldness. The cost for spending a night in this lodge is 2100 dollars.

Volcanoes forest camp

What an interesting and awesome place volcanoes forest camp is! Therefore, for one to get the volcanoes forest camp will find it in Ruhengeri at the base of Rwanda volcanoes national park the lodge is 12m. The lodge has attracted very many tourists from whole over the world because of its favorable and good facilities it provides which make every visitor to come back and keep yarning for the same lodge.

Volcanoes forest camp has camping tents , a local restaurant , which is looked for by many tourists and it is only found here .This is because most tourists prefer taking local foods than fried foods .The lodge has the best services such as the self-contained rooms ,with bathrooms and toilets inside ,the bathrooms have showers inside and not forgetting the hot and warm water inside that most visitors and the children prefer .The rooms are well ventilated , they have terraces , television inside , telephone, an electric kettle and a wardrobe for the visitors clothes .This lodge has almost all types of rooms such as the double rooms , single rooms ,and family rooms where by these rooms have a bar inside with all types of drinks included there not forgetting the meals which are full board ,fire inside which is always lit in the evening to protect the visitors from the coldness .More so on the volcanoes forest camp is that they have the banyarwandas who always show their culture to the visitors in form of entertainment for example they show the visitors how to cook their traditional food , the dances ,their cows to mention but a few and this interests most visitors .

Peak spot kinigi

terrace with seating What an amazing lodge this is! This lodge is situated 3 km from the park office , it is rustic slice of the paradise offering easy access to the best of Rwanda’s wild life and natural beauty with top expert and guides on site .The lodge has 6 acres property which offers views of the volcanoes national park ,comfortable amenities ,full service catering and personal hospitality at an equally comfortable price of singles paying 75 dollars ,per night ,the room has a single bed ,ensuite bathroom with shower inside , more on that it can also accommodate two guests .The peak spot kinigi has a double room which costs 125 dollars per night , it has ensuite bathroom and a shower , has indoor and outdoor seating area ,and it also has either a queen bed or two single beds .The lodge has a family room which is charged 200 dollars per night ,it has two bed rooms for example one master room with queen bed , one bed room with option of the two single beds or queen bed . It has two bathrooms, full-service kitchen, indoor lounge with fire place and a private outdoor area.

Tiloreza volcanoes.

This is an amazing midrange lodge, it is an addition to the hotels in Ruhengeri just a 15-minute drive from the headquarters of Rwanda .it is a prime location for the guests wishing to trek the mountain gorillas. This lodge has rooms that are ensuite, they have all types of rooms including single rooms, double rooms, and family rooms which rooms have queen beds, master beds, and single beds . These rooms have bathrooms with showers, toilets, they also have free Wi-Fi, an electric kettle, indoor and outdoor seating area for relaxing, a bar where the visitors relax from, a fireplace to be lit in the evening to protect the visitors from the cold. More on that they have a full-service kitchen.

Lebambou gorilla lodge

It is such an amazing lodge to every visitor who comes to spend a night there during his or her trip to the volcanoes national park in Rwanda. It is located near the volcanoes national park situated 2 and a half hours from the Kigali international airport and it is only a 10-minute drive from the headquarters. The lodge is mid-range and therefore it offers a midrange accommodation for all the gorilla trekkers who come to the park. It is known that the park offers a variety of services and activities that make most of the clients come back to the park looking for the same services that were given to them . And these include accommodation, full board, half board, and the activities like gorilla trekking, and golden monkey trekking. This lodge has rooms like the standard rooms, double rooms, single rooms, and family rooms. These rooms are self-contained with toilets and bathrooms inside, they have showers, a bar which is well filled with drinks, they have a balcony where these visitors sit and relax in the evening after the trekking not forgetting the fire which is always lit in the evening to protect the visitors from the coldness.