Gorilla trekking is among the most popular wildlife experiences in Africa, seeing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Standing just 7 meters away from your hairy cousins, gorillas being most peaceful animals to let tourists spend 1 hour together on a guided trek with expert guides and rangers in their natural forest is a memorable experience. Planning for gorilla trekking safari, you must forget about experience of going in game drive vehicles, gorilla trekking requires physical fitness and active hiking over steep terrain.
Therefore, anyone going for a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda, DRC or Uganda must plan a head and get the mental and physical wellness prepared for the brave. The packing list below is just a mere guideline as you may have your own preferences:- 1-2 long sleeved shirts, 3 short sleeved t-shirts, 2 –3 pairs of light weight slacks/trousers – that can dry quickly (if wearing on treks),1 pair of shorts, 1 sweater or sweatshirt, A waterproof and windproof jacket, 1 skirt (for women), Gloves – gardening or similar (for gorilla trekking), Strong waterproof walking boots – pants should be tucked into socks and boots while trekking(Heavy soled rain boots also work well),Pair of sports sandals like Tevas, Hat-wide brim or with a visor for sun protection, Sleepwear, Underwear, Lightweight wool socks, Swimsuit (and a plastic bag).
Miscellaneous pack may include; Sunscreen, Sunglasses with neck strap, Insect repellent with DEET, Small day pack, Flashlight, Binoculars, Extra batteries, Camera and extra lenses, Film particularly fast film for the gorillas, Personal toiletries, Prescription medicines and possibly prescription itself, Kleenex tissues, Small notebook. First Aid Kit including Rehydration sachets, anti-diarrhea medicine, aspirin, cold medication, antiseptic cream, band-aids, motion sickness pills, lip balm, eye drops and personal medication.
Another important thing to note is you to let your gorilla trekking guides know about your trekking capacity. Usually early morning trekkers report to gorilla trekking centers for registration and briefing. In the process, gorilla trekkers are encouraged to speak up with guides so they can assign to you a habituated gorilla family that is easier to trek.
This is done because of the impossibility to book gorilla permits for specific gorilla families and the fact that all have unique. Trekkers are not guaranteed of the best gorilla family to trek often times due to the frequent social compositions of gorilla families. Days are different, gorillas may feed near the park boundaries or deep in the interior of the forest hence better know your hiking capacity to avoid disappointments. This is why you need to hire a porter at the beginning of your trek. Porters can assist you to hike steep slopes on top of carrying your backpack.