The Best Luxury Gorilla Trekking for Family (Adult Only)
Luxury gorilla trekking for family provides an unparalleled adventure in Africa, merging exhilarating wildlife experiences with high-end accommodations and tailored service. Rwanda and Uganda are premier locations, offering exclusive private treks and accommodations at opulent lodges like as Bisate Lodge and Singita Kwitonda Lodge. The experience is customised for families, featuring shorter hikes, family-oriented accommodations, and the chance for private gorilla family viewings.
Luxury Gorilla trekking for family is a highly sought-after wildlife activity in Rwanda and Uganda. Tourists are intrigued by the observation of wild mountain gorillas due to their human-like behaviors and characteristics.
Observing a troop of mountain gorillas, guided by the dominant silverback, can evoke profound emotions, prompting individuals to desire the experience with close family or friends. A typical gorilla troop comprises 6 to 24 members, led by a dominant silverback. The silverback has strong protective instincts towards his family while also demonstrating affection towards the younger members. A normal gorilla group comprises females, adolescents, and newborns, occasionally including twins. Observing a troop of mountain gorillas would be exceptional if conducted with family. Regrettably, this is not consistently true, particularly when it pertains to children.
Gorilla trekking is not suitable for most children under 15 years due to health risks and safety concerns, though some families arrange for a caretaker or alternative activities for younger children, or parents may take turns trekking while one stays with the children.
Families with older children (15+) can trek, with park authorities sometimes assigning more accessible gorilla families and requiring parental consent through a formal request to the relevant authorities. The best locations for trekking are in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with parks like Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Volcanoes National Park being popular choices.
Why Kids can’t go Gorilla trekking
The wildlife authorities in Uganda, Congo, and Rwanda have established the minimum age for gorilla trekking at 15 years. This indicates that children are prohibited from participating in gorilla trekking. Children may struggle to maintain composure when confronted by a charging gorilla.
Mountain gorillas infrequently charge; nonetheless, they may do so if they perceive trackers as a threat. A charging gorilla will retreat if a tracker maintains composure and remains inconspicuous. A kid may get frightened, scream, or be compelled to flee due to the formidable roar of a gorilla. A charging gorilla will invariably pursue a fleeing visitor.
Children are in the process of growing their immunity and are susceptible to communicable infections such as influenza and cough. Influenza and cough can be transmitted to gorillas, resulting in potentially fatal consequences. Children exhibit unpredictability. They may be unable to complete the exercise if they feel fatigued. This is particularly accurate in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park.
Gorilla trekking necessitates a certain degree of physical fitness and resolve to persevere until completion. In Rwanda, navigating mountains and steep inclines can be exhausting, particularly if a specific gorilla group is situated far from the starting location.
Experienced travellers are more concentrated and psychologically equipped to confront the problems (high inclines, muddy paths, insects, and dense forests) of gorilla tracking.
Rwanda Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda involves a guided hike in Volcanoes National Park to find and observe mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, an experience that costs a permit fee of USD 1,500 per person and lasts for one hour. The best time for trekking is during the dry seasons from June to September and December to February, though conditions are still humid and wet. Visitors should be physically fit for the trek, which can last several hours, and respect guidelines for safety and conservation.
Uganda Gorilla Trekking
Uganda is a top destination for mountain gorilla trekking, offering two primary locations: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to the majority of the world’s mountain gorillas, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which hosts one habituated family. Visitors must purchase a permit to track a gorilla group, with different prices for foreign non-residents, foreign residents, and East African citizens. The experience includes a guided trek through dense forest for a chance to spend one hour with a gorilla family.
Africa Safari And Gorilla trek
A vacation including hiking to observe gorillas with an African safari might be either a customised or small group excursion. A customised tour entails a higher cost for the opportunity to refine your schedule according to your preferences and to select your lodging from a variety of lodges and safari camps. Travel within Uganda is conducted by road, although customised itineraries that encompass Kenya frequently incorporate short flights to facilitate rapid transit, with the possibility of unwinding on the beaches of Zanzibar in Tanzania at the conclusion of the journey.
How to do Gorilla trekking with Kids
Even though there are age limits for gorilla trekking, you can still go with your kids to see the gorillas. In fact, a child who is 14 years old and about to turn 15 can still go gorilla trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi National Park. You just need to send the Uganda Wildlife Authority a letter with information about the child, like their age and pictures.
The parent is the one who has to take responsibility if something goes wrong on the trek. The child can only follow the gorillas if they are with the parent. Please email kabirasafaris@gmail.com if you have a 14-year-old child and want to take them gorilla trekking. We will assist you secure special permission for the child.
You can still go on a trip with a youngster who is plainly too young for gorilla trekking, especially if you have other wildlife activities planned. While you are out in the bush gorilla trekking, hotel workers can look after the youngsters and keep them busy. Kids may do a lot of different things while their parents go gorilla trekking.
The hotel personnel or a corporate guide can take them on nature hikes, to see local schools, or to see traditional dance shows. An experienced park guide leads the nature treks to seek for unusual butterflies and birds. Parents can also take turns keeping an eye on the monkeys while one stays behind to watch the kids for a day.
