Why Rwanda is the Best place to view Africa Mountain Gorillas

There are relatively few choices remaining to see any Gorillas in the wild.

Gabon in west Africa has gorillas that are extremely hard to find, and it is still too dangerous with civil war to visit the gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which leaves only the mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda.

The Rwanda gorillas live at a higher altitude and have longer fur as a result, and the shape of the nose and face folds also differ from their Ugandan cousins. Rwanda is also where Dianne Fossey did most of her research and her burial site can be visited on the tour.

Both the Ugandan and Rwandan sites are worthy of a visit however the Rwandan site has some advantages;

• The drive alone from an international airport to visit the gorillas in Uganda is a 9 hour return drive while it is only a 1.5 hour return drive in Rwanda.
• The time spent finding the Ugandan gorillas is usually greater because the Ugandan gorillas travel farther than Rwandan gorillas each day looking for food.
• The terrain to find the Ugandan gorillas is also tougher and a slower traverse than that in Rwanda.

• There is no guarantee that the gorillas will be sighted either at the Ugandan or Rwandan sites, however the chances are higher at the Rwandan site.

• The Ugandan forest is quite dense blocking out much of the light which makes for difficult photography, and the climate is often wetter in Uganda than in Rwanda.

• It is cheaper to visit the gorillas in Rwanda.

Interestingly, the Ugandan site has been designated a World Heritage site whereas the Rwandan has not been given this designation, never the less, it is a World Class destination to experience the wild mountain gorillas in the flesh.

If primates are your thing, then you can’t pass up the opportunity of visiting the Rwandan mountain gorillas. Rwanda is a small tropical country located on Tanzania’s north west border. Rain and humidity is prevalent in Rwanda year round with the driest period usually between mid June and mid September.

Visiting the gorillas in Rwanda can be done in a short 2-3 day time frame as an extension to the main safari elsewhere. From the capital of Kigali, one can take a 90 minute drive to Musanze (formerly Ruehengeri) for an overnight stay at a nice lodge.

The next morning clients are transferred to the entrance of the Parc Des National Volcons for an orientation session prior to visiting the gorillas in their natural habitat. There are only 5 families of gorillas remaining in the park .

There are only 30-40 visitors permitted to view the gorillas each day and there is quite the trek involved through hillier terrain. Light rain gear is advisable, thin gloves are recommended to protect the hands from nettles, and long pants tucked into socks are recommended as protection from red ants. Once the gorillas are encountered ,visits are brief and visitors are instructed to keep their gazes downward. Visitors who are even the slightest bit sick should not visit the gorillas as they are quite susceptible to catching human borne illnesses without the immunity of humans.

Other fascinating primates such as chimpanzees can also be visited at nearby Nyungwe Forest National Park and  cultural visits  can usually be incorporated into the tour as well.

Contact us today to arrange your Mountain Gorilla Tours,Mountain Gorilla Safaris,Mountain Gorilla Trekking, and Mountain Gorilla Tracking.