Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Trekking

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When Andrew and I moved to Angola we had no idea there were so many amazing things to do in Africa. That may sound a little naive, but it’s true! Sure, we knew about safaris and South Africa was sort of on our radar but other than that we were clueless. One of the adventures we learned about after moving here was gorilla trekking. We had never heard of this before; much less knew of anyone that had done it. Immediately we knew it HAD to be done.

Congo, Uganda & Rwanda are the only countries in the world where mountain gorillas live (the ones you’ve seen in zoos are lowland gorillas, which are more common) and there are only ~1,000 of these endangered animals alive. Thankfully, due to trekking and tourism their numbers are growing each year.

After researching trekking options, we decided on Rwanda mainly because the commute from Kigali (where you fly in) to the Virunga Mountains was only a 3-4 hour drive (vs. Uganda’s 6 hour drive from the main airport) and we wanted to spend as little time as possible in the car. The gorilla permits were a little more expensive in Rwanda, costing us $750 per person per day of trekking. While it was a large chunk of change, this was truly an once-in-a-lifetime experience and you feel better knowing much of the gorilla permit funds go directly to the National Park and gorilla conservation. You know how everyone says to spend your money on experiences and not things?? Gorilla trekking brings full meaning to that saying.

Traveling to the Virunga Mountains

Unfortunately there were no direct flights from Luanda to Kigali, sigh, so we overnighted in Johannesburg (Luanda – Joberg then Joberg – Kigali). Luckily the flights were a short 3 hours each so the trip was still a breeze. Getting through Immigration at the Kigali airport was also quite simple; we queued up to pay for the entry visa with a credit card (which is typically not possible in developing countries...always make sure you travel with some cash, just in case!), had our passports stamped and headed out to meet our pick-up. Since we’ve lived in Africa the past 2 years, we no longer have “culture shock” when we walk out of an African airport however we were pleasantly surprised with Kigali - the streets were super clean and I don’t think I have seen a greener city in Africa. The drive to the Virgungas was beautiful and at times breathtaking; it was lovely seeing the people living along the countryside. Rwanda has the most unique and green landscape – endless hills, rich soils, farming communities, lakes, and of course, the Virungas Mountains. When we arrived it was getting dark so we had some dinner and hit the hay knowing we had a long and exciting day ahead of us.

The next morning, we woke up to rain. Major bummer but nonetheless we were pumped for our first day of trekking. We left the lodge around 7:00 to head to the National Park which was about a 45 minute drive from the lodge; the time it took is a little misleading because the distance was actually quite close. Much of the drive was just getting down the hill (very slowly) which our lodge was located on top of.

Trekking – Day One – Sabyinyo family

When we pulled up to the National Park, the park rangers asked us which type of hike we preferred and showed us where the other trekkers were waiting. There were around 25 people total and we were being entertained by some local dancing. While we were meeting trekkers from around the world, sipping coffee and watching local dancing, the park rangers were huddled together in the office deciding which trekkers would be in each group and which gorilla family each group would visit that day.

We requested a medium hiking level (unsure of what “medium” really meant) and we were put in a group with 6 other people – father & son from India, girlfriends from Italy and two single women from South Africa and Japan; we were assigned to track the Sabyinyo gorilla family.

You also have the opportunity to hire a porter to help with your backpack and anything else you may need to carry while hiking; we even heard stories of porters carrying people down the mountain when they were too tired to continue. The government has hired former gorilla poachers who now make a living helping trekkers instead of poaching gorillas; they work on tips so their price is up to you but a typical tip is ~$10 USD per porter per hike. My husband and I each hired one to help with our bags. You don’t necessarily need one, but it’s really nice to hike with no extra weight and it helps out the local community.

We had to drive a few minutes from the park entrance to the start of the hiking trail but after that we were on foot and unfortunately it was still pouring rain (that’s the risk you take during the shoulder season). Trekking uphill in mud and rain is not fun and I quickly found out my pants were water resistant, not water proof….not good. But my jacket worked perfectly and my torso stayed super dry! I have to admit, even though I knew I was in the middle of an amazing adventure, I thought to myself – what the heck am I doing? I’m cold, wet, stepping in mud and we’re not even sure if we’ll find the gorillas! But of course I pushed those negative thoughts out of my head and powered through. After about an hour of hiking our guides told us the trackers had found the Sabyinyo family and that we would be entering the bamboo forest shortly. As you’re ready to enter the bamboo forest, you come up to a ~6 foot stone wall that the porters and guides help hoist you over. Once over the wall you’re surrounded by the most surreal scene of 15+ feet bamboo shoots.

Once in the bamboo forest, we hiked for another 20 minutes to where the gorillas were located. When the guides told us the gorillas were close, we were so on edge and didn’t know what to expect. We walked another 30 feet and in a small clearing we could see a silverback propped up on bamboo, eating. I was shocked – our first trek, our first gorilla and it’s a silverback…the largest silverback in the park at the time! We were all snapping photos and video like crazy and then the guides told us to follow them. We followed quickly as guests only have an hour with the gorillas once they are found.

Trekking – Day Two –Hirwa family

The second day we were pumped because the skies were clear and sunny! We were assigned to a medium trek, a new group of trekkers and a new gorilla family – the Hirwa. In our briefing before the hike, the guides told us this family had baby twins!! This day’s hike up to the Hirwa family was much more pleasant without the rain. We hiked through a small community where we could hear school children singing in their classroom; they must have heard passing by because they all rushed out and began waving at us chanting “bye” and “good luck”. It was a memorable way to start off the hike.

When we reached the edge of the bamboo forest it wasn’t quite as thick as the day before and we quickly found the Hirwa family munching on bamboo and fruit. They were super active compared to the Sabyinyo family the previous day – swinging in the bamboo above us, sitting and eating and play wrestling with each other – all within feet of us. Our guides told us the bamboo has a similar effect on gorillas as beer has on humans so their actions didn’t come as a surprise. After about ten minutes of watching them in the bamboo forest they were on the move; the adults started walking on all fours, then the children and finally the silverback. We followed them down a small hill, across a stream and into a small clearing area where they continued their eating. The silverback was seated on the ground reaching up for foliage while the younger gorillas climbed up into trees to eat and play. About 5 minutes into our viewing we all started slapping and scratching ourselves and quickly realized we were covered in ants!! The biting ants were miserable & relentless; they had climbed onto us when we were stationary for a few minutes crossing a stream. It seemed like we spent a good 10 minutes trying to watch gorillas and swat ants off our bodies; a few folks even took off their shirts to get off the ants because there were so many. Unfortunately there’s no way to prevent ants, you just have to be vigilant about where you’re stepping which can be hard when you’re watching mountain gorillas!

The Hirwa family stayed in the cleared area for the rest of the hour so we were really able to enjoy observing them (once we got rid of all the ants!). Our group was so lucky to witness the Hirwa family’s interactions. There were three adults up in a tree, eating and communicating among each other with grunts and back slaps. The silverback stayed on the ground the entire time, reaching up to eat leaves. He didn’t mind as we all took turns squatting next to him to get photos. Towards the end of our time, a mother came and sat next to the silverback and started nursing her baby. She was watching us, making sure we weren’t getting too close to them. We took pictures from about 10 feet away but didn’t venture any closer for photo ops. At the other end of the small clearing, there was a gorilla close to teenage years that was hanging out on top a dead tree trunk, eating the bark and making funny faces at us. He was definitely putting on a show and even beat his chest a few times (think a mini Tarzan).

Both families were incredibly peaceful, and seemed completely content to have us in their personal space. Even the mothers didn’t seem overly protective as they nursed and let the babies walk up to and around us. Several times adult gorillas would walk right by us (I’m talking inches away) and it didn’t faze them as we watched in awe. We were lucky to have two days to trek as each day provided an entirely different experience. We had the chance to trek in rain and clear weather. We dealt with needles and ants. And we saw two different families doing diverse activities each day.

GO Gorilla Trekking

I sincerely cannot speak highly enough about Rwanda and gorilla trekking. I was equally impressed by the warmth, determination and happiness of the people, the country’s picturesque hilly landscape and the majestic mountain gorillas. Although we’ve lived in Angola for 2+ years and travelled to several African countries, the few days we spent in Rwanda gave me an entirely different and much welcomed perspective of Africa. If you are in this part of the world or are planning an African safari you must add on a few days for mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda.