Rwanda Gorilla Trekking in April
Considering embarking on a Rwanda gorilla trekking in April? Join us as we take you through this thrilling adventure experience of encountering mountain gorillas. Since April is in the long wet season, gorilla trekking in Rwanda sees a drop in the number of visitors. The long wet season in March to May. This creates room for visitors who like a more private gorilla trekking experience. However, it is important to note that though the numbers could reduce, the gorilla trekking adventure experience does not.
During April, the country receives a spike in rainfall, thus draining the trails. However, this is not a negative thing but a positive for visitors who are looking for a more adventurous experience. For visitors who want a challenging gorilla trekking adventure experience in Rwanda, April is their best time.
About gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is a process of encountering gorilla primates after traversing through their dense forests. You are allowed an hour in their presence after locating them. Before the actual trek, a short briefing is organized at the offices of the different gorilla destinations. While here, a guide ranger takes visitors through the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. This briefing session also involves highlighting the expected code of conduct of the visitors while in the presence of the gorillas.
Gorilla trekking is, without a doubt, the major tourist activity in the country. Rwanda’s growth in gorilla trekking dates back to 1967 when it hosted Dian Fossey, a popular primatologist and conservationist. Dian Fossey had arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park to study mountain gorillas and fled to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park a year after from civil war in the country. She set her base in Volcanoes National Park between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke and named it Karisoke Research Center. At this center, she focused on the conservation of mountain gorillas, which were under threat from poachers. Unfortunately, she was killed in the park on 26th December 1985, but her legacy and works live on for years.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is a product of her endless struggles for conservation and is now a highly sought-after activity in the country. Visitors can traverse the vast tropical and bamboo forests of Volcanoes National Park and encounter the mountain gorillas in the park for an hour.
Where to have a Rwanda gorilla trekking experience in April?
Rwanda gorilla trekking in April takes place in Volcanoes National Park, the country’s only gorilla destination. Rwanda is a renowned gorilla destination because of its strategic location in the Virunga Conservation Area, the remaining mountain gorilla habitat. The country’s topography also favors the presence of mountain gorillas. Volcanoes National Park is part of the Virunga conservation area, built to host endangered mountain gorillas. This is the oldest gorilla destination in the world, after it was established in 1925 during colonial rule. It stretches across 160 square kilometers of vast mountainous landscape. The park is the only gorilla trekking destination in Rwanda, hosting about 12 habituated gorilla families.
Are there discounted gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda in April?
No, there are no discounted Gorilla Trekking Permits in Rwanda in April or any other month. The cost for gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda is constant all year round. A gorilla trekking permit is a document given by the Rwandan Development Board through a tour company like Native Africa Tours to visitors to access the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat of Volcanoes National Park. The money used by the visitors to purchase these gorilla trekking permits goes to the maintenance of Volcanoes National Park, conservation of the mountain gorillas, and a portion goes to improving the lives of the people living close to the park. This is a way of giving back to the community since these people are the conservationists by not invading the parkland or poaching these primates.
The gorilla trekking permits costs vary from nationality to region of the visitors. Foreign non-residents pay USD 1,500, foreign residents pay USD 1,000, USD 500 for the rest of Africa, and USD 200 for East Africans same as Rwandans.
When is the best time for Rwanda gorilla trekking?
Gorilla trekking adventure is not shy to any weather, thus, Volcanoes National Park is always open for visits any time of the year. However, the dry season is preferred by many as the best time for gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. This is because of its dry weather and humid temperatures that leave the trekking trails in the gorilla destination dry and navigable. This weather also causes sparse vegetation in the park, which enables the visitors to spot the mountain gorillas with ease.
