Rwanda
The “path” we walked was thick and dense and though our guides used a machete to break through it, attempting to clear a walkway, there was still so much brush to hop over, climb under, or just plain plow through. It made you feel like a real adventurer! As we came into the clearing where the gorillas were located, it was the most magnificent sight. Nothing can quite compare to seeing Silverback gorillas face to face in their jungle.
The largest Silverback was perched on a tree eating, while a couple babies swung down the vines below him. It was a jaw dropping introduction.
Shortly after our arrival, while we were still taking photos and admiring his little ones, the large gorilla decided to get off the tree and walk inches from our group. As he approached, we were commanded by our guide to get in the “submission” position – crouching low and bowing our heads – as the giant beast lumbered by – baby in tow quickly brushing shoulders with a member of our group.
For the next hour, we watched the family of gorillas tumble through the forrest, little ones playfully biting and wrestling and being snuggled by their mammas. In the photo below, the babe had cut his hand and was looking to his mother for comfort.
These gorillas not only wrestled like children, they picked their noses and farts echoed as they swung through the trees. Yes, farts. My husband was beside himself laughing.
As you can see in the picture of Jordan below, these images are not taken with a telephoto lens. You are literally right next to these incredible animals.
You are allowed one hour with the gorillas from the first sighting and our time flew by. We could have stayed there all day. There are less than 700 of these animals left in the world mostly located on the volcanic slopes of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was an experience that made me stop and realize we were seeing something special…something that has an expiration date. I pray these magnificent creatures are around to show our children someday.
We had 2 days of jungle walks. One day was the gorillas, the other was for monkeys. While the monkeys were cute, and plentiful, we wish we had booked 2 days of gorillas!
Getting There: We used award tickets and therefore had an exceptionally terrible flight pattern. A direct flight from London to Kigali would be preferable. We arrived in Kigali at 1am. Our tour company thankfully worked around our schedule with no problem and arranged for a middle of the night transfer. I would definitely not choose to do a night transfer again – but it worked out. From the airport it was a 2.5-hour drive to the lodge. You are provided the same driver each day to and from the treks and also on your return to the airport.
Tour Company: Rwanda Gorilla Trekking based out of Rwanda. The transfers to and from the airport were seamless, accommodations/food were very good and all felt safe and professional.
Accommodations: Mountain View Gorilla Lodge is the five star resort in the area. It was clean and comfortable and the food was surprisingly good! The staff could not have been kinder and provided us a very enjoyable stay. Bottled water is also provided at all meals and as requested throughout the day.
- We did two days of trekking. The first day with Golden Monkeys, the second with Silverbacks. If we did it again we would do 2 days or more with the Silverbacks. The monkeys were…fine…the Gorillas were unbelievable.
- Visas are not needed for certain countries – UK and US being among them.
- Malaria pills are a must
- Vaccines are a must. We went through TrailFinders Travel Clinic on High Street Kensington for our shots and Malaria pills – it was easy and a one stop shop. They know exactly what you need for each country.
