Trek the mountain gorillas and Dian Fossey in Rwanda Virunga Mountains

    Trek the mountain gorillas and Dian Fossey in Rwanda Virunga Mountains

Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund staff will lead several hikes to Dian Fossey in Rwanda. Taking a safari to see the mountain gorillas with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International is an expedition of a lifetime. You will be picked in Rwanda by guide who will be with you the entire trip and will not only share personal insights but will also introduce you to the current staff and researchers working to continue Dian Fossey’s legacy and they will offer you the best information about the gorillas and the centre, the founder of the centre and her effort towards the stay of mountain gorillas in the mist of volcanoes.

Experiencing an hour in the midst of a close-knit living group of mountain gorillas in the wild will confirm all the best things you have heard about them. The infants are playful and adorable while the juveniles can be rambunctious - all of them under the watchful gaze of their mothers and the protection of the immense and dignified, dominant silverback. During your trip, you will have an opportunity to see Dian Fossey’s original Karisoke Research Center high in the volcanoes and visit her grave in the tree-shaded clearing in the gorilla graveyard, next to that of Digit, her favorite gorilla. Guests on our tours will have experiences not available to other groups - the unique opportunity to meet Dr. Fossey’s successors, a team of expert scientists and researchers at the present day Karisoke Research Center, get a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility, see them at work and learn more about their day-to-day activities through presentations and intimate chats over dinner. All our trips include all of this and the knowledge that you are helping the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's crucial conservation efforts in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, with its warm yet temperate climate and lush, fertile land, is renowned for its population of majestic gorillas that freely roam steep, mountainous rain forests. This, alongside an abundance of other wild flora and fauna, proves Rwanda to be a very well kept secret. The highest peak in the impressive Virunga Volcanoes is Mount Karisimbi (4,507metres or 14,786 feet).

Volcanoes National Park (Parc National des Volcano) ranks as one of the best places in Africa to go gorilla trekking, and also supports a number of other mammal, bird and plant species. The park protects the Rwanda sector of the Virunga Mountains, a range of six extinct and three active volcanoes which straddle the border with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Seeing some of the last remaining 200 out of the 800 mountain gorillas in the world is a fantastic experience. This safari takes you to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. It offers an opportunity to track gorillas. Volcanoes National Park has 10 habituated gorilla families. Tracking most groups in the afro-montane forest usually takes only a few hours. There are many other nature experiences and sightseeing options in the area and each day.

Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Experience, The Ultimate Family Holiday in Uganda and Rwanda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda on the rim of the Rift Valley. The hillsides which are mist-covered are sheltered by one of the ancient and very biologically varied rainforests in Uganda that dates back to more than 25,000 years, comprising of about 400 varied plant species. More notably, this “impenetrable forest” in addition protects an predictable 320 population of mountain gorillas – approximately half of the population in the world, among which are a number of habituated groups, that can be tracked by visitors.

Bwindi is habitat to more than half the world’s population of Mountain Gorillas. Actually there are over 300 mountain gorillas living here. Gorilla devotees travel to Uganda from different corners of the world to enjoy this Ultimate Safari in Uganda - Mountain Gorilla trekking / tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The word “Bwindi” means “darkness” and taking a hike this magnificent forest will certainly unveil to you the reason why the forest was named so. You will as well be in position to fast tell why actually the forest is also regarded as Impenetrable. One requires being realistically physically fit to take part in this mountain gorilla tracking / trekking adventure because it may involve climbing the steep terrain

In addition to the endangered impressive mountain gorillas there are also 346 bird species and more than 200 butterfly species, about 324 species of trees, ten of which are only found in this area in the whole of Uganda. This is really a destination to explore. Because there are few habituated Gorillas living here (gorillas that have been trained to withstand human presence and not likely to attack), actually the time offered to see them is limited and so are the permits which currently are offered at a cost of $500 per individual. No person ever complains after spending some time with these very fascinating Mountain Gorillas in Uganda within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which is among the most stunning rainforest anyone will ever come across.

This biologically varied region as well offers shelter to a additional 120 mammals, among which are various primate species like the baboons plus chimpanzees, in addition to elephants as well as antelopes. Furthermore, there are about 350 bird species supported within this forest, among which are twenty three Albertine Rift endemics. The adjacent towns of Nkuringo as well as Buhoma offer a remarkable collection of luxury lodges, budget campsites, restaurants, rustic bandas and craft stalls in addition to guiding services. There are plentiful Opportunities to discover the neighboring Bakiga plus Batwa Pygmy people’s cultures which they well showcase in performances plus workshops as well as on guided village walks.

While in Uganda, besides visiting the mountain gorillas, you can take a safari to Kidepo, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo National Park and other interesting tourist areas that are worth checking out.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Reserve was gazetted in the year of 1942 and later in 1992 it was upgraded to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and in 1994 it was recognized as a World Heritage Site in Uganda. In local language (Lukiga), Bwindi actually means ‘Impenetrable.’ This repeated warning is apt, for Bwindi is all however impenetrable; 327 km2 of tangled plant life draped over a deep fissured landscape of steep, slippery valleys & high, draughty ridges. However if the terrain is far from easy to manage, it’s well worth the effort. A trek through this is among Africa’s most ancient rainforests, in search of the vulnerable mountain gorilla, ranks among one of the world’s premier wildlife encounters.

Bwindi could be very cold especially in the morning & night. The annual mean temperatures range is 7°C to 20°C with the coldest months being June & July. Hence warm clothing is required, plus wet weather gear because Bwindi receives up to 2390mm of rain every year. This is centered on during 2 wet seasons, short rains in March- May & heavy rainfall in the months of September-November. In Bwindi, rain often falls as long hours of soft drizzle, instead of short tropical deluge. A tour agent will help you prepare depending on the season.

Where Else Can you see the Mountain Gorillas? A visit to Mgahinga Gorilla Park where you can trek the trans-boundary gorilla family “Nyakagezi which cross from Uganda, Rwanda and Congo or visit Volcanoes National Park Rwanda is a great opportunity to see the other half of the remaining mountain gorillas in the world. Visit the Virunga Gorilla Park for gorilla trekking and here the trek is cheap at $ 400 dollars or you can experience the low land gorillas in Kauzi biega in Congo.