Mountain Gorilla Trek Safari

• Upclose and personal encounter with the Mountain Gorilla
• Small group to fit in
• Stay right at the heart of the park
• Opportunity to carry on to our other Safaris in East Africa.

You can now merge this TRIP with any of our Safaris to make an incredible East African safari! Contact us for more information.

 

After arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will meet the WildEx host. Your journey will start by transfer by road on a very scenic drive to our accommodation for the next three nights, the very comfortable Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge.

The lodge is situated on the foothills of the mighty Virunga’s, the chain of 15,000ft volcanoes that straddle the border region between Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The lodge itself is approximately 300 meters from the boundary of Volcanoes National Park on the gentle foothills of Sabyinyo, one of the most impressive of the six volcanoes visible from the lodge. Following an afternoon shower, you are able to count as many as 11 different waterfalls pouring water over its sheer slopes, a truly beautiful sight. On arrival at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, you will take a short hike up to the lodge where you will be met with friendly smiles, a warm face towel, and a refreshing welcome drink before you are shown to your beautifully situated cottages.

Tonight, before dinner we will meet for pre-dinner drinks in the lounge for a quick discussion of the program and answer any questions you might have in preparation for the following morning’s Mountain Gorilla trek. We will also discuss the photography side during this informal discussion.

OVERNIGHT SABYINYO SILVERBACK LODGE [FB]

The following two days we will be having a similar schedule both morning here are the highlights:

After an early 6 am breakfast, we will leave on a short drive to the National Park Headquarters where you will receive a quick briefing on your Gorilla trek. Hereafter, a short drive to the closest point from the specific Gorilla family that you were allocated to. It is customary for you to hire a local porter who will carry your backpack and assist you on the trek itself. This is a great initiative to support the local community and these people prove themselves invaluable when your trek turns out longer than expected. Upon reaching the park boundary, your park guide will give you a short briefing on walking etiquette inside the National Park.

The scenic and refreshing hike is set at your own comfortable pace with plenty of stops and photo opportunities where also our park guide will share some of his knowledge and answer any questions you have. Once you reach the armed trekkers, who guard each Gorilla family, you will leave behind your porter, backpack, and walking stick. No food or water from this point on.

The sheer size of these gentle Giants is enough to make your heart skip a beat and at first, appear to be very intimidating, but once the youngsters start with their antics, nerves will give way to laughter. Years of natural habituation, has these animals show very little interest in their human spectators, especially the big Silverbacks. Your Wild Extracts tour leader will make sure you are always in the best possible photographic position from where to capture your subject.

OVERNIGHT SABYINYO SILVERBACK LODGE [FB]

Road transfer back to Kigali, visit the Genocide memorial, and depart.

After a well-deserved sleep-in and breakfast, we will be transferred to Kigali where we will take a tour of the Genocide Memorial. This tour is optional to do but will answer all questions you may have on the tragedy that had befallen Rwanda in 1994 and make you more so appreciate where this amazing little country finds itself today.