Gorilla trekking is a bucket-list experience, for anyone - wildlife lovers or otherwise. Spending one hour with these incredible creatures is bound to leave you speechless.
I visited Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in June of 2019 with the sole purpose of trekking through the lush mountains to come face to face with a family of mountain gorillas.
Most of my time before the gorilla trek was spent planning what to pack, where and what to expect for the trek - which was a valuable exercise, although I wish I’d planned for more of what to expect emotionally after the profound moments of coming face to face with these animals.
See below for the things that I learned and what you need to know for this life-changing wildlife experience.
WHAT TO PACK FOR GORILLA TREKKING
-Good waterproof hiking boots (not runners - those will get stuck in the muck. Make sure they are broken in, too)
-Long sleeve shirt
-Long hiking pants
-High, thick socks (so you can tuck you pants into the socks so you don't get any safari ants).
-Rain jacket (just in case!)
-An extra pair of socks just in case they get wet
-Day pack
-Lots of water and some snacks
-Gardening gloves (In case you are holding on to tree trunks or brush when hiking)
-Hat
-Sunglasses
-Insect repellent
-Sunscreen
-Camera(s). I brought my DSLR and my iPhone.
-Tips for guides, trackers and porters. Make sure to have lots of small bills because there are so many individuals you will want to tip on the group.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU ARE GORILLA TREKKING
-When you arrive to the park, there will be lots of commotion going on. Your guides will be securing your groups (there are 'easy', 'medium' and 'hard' groups - although since these are wild animals, an easy hike one day can be 10 minutes, and another day over an hour one way).
-You'll be put in your group, and off you go to hike up the mountain with your porters, and guides.
-The hike will be physically challenging, mostly uphill.
-When you meet the gorilla family you will have one hour to spend. They can come near you, but you need to stay around 7 feet back from them at all times. And, if they come near you, you have to fight the instinct to run away - you are supposed to stay still (yeah, that's not easy to do when one comes near you, let me tell you...).
-After the hour is up, the trackers will leave you (and you should tip them - no one told me about that before so I didn't have a ton of small bills).
-You will have hands grab you at different times - the porter's job is not only to carry your belongings, but also to help you up and down the mountain. I have a bad knee so coming down the mountain I had up to three people supporting me at any given time.
DON'T FORGET...
-That you need to purchase permits well in advance to trek (You cannot purchase on the ground, you must plan ahead)!
-To hire a porter (You are helping to support the locals and you will appreciate the extra hands and support helping you up, and down, the mountain).
-Ensure you have a walking stick with you - you will need it, I used it a ton when I was coming down the mountain.
-If you are sick, you CANNOT spend time with the gorillas as they are susceptible to catching human illnesses.
-To use the restroom before you leave!
And lastly, but most importantly:
-To be present while you are there. The temptation will be to take a million photographs, which is definitely important to document your time with the gorillas, but take some time to sit, and just 'be' with the family. See their interactions, watch the silverback make decisions for the group, the family dynamics, and the little playful babies. You won't ever regret it.
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