Is it safe to track Gorillas in Rwanda
Is it safe to track Gorillas in Rwanda? Yes, it is safe to track Gorillas in Rwanda. The country is considered to be the safest country for Gorilla trekking in Africa. Rwanda is politically and socially stable and safe. However, many concerns and queries raised by intending travelers point to their safety in a country that is neighbors with Congo known for insurgencies like the M23 rebels and other forms of insecurities. What raises their fears the more is the fact that Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda shares the Gorilla habitat with Congo’s Virunga National Park.
News of the M23 rebels attacks in the neighboring Congo spread like wild fires. Many intending travellers to Rwanda had plans of cancelling their trips following such news. While the M23 rebels have captured key cities like Goma and Bukavu in eastern DR Congo, the situation has not directly impacted Rwanda’s tourism areas. The Rwandan government maintains strict border controls and has kept borders open for essential movement, including tourism-related activities.
Is it safe to track Gorillas in Rwanda now? Amidst the M23 Rebels in Congo
Yes, it is still safe to track gorillas in Rwanda, even amidst the ongoing M23 rebel activity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Despite the unrest in neighboring DRC, Rwanda’s Gorilla trekking remains a safe and enriching experience for travelers.
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, located in Rwanda’s northwest, continues to be a safe and well-managed activity. The park is situated far from the conflict zones in eastern DRC, and Rwanda’s tourism infrastructure remains robust and operational. Tourists are accompanied by experienced guides and armed rangers during treks, ensuring both their safety and the protection of the Gorillas.
Even before the M23 rebel conflicts in Congo, Rwanda has always been on high alert. In addressing the above security concerns, Rwanda Development Board together with the Rwanda Defense Forces (the country’s army), ensured heavy deployments in all tourist places/parks and border areas. During Gorilla trekking and mountain hiking in Volcanoes National Park, tourists have to be accompanied by armed soldiers on top of the park rangers or guides, and this is to ensure high level safety. Well, the country is generally safe and the heavy deployment is a just-in-case.
Safety of the Tourist before the Gorillas
First of all, tracking takes place to only the habituated Gorilla families whose members are used to human presence before them. Moreover the Gorilla trekking rules and regulations in place point to the safety of the Gorillas and the visitors. Visitors are required to keep a distance of 7 meters away from the animals. In a situation where a Gorilla could charge at the visitor, the rangers lead the visitors away or shoot in the air to scare away or calm the aggressive animal.
Letting alone the security offered to tourists during Gorilla trekking, Rwanda is known to be a peace-loving country with very friendly people. It is one of those countries in the world where tourists are treated like their own. This partly explains why most tours to Congo, in times it gets declared safe for travel, start and end in Rwanda. It is not only that Virunga Park is very close to Rwanda, but also that home feeling experience which comes with the safety. Tourists are always welcome to Rwanda and are free to use it as their base for visiting her neighbors – Uganda, Congo and Burundi. Check Rwanda to Uganda Gorilla Tours
Emphatically, Mountain Gorillas are Rwanda’s number one tourist attraction whose conservation and protection are held in very high regard. This is quite evident with the good state of conservation in which the Gorillas and their habitat are. On top of the Gorilla protection and conservation policies in place, the safety, security and wellbeing of the Gorilla trekkers (tourists) remain a major focus for the park guides, rangers, the army and Rwanda Development Board.
Price of Gorilla Permits in Rwanda
A Gorilla trekking permit for Rwanda can be obtained at $1500 to foreign tourists, $500 to foreign residents in Rwanda, East Africa and other African countries. Rwanda citizens and those of other East African countries pay $200 for the Gorilla Permit. They must be booked in advance due to the high demand and of which their numbers are limited to a total of only 80 per day. Please note that each of the 10 Gorilla families in the park is visited by a maximum of 8 people per day
Where to stay during Gorilla trekking
There are safety and security standards to be met by lodges and hotels set to host tourists for Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park irrespective of their class (budget, mid-range or luxury). Choose from a selection of the below lodges:
Budget: La Locanda Hotel,
Mid-range: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, Da Vince Hotel, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge,
Luxury: Sabinyo Silverback Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Bisate Gorilla Lodge.