Gorilla Trekking for older travelers can be organized the same way as for others. The only thing that makes it different is that older and disabled people are assigned to the gorilla families, which are much closer to the park offices. If an elderly person cannot walk long distances, they have a greater opportunity to hire for themselves a special porter and a sedan chair. Click here to view mountain gorilla trekking safaris

 

 Mountain gorilla trekking mountain gorilla trekking experience: mountain gorillas are arguably the most fascinating primates on earth. Everyone wants to see them in their natural environment due to the fact that gorillas cannot thrive in zoos like lowland gorillas. In order to see mountain gorillas physically, you must travel to Africa. Click here to view our recommended mountain gorilla trekking tour

 

Mountain Gorillas can only be seen in three African countries, namely Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo. In Uganda, the gorillas can be seen in Volcanoes National Park, while in Congo, mountain gorillas are surviving in Virunga National Park.

Uganda is blessed to protect over half of the world’s total mountain gorilla population remaining in the wild. Uganda offers two different national parks, namely Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. A gorilla trekking permit costs $1500 in Rwanda, $800 in Uganda, and $400 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

 

Why is trekking with mountain gorillas expensive?

An encounter with mountain gorillas is considered the prime wildlife experience on earth and cannot be compared to any other experience. Because mountain gorillas are considered an endangered species, trekking permits are in high demand.

Mountain gorilla trekking is so demanding, depending on which gorilla group a traveler is assigned to. It is very important to be ready, well prepared, and in good physical shape while going mountain gorilla trekking. Some mountain gorilla families live closer to the starting point for trekking; if you're lucky, you can find gorilla families nearby in less than 30 minutes. However, gorilla trekking can last up to six hours.

 

There are many factors to consider while planning your mountain gorilla trekking experience, such as distance. The names of the gorilla families also suggest a lot about the family. Mountain gorillas live in mountainous areas at high altitudes ranging from 2,300 and 4,500 meters above sea level. Before you meet your assigned mountain gorilla family, the gorilla trek involves going through challenging terrain, including muddy slopes, steep slopes, and slippery trails. People with disabilities, the elderly, seniors, and those who are out of shape for whatever reason may face difficulties with the aforementioned challenges.

Elderly people could be wondering whether mountain gorilla trekking is something that they could go for due to their physical limitations or age. Mountain gorilla trekking is not only for the young or for people who are energetic and young.

Don’t only participate in other wildlife encounters and fail to go mountain gorilla trekking due to your physical fitness or age. In fact, most travelers who go gorilla trekking are between 40 and 50 years old.

 

Nobody is too old to go for a mountain gorilla trekking experience as long as they can get on a plane. If a traveler is wondering whether he or she can bring his or her mother or grandmother for mountain gorilla trekking, then you deserve to know that it is possible as long as they can catch a flight.

 

At the briefing time or point, the Park Rangers and wildlife wardens always check all the passports and identify all travelers who may require special attention. A traveler who is 60 or older and physically fit is usually assigned to a nearby mountain gorilla family. If a traveler is 60 years old but in excellent shape, you are free to request a longer gorilla trek to have more fun and adventure in the authentic African forest. 

 

The traveler shouldn’t accept an easier gorilla trek because someone told them to do so. While trekking mountain gorillas, there are numerous discoveries to be made. While trekking mountain gorillas, visitors are always surrounded by beautiful flora and fauna, including bird species, primate species, insects, butterfly species, and moths. 

 

Besides physical fitness and hiking ability, there are other critical ideas used for the allocation of mountain gorilla families, such as the demand for gorilla trekking permits. When most mountain gorilla permits are booked, it becomes difficult for many travelers to get an easier trek. Travelers are advised to book their mountain gorilla trekking safaris at least three months prior to their travel dates so that they may be able to get a gorilla family that is closer to their tracking point.

 

Tourists who want to do double gorilla trekking (tracking mountain gorillas twice in two days or more) will be assigned to a different gorilla group than the one they saw the day before or the day before that. Only eight people are allowed to track a mountain gorilla family in a day. This is to control the stress of these primates and expose gorillas to human diseases due to prolonged contact.

 

Travelers should note that it’s also important to inform their tour operator about some fitness concerns or physical limitations before booking their gorilla trekking trip. This information will help your tour operator plan accordingly and arrange your required special equipment with the park authorities before your trip begins. If your trip requires a special tour, a van, porters, and sedan chairs, if applicable, will be provided. Your tour operator will add the price of the porters and the hired sedan chairs to the stand cost, which he or she will share with you. Sedan chairs with handlers, a steel base, and seat belts are used to lift elderly people or people who are not fit to walk long distances.

 

Another alternative for disabled people is that they can be carried within the forest on a stretcher hand-made from local bamboo. The elderly person must be carried by 12 strong local porters (four porters at a time). Only four men are required to carry the stretcher or sedan chair. The rest takes over once the first four porters are tired and may need to rest. These porters know the terrain and this thick forest so well; they have stayed in this area for most of their lives. The porters carrying the elderly person can never let him or her get on the ground until they have located the mountain gorilla family assigned to them. After seeing the mountain gorilla, the porters will again lift the elder person back to the starting point, where the company driver will be waiting for his or her client. Carriers and sedan chairs can range in price between $400 and $500, depending on the client's weight.

 

Travelers should note that it’s important to know that among all the gorilla trekking national parks, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is the most ideal destination for the elderly. Why? Bwindi is located in less mountainous areas, and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, unlike the other three national parks, is not part of the Virunga Mountain chain. Bwindi Impenetrable sits at a lower altitude, and the gorilla trekking trails are relatively flat compared to Mgahinga Gorilla and the Volcanoes national park of Rwanda.

 

Bwindi’s gorilla families live on the lower ground, thereby offering one of the easiest hikes. Due to the fact that Bwindi offers more mountain gorilla families, there are more habituated gorilla families available for tracking. Bwindi alone has over 17 habituated mountain gorilla families. Bwindi also offers four different sectors, including the Rushaga sector, Buhoma sector, Nkuringo sector, and Ruhija sector. Each sector has its own mountain gorilla family. If a traveler books their trekking permit early enough, they can be assigned a gorilla family that isn’t far from the starting point.

 

Mountain gorilla trekking in the Ruhija sector offers excellent benefits for the elderly because it has been observed that trekkers come back much earlier than those who trek in other sectors of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. However, travelers should note that sometimes finding the gorillas is unpredictable regardless of the sector you have chosen to do your tracking. Tourists can be lucky to locate their gorilla family within 30 minutes’ walk from their starting point.

 

Before planning to book your mountain gorilla trekking trip or showing up at the park’s starting point, it is important for every traveler to read about the different mountain gorilla families available in different national parks and find out which gorilla family is ideal for you and closer to the trekking starting point, or first consult your tour operator to help you check if you can be assigned to some particular mountain gorilla family.

 

The tour operator can advise you based on their knowledge or experience about the Gorilla family. Although the group structures keep changing over the years and the Gorilla family that was easier to trek a year ago can migrate to a different location that may be far away from the park offices.

 

Other things to consider while planning a gorilla trekking tour for the elderly person.

Besides the ability to complete your trek, elderly tourists may worry about their safety and the security within the park considering the fact that they are already vulnerable and fragile. Safety and security during mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda are perfect.

 

Mountain Gorilla trekking is headed by the armed park rangers, whose role is to protect all the tourists from the forest animals, such as elephants and forest buffaloes. There have been no cases of militias in Rwanda and Uganda in over two decades, but the park authorities work hard to achieve that. However, the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is unpredictable due to previous security incidents. Even that, security in Rwanda and Uganda is tighter. Gorilla trekking in Congo involves a lot of countless security checks and more escorts.

 

Another issue that may worry many tourists is the driving distance from Entebbe or Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. There are two solutions for the long driving distance. One is that tourists can arrive from Kigali, Rwanda, without entering Uganda via Entebbe.

 

The driving time and distance from Kigali are shorter than Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. While driving from Entebbe to Bwindi, impenetrable may take 8–9 hours or more. Then a drive from Kigali can approximately take 3 hours to reach the Bwindi Forest. Another solution to cut the long driving distance short is to book a local chattered flight from Kajjansi Airport or Entebbe International Airport to Bwindi. Your local tour operator can even put all this together for you and as well wait for you at the airport and take you to the park. Uganda’s local flights are expensive but so rewarding, you can reach the park in one hour only.

 

If your budget cannot allow you to catch a local flight to Bwindi, you should not worry as well. Mountain gorilla trekking parks are all situated in areas with remarkable, beautiful scenery and other amazing wildlife reserves. You can never be bored, even if you choose to be driven from Entebbe or Kampala.

 

Travelers always encounter endless African countryside, valleys, national parks, mountains, and natural African wilderness along the way, which leaves you impressed. Small stops are often arranged on that package for you to relax and discover hidden uniqueness of interest, such as the equator crossing. If you combine your mountain Gorilla trekking experience with other wildlife encounters, then your trip can be designed to reduce the long driving time because you will be stopping in different national parks each day up to the time when you track the mountain Gorillas.

 

What about accommodation facilities for the gorilla trekking experience?

The accommodation facilities situated within the gorilla trekking parks are of high quality. These accommodation facilities range from luxury lodges to mid-range lodges and budget lodges. Choosing an accommodation facility depends on the client’s budget. These facilities are made in form of standard cottages with grass-thatched roofs, dormitories, self-contained tented camps, and basic campsites. But Most of these hotels are constructed to also cater to people with disabilities as well.

 

In case a traveler is middle age but relatively unfit, it is good to prepare early by hiking around your house. If you stay near a forest, next to a mountainous or hilly area, use the opportunity to move around as you prepare your body for your gorilla trekking tour. Other activities that may help you prepare for the mountain gorilla trekking experience include strolling, light running, climbing, and walking for long distances.

When going mountain gorilla trekking, try to carry enough energy drinking water, and snacks. They help in maintaining the body. 

 

Besides securing an easier group to carry you and hiring the sedan chairs, the elderly travelers may need to note what to pack for mountain gorilla trekking in Africa. A gorilla trekking packing list includes hiking boots, long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, long pants, hand gloves, first aid kits, rain jackets, sunglasses, walking sticks, and insect repellents