Minimum age for gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is a fascinating outdoor activity where tourists can be able to see the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat in the the tropical rainforests of central and East Africa.
Gorilla trekking takes place in the three countries of Uganda , Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo. The National parks are Bwindi impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga national park in Uganda , volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in Democratic republic of Congo.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda
Gorilla trekking in Uganda occurs in Bwindi which is located in southwestern Uganda . The park is located on the border of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo . Bwindi has over 20 gorilla families that tourists will search for one of them during a gorilla trekking experience . Tourists will be guided by a well trained and armed park ranger to the dense forests of Bwindi impenetrable forest to search for gorillas.
The tourists can spend about 4 to 8 hours searching for gorillas but when a gorilla family is located , tourists will only spend with them only one hour. The cost of gorilla permits is USD 800 for foreign non residents , USD 700 for foreign residents and Ugx 300,000 for East African Nationals.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda occurs in Volcanoes National Park and the park is located at the border with Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo just 3 hours from Kigali , Rwanda. The park has over 16 gorilla families with over 200 gorilla individuals . Rwanda has the most expensive gorilla trekking because the gorilla permits are more expensive as compared to other countries of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Tourists are led by well armed park rangers to the lush forests to search for gorillas and this activity lasts for 4 to 6 hours.
The gorilla permits cost USD 1500 per person per trek.
Gorilla trekking in Democratic Republic of Congo
Gorilla trekking in Democratic Republic of Congo occurs in Virunga National Park located in Goma . The park has the highest biodiversity worldwide and one of the oldest in Africa.
Tourists carryingout gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park will be led by well trained park rangers to search for gorillas in the jungle .
Tourists will have a chance to visit more than one group because of the fewer number of tourists in the park .
Gorilla permits cost USD 400 for international tourists and USD 150 for congolese.
Minimum age for Gorilla trekking
The minimum age for gorilla trekking in all the three countries is 15 years because such a child is mature , physically strong to trek and less prone to infections diseases.
Why children below 15 are not allowed to trek?
Children below 15 may have communicable diseases which are easily transmitted to mountain gorillas.
Children are usually playful and may end up breaking trekking rules and regulations .
Children below 15 are not strongnenough to trek mountain gorillas at high altitudes
By and large , taking note of the minimum age of trekking gives a wonderful experience to search for gorillas in the wilderness.