Has anyone done the mountain gorillas in Rwanda in the last five years?

[RSD]

Looking at doing the mountain gorillas in Rwanda and am hoping that someone might have done it in the last five years or so and thus has some relatively recent experience.

 

[kpc]

Looking at doing the mountain gorillas in Rwanda and am hoping that someone might have done it in the last five years or so and thus has some relatively recent experience.

Yes in Oct / Nov 2023. What would you like to know?

 

[RSD]

Yes in Oct / Nov 2023. What would you like to know?

Mainly wanting to get an idea of how far you walk, and how steep etc so as I get an idea of fitness requirements?

 

[kpc]

Mainly wanting to get an idea of how far you walk, and how steep etc so as I get an idea of fitness requirements?

On the day of the gorilla trek, you get asked what your physical health and fitness are...you can choose easy to difficult. The trekkers go out early to locate the gorilla families...as I chose I wanted the easy trek, it took us only 20+ mins to reach our allocated family. You get to spend 1 hour with them. Our driver was shocked that we had come back so quickly....some take up to 8 hours return! +1 was not happy as she wanted to trek through the jungle to find them...if you require, they can carry you on a stretcher for a fee...

PS you also hire a porter who carries all your stuff for you. You get a walking pole and your porter helps you with any steep, slippery sections...lots of mud if there has been rain.

 

[RSD]

On the day of the gorilla trek, you get asked what your physical health and fitness are...you can choose easy to difficult. The trekkers go out early to locate the gorilla families...as I chose I wanted the easy trek, it took us only 20+ mins to reach our allocated family. You get to spend 1 hour with them. Our driver was shocked that we had come back so quickly....some take up to 8 hours return! +1 was not happy as she wanted to trek through the jungle to find them...if you require, they can carry you on a stretcher for a fee...

PS you also hire a porter who carries all your stuff for you. You get a walking pole and your porter helps you with any steep, slippery sections...lots of mud if there has been rain.

Many thanks - it sounds like even very out of shape me will be able to cope with the easy option - without the stretcher being needed!

I think I should be able to just research everything else like costs etc.

Was you able to book flights to Kigali via the QF website? I'm not having any luck there even though EK fly there.

 

[kpc]

Many thanks - it sounds like even very out of shape me will be able to cope with the easy option - without the stretcher being needed!

I think I should be able to just research everything else like costs etc.

Was you able to book flights to Kigali via the QF website? I'm not having any luck there even though EK fly there.

Happy to answer any Qs you may have. We did book through a specialised travel agent and went to the Serengeti after Rwanda.

I booked award flights to Kigali as per thread below:

Thread 'Help with Award Flights to / from Kigali (Kgl) / Dar es Salaam (Dar) ex Sydney'

Feb 13, 2022

Back in Nov 2020, I had a safari booked starting in Rwanda to see the mountain goriilas followed by a safari in the Serengetti You know what happened next...

I had award flights booked Syd-Jnb (Qf with Qf pts), Cpt-Add-Kgl (on Ethiopian with Lifemiles), then Dar es Salem to Jnb (South African with Lifemiles), then finally Jnb-Sin-Syd (on Sq booked with Krisflyer)....All award flights in J class for 2 pax! Paid a non refundable US$6100 deposit for the safari and the credit is still available - the TA emailed me recently asking whether I would like to go ahead with the safari.

With...

• kpc
• Replies: 8
• Forum: Open Discussion

• 

 

[RSD]

Happy to answer any Qs you may have. We did book through a specialised travel agent and went to the Serengeti after Rwanda.

I booked award flights to Kigali as per thread below:

Thread 'Help with Award Flights to / from Kigali (Kgl) / Dar es Salaam (Dar) ex Sydney'

Feb 13, 2022

Back in Nov 2020, I had a safari booked starting in Rwanda to see the mountain goriilas followed by a safari in the Serengetti You know what happened next...

I had award flights booked Syd-Jnb (Qf with Qf pts), Cpt-Add-Kgl (on Ethiopian with Lifemiles), then Dar es Salem to Jnb (South African with Lifemiles), then finally Jnb-Sin-Syd (on Sq booked with Krisflyer)....All award flights in J class for 2 pax! Paid a non refundable US$6100 deposit for the safari and the credit is still available - the TA emailed me recently asking whether I would like to go ahead with the safari.

With...

• kpc
• Replies: 8
• Forum: Open Discussion

• 

Many thanks - I will take a look at that thread! It would be great to do the Serengeti again - I was incredibly fortunate when I did it more than 20 years ago that on the last day as we were coming out of the park the annual wildebeast migration went straight across the road in front of us!

Just had a quick skim of the thread - for some reason it never occured to me to consider QF to Joburg instead of EK via DXB!

 

[JohnM]

I did the gorilla treck in 2013, so not within your 5y window.

However, we are doing the same later this year as part of a wide-ranging E Africa excursion, as my partner and some friends have not been to Africa.

I did not feel that we were placed into an 'older' age-group, as we had very young people in our group, but the presence of my brother and SIL with their teenage son may have influenced that through family linkage. We encountered our group with about 15 minutes, so we were back very early. Whether that was fortuitous or planned, I do not know. Hopefully, that will happen this upcoming time as I am certainly now in the 'older' demographic!

Back then I flew NBO-KGL and return on KQ and will be doing so again.

Both times I have used Bench Africa to book the trip: Rwanda Gorilla & Wildlife |  Bench Africa