What to Pack for your Gorilla Trekking Safari

Gorilla trekking is an amazing tourist activity that has been rated excellent by most travelers coming to East Africa. Uganda, Rwanda & Congo are the lucky three countries where it’s possible to see the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Here is a guide on what to pack for your gorilla trekking safari

Hiking boots

These come as a ‘must’ or one of the items you don’t want to forget while planning for your gorilla trekking safari. The terrain in both parks Bwindi and volcanoes will require you to move through Jungles and steepy hillsides. The boots will also give you stability to hike up the mountains and are a very important item you need to pack.

Rain Jacket

It could rain while you are in the forests of Bwindi in search for the endangered mountain gorillas. The rain forest has higher chances of rain but some months are drier i.e. June, July, August, January. The rainy seasons in the volcanoes national park are also unpredictable. 

Long sleeved shirts / blouse

The long sleeved shirts will help you not to get any insect bites while moving through Bwindi impenetrable forest or hiking in the volcanoes. Also it’s recommended to tuck in your pants into your boots to avoid the safari ants from entering your trousers.

Pair of Binoculars

Well, there are quite a number of birds, butterflies, primates and other species in both Bwindi & volcanoes national parks. A pair of binoculars comes in handy to easily see most of these species. 

Cameras & Extra Batteries

The adventure in Bwindi impenetrable forest and Volcanoes national park is quite a thrilling experience you wouldn’t want to miss to capture this. Carry along a nice camera with good optical zoom, and a few extra batteries so that you take photos and videos of the amazing mountain gorillas.

Garden Gloves.

Although some might not carry the gloves but they also come in handy especially if hiking up steepy hills. The gloves help if you are holding onto branches while hiking and also prevent your hands from being harmed by itchy plants. 

Bottle for water

The trekking activity might take longer than you expected and carrying some water in your bottle is good for your strength. It is not advisable to carry other bottles which are not re-used to limit you from littering the areas where the gorillas live. Most tour operators will offer free drinking water but ensure to carry your own bottle. 

Walking Stick

It might get very steepy as you climb up into the Volcanoes, but a walking stick will help you most of the journey. These can be bought from the areas near the park or you can ask from the Tour operator to get you one.