How to spend your birthday with the Volcanoes National Park gorillas

How to reserve a gorilla trek safari in a volcano for your birthday
How to spend your birthday with the Volcanoes National Park gorillas.
A popular activity in Rwanda is gorilla trekking at the Volcanoes National Park. Three national parks worldwide offer gorilla trekking experiences: Virunga National Park in Rwanda, Mgahinga National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Volcanoes National Park is one of these parks.

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When on safari in Rwanda, gorilla trekking is an amazing experience and the ideal way to celebrate your birthday. The Volcanoes National Park, also known as Parc Des Volcans and Pariki Y’Igihugu Y’Ibirunga, is situated in the northwest of Rwanda in the settlement of Musanze.

There are roughly 10 gorilla families living in the park that may be visited on a daily basis. The walk begins early in the morning with a briefing from the park headquarters’ guide, following which your designated gorilla family’s forest adventure begins.

How to reserve a gorilla trek safari in a volcano for your birthday
Our professionals are prepared to assist you in planning and arranging your birthday safari in Volcanoes National Park among the gorillas. In order to help you check for the availability of gorilla trekking permits, the first step in scheduling a gorilla safari is to get in contact with a local tour operator and offer them the specifics of your desired trip dates as well as your name as it appears on your passport.

Alternatively, you can still visit the Rwanda Development Board to verify if gorilla permits are still available online. You can then proceed to book the permits by paying the entire amount (always request the company’s bank account instead of sending money to a personal one) if the permits are available on the dates you have selected. You pay the Rwanda Development Board directly when you make a reservation through them, and they will send you a copy of the permission.

The only option for guests to interact with the gorillas is with a gorilla permit, which is issued by the Rwanda Development Board. A copy of the trek permit and a confirmation email will be given after the transaction. Because the information must be validated upon arrival, make sure the names, nationalities, and other facts submitted are the same as those used to book the gorilla permit. Since gorilla permits are still owned by the government, park officials will gather them before the journey begins.
In the Volcanoes National Park, a gorilla permit is only good for one hour; after trekking, it expires and cannot be used again. If you have a valid cause, you may reschedule, but you must notify us in advance.

The price of a gorilla permit: Visitors to Rwanda are classified into three groups: foreign nationals, foreign non-residents, and foreign residents. The cost of a gorilla permit is determined by the group to which you belong. The gorillas and their natural habitat are protected with the proceeds from the most costly gorilla trekking permits, which are known to come from Rwanda.

foreign visitors It is impossible to say what to do. $1500 for each individual
Citizens of other African nations who reside abroad $500 every individual
People from East AfricaEach person will receive a total of $300.

In contrast to Uganda, Rwanda gives foreign non-resident gorilla trek permits at a 30% discount from November to May, bringing the total cost down to $1050. However, this offer is limited to travelers who have made reservations to visit Akagera National Park and Nyungwe National Park. The purpose of this action was to boost national tourism.

Guidelines and policies for gorilla hiking in volcanoes
To preserve the gorillas’ native environment and save the nearly extinct species, the Rwanda Development Board, a conservation organization, developed explicit guidelines and regulations. The legislation stipulates that anyone planning to engage in gorilla trekking must abide by these guidelines, as breaking them will result in a ban from the activity.

There are around 1070 mountain gorillas that are hiked in three countries: Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The mountain gorillas would become extinct without gorilla trekking safaris and the regulations established. The following are some of the guidelines for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park:

There is a limit of eight people who can trek with a gorilla family in a single day. This lessens human disturbance and lowers the gorillas’ chance of contracting a human illness.
On the morning of the trek, the lead guide will conduct a briefing that every trekker must attend. Trekkers are assigned their gorilla families during this time, and you will be reminded of the laws and regulations.
To ensure the safety of the gorillas, you will not be permitted to trek if you exhibit symptoms of illness on the day of the trip.
To reduce the spread of illness, all visitors are required to wash and sterilize their hands prior to beginning the hike.
Refrain from discarding your trash on park property. It is required that you take whatever you brought into the park with you and dispose of it properly.
When you are with the gorillas and on the trip, try to speak quietly. Even though you are going gorilla trekking, there are other animals in the park that you need to be mindful of, so pay close attention to all the directions that the guides give you.
With just a phone, binoculars, or camera, you can go up close to the gorillas while maintaining a 7-meter distance from them. Before you approach the gorillas, you must leave your backpack and other belongings at least fifty meters away.
Once you’ve located the gorillas, you must stay 7 to 10 meters away from them. Even though they may try to come closer, you should make every effort to avoid making physical contact with them. The gorillas will be more at ease if you keep them farther away from you.
Since flash photography is prohibited, walk gently and make sure the flash is off before taking pictures.
Each group gets an hour to spend with the gorillas; however, because the gorillas’ well-being is paramount, visits with disturbed gorillas will be shortened.
Eat, drink, and smoke should be avoided until you are roughly 300 meters away from the gorillas. Consuming food and beverages may cause crumbs to fall to the ground, which could transmit illness.
To reduce the spread of bacteria, turn your face away from the gorillas and cover your mouth with your hand if you feel the need to cough or sneeze near the primates.
When you need to use the restroom, ask the guide to assist you with a panga (pangas are typically used to clear the bushes during the journey). Once you’ve finished, dig a hole that is 30 cm deep and cover it completely.

What should I pack for you? peaks, gorillas, and safaris
hiking boots that are cozy for the muddy, slick, and steep paths in the national park. Make sure you try wearing and walking in the sturdy hiking boots before the excursion to make sure you don’t acquire blisters. They should be waterproof and ankle length.
An outstanding gorilla safari also requires weather gear, such as gaiters, bug repellant, a warm sweater, and a waterproof rain jacket. The gaiters that protect you from dirt, wetness, insects, and pebbles in the forest shield your legs from dangers.
Clothing in muted colors to blend in with the jungle. Long-sleeved shirts and pants are the greatest option to protect your skin from scratches and insect bites when traveling through the wilderness.
Extra batteries and a camera: Taking pictures during a gorilla trek safari is highly recommended if you want to save your memories of sharing your birthday with the gorillas. While the hotels have charging stations for cameras, we suggest that you bring extra memory and batteries for your time in the forest.
Your all-purpose waterproof backpack for carrying daily necessities. It is recommended that visitors pack light for their day backpacks in order to experience a stress-free gorilla safari.
A pair of binoculars will come in handy to assist you see the wildlife in the national park where the mountain gorillas are located.
During hiking, garden gloves are a must-have tool to assist shield your hands from scratches.
Reusable water bottles, sunscreen, hats, walking sticks, snacks, and any personal belongings.
Rwandan gorilla hiking age restrictions
The Rwanda Development Board established a minimum age requirement of 15 years old for gorilla trekking in order to safeguard the gorilla population. Trekking has no upper age restriction. If you are physically capable, you can obtain a gorilla permission and take part in the activity. The age restriction was set at 15 for a number of reasons, including the fact that children under that age are viewed as being too young and find it difficult to engage in vigorous activity. Their sudden urges, which could disturb the gorillas, make them more difficult to control.

As mountain gorillas are placid animals that only bite when provoked, we are unable to predict whether youngsters will adhere to all the rules, which is why children under the age of fifteen are not permitted to go on gorilla treks in Rwanda. The process of purchasing trekking permits will not begin until your passports are verified as proof of identity. The hiking party may also be slowed down by young children. It’s possible that some people require additional time to prepare psychologically for the workout.

How can I prepare for a trip with kids less than 15?
People ask this question all the time. The fact that kids can do a variety of workouts is the answer. They take pleasure in the excursion while playing video games indoors, viewing movies, and going on staff-led tours around the hotel.

When celebrating your birthday with the gorillas, you can stay in a lodge or hotel around Volcanoes National Park. These establishments range in price from low-cost to high-end, so you can pick what suits your budget. Mountain Gorillas’ Nest Lodge, Sabinyo Silverback Lodge, Five Volcanoes Hotel, Virunga Volcanoes, Bisate Lodge, Da Vinci Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Kinigi Lodge, Lebambou Gorilla Lodge, La Palme Hotel, Villa Gorilla, Faraja Hotel, and Gorilla Solution Lodge are a few of the lodges that we suggest.

Volcanoes National Park offers a variety of additional things to enjoy during your birthday celebrations. These include trekking Golden Monkeys, taking guided nature walks, watching birds (which is best done during the rainy season), taking part in the annual August Kwita Izina ceremony, which is attended by numerous officials, including the president, and going on cultural excursions, among other things.

How to Get to National Park of Volcanoes
Depending on traffic, the travel from Volcanoes National Park takes two to three hours. Following a briefing, our driver guide will pick you up from Kigali International Airport and take you to the national park. Before arriving at Volcanoes for the trek day, you may still have time to see Kigali city if you arrive early.

We are the greatest local safari business to assist you with organizing your birthday gorilla trek, guiding you through the journey, and making sure your birthday celebrations are enjoyable. To ensure that you trek the endangered species on the dates of your choice, you must make reservations well in advance for the greatest gorilla safari in Rwanda.