Trekking mountain gorillas in Uganda, Congo and Rwanda is so far considered the most thrilling tourist activity in the entire world. In these three countries, there are two significant seasons that greatly determine your overall experience of gorilla trekking. The two seasons are wet season – March, April, May, October and November as well as dry season – January, February, June, July, August, September and December.
However given the effects of climatic change, rains tend to come unexpectedly, droughts sometimes become longer/shorter hence making it difficult to predict weather. Nonetheless, gorilla trekking adventures are conducted all year round. It is also important to note that each season has pros and cons but for this article, we focus on the pros and cons of trekking gorillas in dry seasons.
Cons/disadvantages of trekking Gorillas in dry seasons.
The dry season is every traveler’s preferred time for trekking gorillas and therefore the demand for gorilla permits and accommodation is higher. Permits have to be booked at least 6 months before the trekking date to allow proper planning of the safari.
Due to the little or no rains during dry seasons, vegetation is sparse and there is reduced fruiting. Therefore, mountain gorillas are faced with problems of food scarcity which forces them to move further deeper into the jungles to find food. Trekkers will therefore be required to trek for longer hours to find them.
What to carry for trekking gorillas in dry seasons?
Naturally, trekking gorillas in Uganda is physically demanding and involves walking through mountainous as well as forested areas, calling for training exercises and fitness level to be prepared..
Ideally, your packing list must include long sleeved shirts, gardening gloves, lightweight safari pants of neutral colors, good camera with extra batteries, waterproof backpack, sturdy hiking boots, cotton socks, hat, sunglasses, rain jacket, energy-giving snacks, warm sweater, insect repellant, toiletries, First Aid Kit, necessary documents and many others. Let it be known that gorilla trekking (whether in dry or wet season) is hectic and sometimes takes up to 6 hours and therefore be prepared for these long hours (having packed lunch and drinking water).
Guidelines to be followed when trekking gorillas.
Some of the important guidelines to be followed when trekking gorillas include maintaining a distance of 7 meters when viewing and photographing gorillas, spending only one hour in their midst, avoiding the use of flash cameras, keeping voices down when trekking or watching gorillas, not eating/drinking/smoking in the presence of gorillas and not dumping rubbish in the natural habitats of mountain gorillas.
