Many Travelers that come to Volcanoes National Park ask frequently the question of What to wear on a gorilla safari to Rwanda? and we have decided to bring the answer to ease travelers planning process for Packing the Clothes for Gorilla Trekking tours in African Mountains and Hiking Expeditions in the Virunga massif region.
When planning for your trekking excursion to see gorillas in Volcanoes national park, we advise you to come with a few things that are useful for you to attain your lifetime ultimate experience that involves trekking/hiking visit mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Below are some of the most striking attires that you shouldn’t leave behind;
Have a small backpack as it is useful to carry your water, packed lunch, camera and binoculars.
You need light weight hiking boots for this activity/strong waterproof walking boots due to nature and altitude of the forest. So get shoes that have good ankle support.
Take a light jumper and lightweight breathable waterproof jacket/trousers as temperature is variable and weather conditions can change
Lightweight long wool socks which are comfortable for a mountain tropical forest
A few long-sleeved shirts/trousers. Please ensure that you trek in your long sleeved trousers/shirts to avoid insects such as safari ants entering your trousers.
Sweater for cool evenings and chilly mornings due to nature and altitude of the place
Bush hat with a brim for sun protection. Please carry a hat to protect you from the strong sun rays if it is hot.
You may also need to carry some Sunglasses too with neck strap
Sun cream is also necessary
Camera with extra lenses and Reserve batteries. Photography is an important component of your safari and make sure that you have your camera ready, charge your batteries very well and if necessary, carry extra batteries as you will need to take many photographs in the one hour you will have with the gorillas.
Insect repellants to protect you from Mosquito bites as Bwindi is a tropical forest so many insects are accommodated there in.
Garden gloves that will protect you from germs and other items that may scratch your hands.
Binoculars. Don’t forget that you are on safari and you want to have clear views of everything so during your trek in search for the rare mountain gorillas, you will have a chance to spot some other wildlife species like birds, primates and large mammals
Energy Giving snacks. Gorilla trekking can take from 30 minutes to eight or so hours and that’s why a certain level of fitness is required. To add on that, we advise that you carry some energy giving snacks as supplements and lots of drinking water as you never know when you will return.
Hiring a Porter for your gorilla safari is a top tip -You will need a porter to give you a push on the way to the gorillas as trekking/hiking can take some time. You will pay some fee to a porter but it is worth it.