1. Having heard that gorilla permits sell out months ahead we were amazed to be the only two people in our group on the first day when there should have been eight people. We weren't sure if this was unusual and due to cancellations on account of the Ebola outbreak, but on both days we trekked there were permits available for resale at $300.
2. Stay at Gorilla Lodge and you may have a good chance of seeing the gorillas for free between 9:30 and 10:30am. Mahogany Springs was fenced so the gorillas would not be able to enter the lodge gardens. There are more rooms at lodges than gorilla permits so it's very unlikely that a lodge is full even if you are told that is the case. Only two of eight rooms at Mahogany Springs were occupied. If you turn up without booking you are likely to be able to negotiate a better room rate.
3. Use a walking stick - most lodges have them available for guests to borrow. They are really helpful in keeping your balance on steep muddy slopes or when walking through thick vegetation.
4. On both days, tracking the Habinyanja group and the Rushegura group from Buhoma, we walked less than one hour each way. Other groups did involve a steep climb of two or more hours each way. Trekkers are encouraged to hire a porter at $15 to carry lunch and water but since we were back before lunch on both days this was not really necessary. But you never know if you will have a long walk ahead of you - gorillas can travel 15km at night.
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