Experiencing gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park

Monkey Business

Crossing a ramshackle log bridge from farmland into the park itself, the scenery changes dramatically: vast, cultivated fields under a blazing sun are replaced by a cool, emerald oasis, shaded by the slender shafts of dense bamboo forest.

Oliver has told us we won’t be seeing mountain gorillas at these lower altitudes and must ascend to the point where the flora transforms into jungle.

We trek for a further hour and – as soon as we notice the surrounding foliage thicken and become more tangled – we also find our advance tracker, Peter, lurking in the undergrowth. He tells us the Susa group is just ahead.

Here, the alpha silverback, Kurira, is lazing around amid a large troop of gorillas.

It feels as though we’ve stumbled into a stranger’s lounge as we stand gawping at the family while they chew on foliage, snooze, embrace and groom.

Loovomo is relaxing in a nest of bushes, watching her new baby, Inyange, clambering around and swinging on branches like a chimp. The playful baby gorilla makes a beeline over to us.

He’s clearly not aware of the seven-metre rule and heaves himself over tree limbs to reach us. As he stretches his own limbs out toward us, we regrettably back away, despite how much we want to pick him up for a cuddle.

A few seconds later, a monolithic, inky mass emerges from the encompassing verdure, appearing before us like a black hole – a vacuum sucking the atmosphere from the enclosed forest and the air from our lungs. He’s a juvenile silverback called Manzi.

He stops and sits, considering us. As I lift my camera to focus on him, two glinting eyes look straight back at me with a stare that transcends millions of years of evolution; a look that speaks of shared ancestry and common values.

In an instant the young silverback is up on his legs, throwing his arms up and then slamming his fists into the ground as he charges the short distance between us. My group scatters into the bushes and I’m suddenly alone as he descends on me. Remembering my instructions, I drop to a crouch, hang my head, and let out the low growl: "Ooh-maa-oom."

My eyes shut tight, I can feel his weight against my back; his fur on my neck. Then all
is still. Summoning my courage, I peek over my shoulder. He’s leaning casually against me, idly chewing a length of bamboo.

"Oohm," he grunts. "Ooh-maa-oom," I reply.

Operator insights

Samantha Gee, Red Savannah’s regional director for Africa, on selling gorilla treks in Rwanda.

Why should clients gorilla trek in Rwanda rather than Uganda or the Democratic Republic of Congo?

Gorilla permits cost a lot wherever you go, so visitors want the best chance of a good sighting. That means a large, relaxed family in a relatively open area. Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park frequently offers great sightings within a couple of hours’ walk.

How are gorilla trekking trips selling since Rwanda increased the price of permits?

If anything, we’re seeing more interest thanks to the Rwanda Development Board putting the destination on the luxury tourism map.

There’s also been investment by luxury brands to create lodges in Rwanda’s three main parks.

Which new properties are selling well?

Singita Kwitonda, One&Only Gorilla’s Nest and One&Only Nyungwe House. Also Wilderness Bisate Lodge, which has a really unique design with nest-like rooms and fabulous interiors.

Why is now the time to book?

Another property, Wilderness Magashi Camp, which opened in March 2019, has meant Akagera national park is now a credible addition to a Rwanda itinerary – and clients can now see the Big Five, plus chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, all in one country.