Gorilla Trekking Guide for the Elderly

Gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, or Congo is open to even elderly persons with Sarania Adventure safaris. As per the gorilla trekking rules and regulations, any person above 15 years can participate in a trek to see gorillas. Often, concerns arise around the elderly or seniors and persons with disability. And among the questions persons within this class raise is “can the elderly also trek gorillas? We can say boldly that YES! Gorilla trekking is an exceptional primate adventure and while it requires you to be physically fit, there are options. This makes it an accommodating adventure, thus allowing everyone to realize their long-held dreams.

Gorilla trekking often involves trekking through the jungle to find a family of gorillas. A moderate level of fitness is essential for you to experience a successful gorilla trek. What is amazing it even those within age brackets of 70 and 90 have had successful gorilla trekking adventures. If gorilla trekking is your dream adventure, you shouldn’t even be limited by age at any time. There is only a minimum age but no maximum age limit. What is most essential is to ensure that you are fit and that you have your trip planned and booked in advance.

Available options for the elderly on gorilla trekking?

Hire the Sedan Chairs or the bamboo stretcher.

The elderly persons are strongly advised to rent or hire a sedan chair or bamboo stretchers for their gorilla trekking sessions. The stretchers and sedan chairs are used for carrying elderly persons or persons with disability. A team of energetic porters lifts you, navigating through the forest till you find a gorilla group allocated to you, and they lower the stretcher or sedan chair to let you enjoy a close view of mountain gorillas.

Before you book a gorilla trip, first, you should know your fitness levels and be certain if you require the sedan or stretcher services. The cost of hiring a sedan chair ranges from USD 300 to USD 500 per chair. The price includes hiring and porter services. Securing your chair in advance is essential as the demand tends to be high. Communicate with your tour operator in advance to ensure that you secure one early.

When it comes to safety, use of sedan chairs/bamboo stretchers is generally safe and secure for the elderly and persons with disability. Visitors embark on a safe search for gorillas as they are lifted by the energetic porters. The team of porters are familiar with the terrains of gorilla safari parks, for instance, Bwindi and Mgahinga.

The sedan chair is made of metals with a seat belt. The bamboo stretcher is traditionally made using bamboo trees. All the options are essential for persons who can’t walk the entire session of gorilla trekking.

Hire the porters

Porters are always available at the park offices for hire. They can be hired mainly to assist you in carrying the luggage and provide support when you are on the trek. Gorilla trekking is exhausting, and having heavy luggage at the same time can be it more challenging traversing the jungle and conquering the tough terrains.

Request for easier-to-trek gorilla groups

Easier to trek, gorilla groups often take a short time to find. Avoid challenging gorilla families as they require more time for you to locate. What is needed of you is to share your physical details and also make special requests in advance On the actual gorilla trekking, the park official present already has your special request, and when allocating gorilla groups, you can easily be considered, unlike when you do so at the last minute.

The standard rule is book a gorilla permit early through an expert.

Even if you are planning a gorilla tour as a senior/elderly/disabled person, the valid gorilla permit must be obtained early. Consider booking your permit at least 2-3 months before the actual date of trekking gorillas, whether it is in Uganda or Rwanda. The current cost of gorilla permits in Uganda is USD 800 and USD 1500 in Rwanda.

How long is a normal Uganda or Rwanda gorilla trek?

A normal gorilla trek can last for about 2 to 6 hours less or more. Many factors often determine the length of your trek, including the fitness levels, location of gorilla groups, and nature of the habitats etc. A single gorilla family is explored by a maximum of 8 (eight) guests per day and visitors are led by an experienced UWA Ranger guide on the ground. Once a gorilla group is located, a maximum of an hour is given just for photography and for you to witness how they display their behaviors in the jungle.

Places to go for gorilla trekking by the elderly

To explore more about mountain gorillas in East-Central Africa, Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo are the key places to visit. In Uganda, five regions are open for you to begin your trek with mountain gorillas. The regions or sectors of interest for Uganda gorilla trekking adventures include Rushaga, Ntebeko, Nkuringo, Ruhija, and Buhoma. Each of these regions has fully habituated gorilla groups to be explored by tourists.

If you have plans to visit the Rwanda gorillas, then you will be at Kinigi, where your day starts with a briefing and allocation of gorilla groups. It is in Kinigi where you can embark on the search for gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.

The best time to go for gorilla trekking for elderly

Gorilla trekking sessions are available all year round. But the best time to plan your gorilla tour as the elderly should be during the dry seasons/months. The dry seasons happen twice a year, with the first phase often occurring from June to September, then another session begins from December to February.

The wet season, at times, comes with some challenges, especially navigating through the muddy and slippery ground. This occurs from March to May, and a short period of wet season starts from October to November.

Accommodation options to book

Choose accommodation options that are accessible from where your gorilla trek is meant to begin. In Uganda, the gorilla safari lodges are distributed across Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks, including the Luxurious Bwindi Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Leisure Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge, and Buhoma Lodge.

Other affordable accommodation choices include Ride 4 a Woman, Cuckooland Tented Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Nshongi Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Jungle Lodge, and more. In case of Mgahinga gorilla treks, consider booking lodges such as Mutanda Lake Resort, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Mondi Lodge Kisoro, and many others.

How to get there for gorilla trekking for the elderly

Plan for your access to the destination you want to track gorillas in advance. Bwindi and Mgahinga are found in Southwestern Uganda, and getting there takes 9-10 hours of driving from Kampala. If you cross from Kigali through Chanika/Katuna, you can spend 4-5 hours to reach Bwindi/Mgahinga.

But there is an option to cut down on the long road hours by taking a domestic flight. You set off from the Entebbe International Airport to Kihihi/Kisoro Airstrip.

Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is accessible within a 2-3-hour drive from Kigali City. All road travel is best done using a 4×4 tourist vehicle, which should be secured in advance.