Essential Packing List for your Gorilla Trek
Hiking Boots
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National park involves trekking/hiking in search of the endangered mountain gorillas. Because of the nature of the forest plus the altitude, you need lightweight hiking boots for this activity.
Garden Gloves
You will require gloves to protect your hands during your gorilla trek. As you move in this forest, remember that it can get slippery and somehow you need to hold on some plants, trees or even climbing trees. These gloves will, therefore, protect you from germs and other items that may scratch your hands.
Rain Jacket
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a tropical rain forest and as such, rain is received throughout the whole year. You will never tell when it is going to rain so you need a rain jacket for this. Many clients prefer traveling in drier months of June, July, August, and the beginning of September and try to avoid rainy seasons of March, April, and May.
Long-Sleeved Shirts/Blouse/
You are required to have long-sleeved trousers/shirts for your gorilla trekking. Please ensure that you tack in your trousers in your hiking boots to avoid insects such as safari ants entering your trousers. Jeans and Kachi trousers can do this better.
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. Before departing from your lodge, you need to carry your packed lunch and lots of drinking water, as you never know when you will return.
Cameras and extra batteries
Photography is an important component of your safari and thus makes sure that you have your camera ready, charge your batteries very well and if necessary, carry extra batteries as you will need to take as many photographs in the one hour you will have with the gorillas. Please make sure that you switch off your flash while taking gorilla photographs.
Hat and Sun Glasses
If it is hot, please carry a hat to protect you from the strong sun rays. You may also need to carry some sunglasses too. These are extra optional.
Pair of Binoculars
Don’t forget that you are on safari and you want to have clear views of everything. Bwindi Impenetrable National park is home to over 350 birds, chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys among other primates, forest elephants and buffaloes so during your trek in search for the rare mountain gorillas, you will have a chance to spot some of the above.
Porters for your gorilla trek
This is an extra optional item and we advise all our clients to take a porter for their gorilla trekking. As earlier noted, gorilla trekking can be strenuous and thus you will need someone to give you a push or a pull on the way to the gorillas. These porters go for a fee but it is worth it. Remember that these porters are actually school going students either in their vacation or have been chased out of school due to school fees. By paying some money to have a porter with you, you will have contributed to community development indirectly.