Unlike other gorilla destinations in the world, Rwanda has established itself as s high end travel destination and especially for Gorillas. Gorilla tourism in Rwanda was started by an American primatologist Dian Fossey who dedicated her life to save the mountain Gorillas. Dian chose to forego her comfort and stayed in Rwanda which gave life to the Gorillas that were almost getting depleted from the forests by the poachers. It’s sad how she was later brutally murdered by the same poachers in 1985 but her legacy had been established.
Gorilla tourism was widely spread by the film “Gorilla in the mist” which was watched worldwide showing how easy it was to get close to these endangered forest giants. Rwanda received so many tourists coming to meet the Gorillas and this helped to preserve the few Gorillas that lived at that time and their number has now grown.
The Gorillas live in the Virunga mountains in the Volcanoes National Park in the Northern parts of Rwanda. Volcanoes park is home to 10 habituated gorilla families available for tracking by the visitors. The 10 Gorilla groups means that Rwanda has 80 Gorilla permits available every day because each gorilla family is visited by only people a day.
Rwanda has been recognized top in Gorilla conservation due to their high standards and strict rules when it comes to conservation in their protected areas. The high level of conservation is seen from their gorilla permit cost which is way higher than the rest of the Gorilla destinations. A gorilla permit in Rwanda is now at $1500 per permit and is issued by the Rwanda Development Board.
Rwanda’s strategic location is also another important factor considering why the Gorillas should be tracked there. Volcanoes National Park is located in the north of Rwanda which is just a 2 hours’ drive from Kigali city. Travelers who may not have much time to tour or those who may not wish to move long distances to reach the Gorillas, Rwanda is the place for them to see the mountain Gorillas.
Volcanoes National Park does not just offer gorilla tourism but also other activities like Golden monkey tracking, hiking tours and birding safaris are done here.
