The Question – Is Gorilla Trekking Worth It? – the Answers.
“Is Gorilla Trekking Worth the Money that it Costs, the Effort that it takes to be for only one hour with a Gorilla Family?
Is Gorilla Trekking worth It? Will I be wasting my money, time, and effort? Will I be disappointed after the Gorilla Encounter and feel like I made the wrong choice? In well over a decade of taking clients from around the world on a mountain gorilla trek, someone told us that they were disappointed, that they thought that the Trek was not worth the money invested into the safari, the effort that it took, and time that was needed?
Do People complain after a Gorilla Safari? Yes, some might complain about an experience at the lodge. Others thought the ranger leading them did not give them enough time on a Gorilla Habituation Experience. Some might complain about the weather for their trek, the annoying flies, the trek’s toughness, or that the driver was late picking them up after the trek. No one has ever complained about the actual encounter, the time spent with a gorilla family.
After a trek, no one says, “that was not worth the money spent.” There is no talk about money, only about the incredible experience of being in the presence of some of our closest cousins in the animal kingdom. The words of David Attenborough come to mind, who said, “Spending time with these gentle creatures in their natural habitat was a profoundly moving experience.”
Some of our trekkers thought the Gorilla Encounter “was a Life-Changing Experience.” Some go even further and say that it was almost spiritual-like for them.
99% of all trekkers loved their time with a gorilla family. Some were deeply moved by the actual encounter with the Gentle Giants of Forest. Despite the cost, the toughness of the trek, and the time that it takes for the activity. Gorilla Trekking is the highlight of a visit to Africa. For most, a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experience that is not soon or ever forgotten.
Those who take the more extended Habituation Experience are even more enthusiastic about their time with the Great Apes. One, in particular, called it “the Icing on the Cake of their Safari.”
Where else in the world are you going to see the endangered Mountain Gorillas? You cannot find them in any zoo (Mountain Gorillas do not survive in captivity), only in the wilderness of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Does anyone ever have regrets? The only regret we get is, “I wish I had booked two treks.” Others regret not booking the Gorilla Habituation Experience that allows for more time with a gorilla family.
The Question – Is Gorilla trekking Worth It? – Here are the Answers.
Is Gorilla Trekking Worth the Money Spent?
Yes, Gorilla Trekking is the most expensive tourist activity in Africa. Ask any Gorilla Trekker after their time with a Family the question, “Is Gorilla Trekking worth It?” The reply one typically gets, “it was well worth it, a priceless experience.”
What you pay for a Primate Safari is an investment in yourself, an investment that goes beyond you toward the conservation of the endangered Mountain Gorillas. It is also an investment in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest communities Mgahinga Park. If it were not for Gorilla tourism, the gorillas’ habitats would be far gone, and their numbers reduced to a mere handful. Instead, the year 2020 saw an unprecedented baby boom that was beyond any past norms.
Your permit and park entrance fees also benefit the local communities who receive 20% each year. Money that pays for local infrastructure projects directly contributes to a better life for the communities that border the gorilla park. One example is Bwindi 
Community Hospital that in part due to the donations from trekkers, has become one of the best and modern rural hospitals in all of Uganda.
Gorilla Tourism brings well-paying jobs and gainful employment to Ugandans. Jobs such as Porters, Lodge Customer Service Staff, Clerks, Bookkeepers, Restaurant Employees, Guides, Drivers, Porters, Craft Artisans, and others directly benefit from Primate Tourism.
Uganda Tourism, including Gorilla Tourism, was, until the COVID-19, one of the country’s top revenue producers. Something that will happen again in the Post-COVID of Tourism
Yes. Gorilla Safaris are expensive, but as you can see, well worth it. It has, directly and indirectly, brought about the survival and protection of the forest’s gentle giants. It has made an enormous difference in the surrounding communities, including the forest’s original people, the Batwa People.
Yes, Gorilla Trekking is expensive, but as you can see, there is a lot more to Primate Tourism than meets the eye.
Gorilla Trekking is too strenuous -takes too much effort.
Gorilla Trekking is no Sunday Afternoon Stroll in Central Park. It can and does take and effort. Whether you trek up the Virunga National Park’s sides or hike up and down the ridges in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the Trek is a challenge for many visitors that came to see the Mountain Gorillas.
You can have the assistance of a porter even though in Post-COVID times, the Uganda Wildlife Authority does not recommend it as part of reducing the number of people with a gorilla family.
For trekkers with disabilities, we can arrange for a sedan chair where the trekker is carried in and out by porters.
Trekking does take an effort – Trekkers are tired when they return from Gorilla Tracking. But one could say that they are “well drained,” and often from their lips often come the words, “it was well worth the effort.”
Discomfort – the walks can be strenuous, but no one complains about the experience of visiting the Gentle Giants, which far outweighs all the effort.
Too little Time -You only get to spend an hour with the Gorillas
You have one hour with a Gorilla Family on a regular Gorilla Trek. The reason for only one hour s well-being of the Gorillas. Just imagine if someone came into your living room uninvited for one hour and just observed while taking pictures of you.
One hour yes, but that one hour is most memorable. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You cannot visit the Mountain Gorillas in a zoo. They do not survive in captivity. They are born free and can only live free in the wild.
That one hour is designed for the well-being of the Gorillas as they continue with their day – minimize the chance of infections such as colds, flu, measles, COVID-19, and whatever else.
For $1,500, you can have more time with the Gorillas on a Habituation Experience. It is an all-day trek with the time you spend hiking in and out.
The Reality: For most, one could say, well, over 95%, it is the Experience of a lifetime. One does not count the minutes but focuses on the experience of the incredible Encounter.
Is Gorilla Trekking Worth it? Our Take
There are Gorilla Trekking Naysayers, most of which have never trekked the Gentle Giants of the Forest. Yet, thousands of visitors each year find that a Safari in Africa is incomplete without Primate Trekking.
Over 90% of the requests that we receive are for Safaris, including Gorilla Trekking or the more-time with the gentle giants, the Habituation Experience. Many of our Clients Trek twice – or even do two or 3 Gorilla Habituation experiences, and none of them complain about the price, say “it was not worth it.”
Our Clients rave about the experience of being up close with the Gentle Giants of the Forest in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Mgahinga Gorilla Park or Volcanoes National Park.
Where is it is better to track Gorillas – Rwanda or Uganda – here is a comparison.
