Reviews: Gorilla Trekking Safari

"Encountering the gorillas in the forest was a wonderful experience.

We were able to get much closer to them than we had anticipated, because of the tightness of the undergrowth, and they did not seem at all disturbed. Their play and interactions were very moving." Read more about this whole safari

"It's hard to describe just how wonderful an experience this was. I did two one hour visits and would recommend doing two. The walk to my first group was gentle, the second was rather more strenuous. There are plenty of helping hands though, including your porter, so most people of reasonable fitness will be fine. The guides are very knowledgable and experienced and although there were some 'naughty' adolescent gorillas who got too close, I never felt at risk. The guides also understand the magical moment for us tourists and offer help with photos and suggest the best places to stand. Sabyinyo silverback lodge provided gaiters and gloves, and you are offered a stick to help with the hike - take it. When you see the gorillas, don't spend all the time behind your camera lens! It really is worth concentrating on a few good photos and then simply enjoy the experience. An hour goes quickly, but is enough - for both the gorilla and us." Read more about this whole safari

"See previous entry" Read more about this whole safari

"A great visit." Read more about this whole safari

"It was brilliant. I had no idea that we would be so close up and personal with the Gorillas. One just brushed past me, inches away.

The SilverBack was very regal, with great presence ,you certainly knew who was boss. The younger family members were huge fun,interacting and playing and the mothers were often busy grooming some of the younger ones.

[ In another section of his review, this traveller noted:

Early start for Gorilla trekking. Be down at reception at 6.00am, they put gaiters on you, give you a snack bag to take for the trek and provide gloves [ for gripping the undergrowth and in case of nettles.] Quick breakfast [cooked or continental] Then off to the Park Centre to be allocated the Gorilla family [ one of ten that are habituated to humans.....they also have another ten families for research only] that you will be visiting. You can specify easy, medium or more difficult treks but as the Gorillas move about from one day to the next there are no real guarantees.

I did 2 treks the first was about 90-120mins but not much elevation and we saw about 20 Gorillas including a three day old baby. The next day it was a shorter trek but much steeper and the landscape and vegetation were different so it was a nice contrast. On that occasion we saw about 16 gorillas who were much more active and were interacting, grooming, playing, climbing trees and eating bark from the trees.

It was all first rate and thoroughly enjoyable and very memorable.]" Read more about this whole safari

"A brilliant experience like no other.

Just do it!" Read more about this whole safari

"2 days of trekking, 2 days of unforgettable experiences with 2 different gorilla families!" Read more about this whole safari

"2 days of trekking, 2 days of unforgettable experiences with 2 different gorilla families!" Read more about this whole safari

"We had 2 treks on consecutive days. The first day was an easier trek than the second while both were classified as "moderate". We engaged a porter both days.

Seeing the gorillas was a wonderful experience and the local guides, porters and trackers were all excellent.

The second trek was outside the comfort zone of us both although more so for one of us. It was steep, slippery (although not wet) and a tangle under foot. If it wasn't for the porter it would have been almost impossible, and the standard payment of $10 was well earned by the porter (although we gave him more) who was exceptional.

However all things considered we are very glad we saw these wonderful animals, particularly the young ones. In one instance the head tracker facilitated our seeing a young gorilla with its parents." Read more about this whole safari

"To meet the gorillas was an incredible experience. We did two safaris in two consecutive days. The first time we found the gorillas (Ntambara family, 12 gorillas, 1.5 hours of steep hiking) in a thick bush where it was difficult to see them unless you were in a very specific position. The second day we saw the Sabyinyo family (17 gorillas, 1 hour of easy walking). We could admire many gorillas for a long time. An amazing experience!" Read more about this whole safari