Jewel SafarisCompany

and Uganda Tours

www.safarisugandagorilla.com

PARC NATIONAL DES VOLCANS.
This was the place to view mountain gorillas during the 1980s, but the security situation kept it off the travel map for much of the 1990s. However, the park reopened to visitors in July 1999 and has regained its reputation as the best place to see the gorillas.
This park is where Dian Fossey was based and where the film about her work was made. If you want the most authentic gorilla experience, this may be the place to come, as the towering volcanoes from breathtaking backdrop.
There are 30 gorilla permits available each day and it is likely to remain pretty easy to get one at short notice outside of peak season. The cost is US $ 250, including entry to the park. Security at the park is very tight, as a foreign-trained elite military unit guards the park. However, given events during the 1990s, it is always advisable to check the latest with contacts in Kigali. Access is quite straightforward from Kigali or southwestern Uganda.

GORILLA WATCHING ETIQUETTE.
Gorillas are very susceptible to human illness, so always wash your hands before you visit them. If you feel unwell or carry a contagious disease, stay behind. Turn your head away if you need to sneeze, never spit in the forest. Stay in a tight group when near the gorillas, speaking only on whispers. Don’t eat or drink near them, nor leave any rubbish. For your safety and their health keep seven meters away from the gorillas, but stay still if they approach you. Never touch a gorilla.
Although non-aggressive, they are wild animals and can sometimes charge. If this happens, crouch down, don’t look them in the eye and wait for them to pass. Rash photography is forbidden. Point-and-shoot cameras are inadvisable as picture quality will be poor in these conditions and flash can go off inadvertently. My visit is unpredictable – be prepared to be patient.