Trekking Porters in Volcanoes National Park
Trekking Porters in Volcanoes National Park
Trekking porters in Volcanoes National Park are so important. Especially, if you have plans of trekking the mountain Gorillas, and Golden monkeys. You can also use them while hiking the Dian Fossey Gravesite, enjoying forest hiking, bird watching, or Volcano climbing. Trekking Porters are primarily the backbone of trekking in this Park for the physically weak or the disabled. They make it easier for travelers to maneuver through the dense mountain forest slopes. the altitude of these forests is usually between 2400 and 4507 meters above sea level.
Factors Necessitating Trekking Porters in Volcanoes National Park
For visitors, hiking through the slopes of Volcanoes National Park can be challenging. The heavy backpacks and camera equipment may worsen the situation. Therefore, it is the work of porters (who in most cases know the mountainous slopes and dense vegetation well because they have lived around the mountains all their lives) and are surprisingly familiar with carrying heavy backpacks. While the option of hiring trekking porters in Volcanoes National Park isn’t mandatory, it is advisable to do so as for visitors, heavy backpacks and camera equipment, combined with the high altitudes can make an already difficult day very unbearable.
However, Trekking Porters don’t guide thus don’t expect all of them to speak English. However, they will try as much as possible to make your trek easier and more enjoyable. Besides the support the porters provide, hiring them is one of the ways to benefit from ecotourism. When you hire them for gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking, the Dian Fossey Gravesite Hike, Volcano climbing, and birding, you promote ecotourism. Thus in the long run they start embracing Gorilla Tourism. What you might not know is that the majority of the trekking Porters in Volcanoes National Park are former poachers. They have slowly realized the significance of Gorilla tourism and conservation to their livelihood.
How much does it cost to hire trekking Porters in Volcanoes National Park?
Hiring Trekking porters in Volcanoes National Park goes for only $10 to $20 per porter. This doesn’t include porter fees, guide fees/tips where necessary, entry fees, and the chosen activity. You might want to tip trekking porters to appreciate their great service. This is in addition to paying them for carrying your backpack, water, and camera equipment and holding your hands,
Volcanoes National Park is one of the top safari destinations in the land of a thousand hills, in the North East. It provides shelter to over 35% of about 1080 mountain Gorillas in the wild. In total, over 12 Gorilla Families have been habituated for trekking in this Park. Hence, a total of 96 permits are available each day from the Rwanda Development Board. A Gorilla trekking permit for this Park costs $1500 per person per trek. Also, you have to book at least 6 months in advance to avoid last-minute disappointment.
In the case of disabled or elderly tourists, there are sedan chairs at the park headquarters. You can hire them at 500$, so everyone can take part in this breathtaking activity.
Best time to visit Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park is open throughout the year. However, the majority of travelers visit between June and September, or December to February. this is because forest trails are drier and slippery from minimal rainfall levels. If your plans are flexible, you can plan to visit during the off-peak months. this is between March to May or October to November when forest trails have fewer crowds. Contact Safari Vacations and Travel Services for a once-in-a-lifetime experience with wildlife in Volcanoes National Park.
