Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Age Limit
Travelling on a safari in Africa may be a long journey but an interesting adventure all together. And when it comes to travelling with family, or children on a trip which involves trekking Gorillas, it may be more challenging. Gorilla Trekking has got an age limit and that is 15 years. So, for children below 15 years, Gorilla trekking may not be an activity to put into consideration.
The Gorilla trekking activity involves walking for some hours and physical fitness is key and important. Gorillas live in hilly and steepy areas and sometimes the trekking activity can take between 1 and 7 hours which may not be favorable for the children.
While doing the Gorilla Trekking Activity, the gorillas can sometimes get very close visitors which can be a frightening experience for the children. This may look as a real danger to children who may not fully understand how to behave or what to do in such a circumstance. The reaction of the children to the gorillas getting close may involve panicking, running away which may cause danger to the trekkers as well as the Gorillas.
The activity sometimes involves tramping through the jungle with no clear paths and the rangers create a temporary route to follow the Gorillas. Naturally, children are playful so with an activity that sometimes involves creating temporary trails, it may be hard to trace the playful children who may wander off the trail being used by the trekkers.
It is also for health reasons that Children are not allowed to trek the Gorillas. As humans, we do share a 98% DNA with the Gorillas which makes it easy for children to catch diseases or children passing some diseases to the Gorillas.
Adventure is made easy for both kids and adults as there are a number of activities that can be done by Children as adults go for Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park. Most of the activities that can be done by children are outside Volcanoes National Park.
Walking to the local Villages around the lodge can be one of the activities for the kids as adults go for Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park. Ibyi’wachu Cultural Village also commonly referred to as the Gorilla Guardians village offers cultural performances which include traditional chants and songs, wedding ceremony and dances. This is a great experience where you get to learn about Rwanda’s History or past, as well as their culture while enjoying great dancing. For the kids who enjoy dancing, they can get actively involved. This is quite exciting and done with hospitable and kind locals.
An excursion to the Twin Lakes of Burela and Ruhondo is one activity that exposes visitors to view the beautiful waters, steep hills and a lot of bird life. Adventurers seeking to learn more about Rwanda at a person to person level. You will pedal along the way by villages stopping in to see what traditional rural life is, and meet with the locals for interactions.
Children can go for a short cycling tour as the adults go to trek the Great apes in Volcanoes National Park. This activity is safe, suitable for kids and gives them an opportunity to learn more about the daily activities of the local community. Experience the magnificent landscapes, the scenic Virunga Mountains and other formations.
Children can visit Imbazi Museum, a center for Hope which was created to cater for children who lost parents during the massive Genocide. Very many children were left homeless with no one to care for them. For many that have read about *Land of A Thousand Hills, My life in Rwanda* by Rosamond Carr, this center for Hope should be a stop in your Safari Program. You can tour the grounds, and Rosamond’s home and carrying some items for the school children could be ideal.
The other activity that can be featured is visiting the Dian Fossey Museum. It gives very relevant information about the gorillas, beautiful pictures and beautifully designed to engage you. The museum and what is exhibited there may give a great experience to the Kids as the adults go visit the incredible Gorillas.
All the mentioned activities can be done casually while featuring some cool places to do some Ice cream or grab a bite, Visiting art galleries like Nshuti with a Trojan Horse Elephant.
Travelling with Children exposes them to experiencing new destinations, making them more empathetic towards cultural differences, creation of meaningful relationships, the similarities with others and helping them adapt to changing situations.
Adults travelling with kids may need babysitting services which can also be availed to you as well as Guides who are good at handling children of that particular age bracket.