Rwanda Gorilla Trekking in May
In the equatorial region of East Africa, Rwanda lies close to the equator. This makes it possible to go for Rwanda Gorilla Trekking in May. Rwanda records a reasonable amount of rainfall in May, which is the end of the first annual wet season. Rwanda’s proximity to the equator grants it a place among the countries with a tropical or equatorial climate. This means the country receives two wet and dry seasons per year, and May falls in the wet season. Rwanda gorilla trekking in May offers visitors time with the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural environments.
About gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Volcanoes National Park is the country’s only gorilla trekking destination. Visitors from far and wide can flock to encounter the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural environments. Gorilla trekking was made a common introduction to the park in the times of Dian Fossey. This is a renowned primatologist and conservationist who lived in the park for the welfare of the mountain gorillas. Visitors spend an hour watching them go about their daily chores.
Like all other treks, gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park begins with a briefing. This briefing is as important as it determines the well-being of the visitors before the Trekking experience. This is done through the reading of the rules and regulations to the visitors.
Visitors are later divided into groups of 8 people to visit a particular gorilla family per day. The mountain gorillas are known for their liking of humans, and this is well illustrated in their social life of staying in groups known as gorilla families. Each gorilla family is headed by a male dominant gorilla called a silverback. As visitors trek these mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park in May, they are grouped and assigned a gorilla family. Since the mountain gorillas are wild, much is done not to stress them or frighten them, and large numbers frighten them to act aggressively or just flee. Therefore, a maximum of eight people are allowed at a time to keep the primates comfortable.
What are the other activities to do in Rwanda in May, other than gorilla trekking?
Although gorilla trekking in Rwanda in May is very popular and major, the country also has several other activities that can best fit the bucket list and interest most visitors to engage in. Below are the activities to do in Rwanda in May, other than gorilla trekking.
Birding watching
Arguably one of the best, if not the best, tourist activities to engage in during May. Birding or bird watching is considered a wet season activity because it targets capturing and encountering incredible bird species. Rwanda sees a spike in the number of bird species in may because of the arrival of migratory bird species. These flock to the park because in the bird world, the wet season, in this case in May, is a breeding season for birds.
Some of the bird species to look out for include African openbills, yellow-billed oxpecker, African paradise flycatcher, hadada ibis, African fish eagles, African spoonbill, black-headed gonolek, pin-tailed whydah, brown-throated white eye, saddle billed stock, piapiacs, African darter, eastern plantain eater, Doherty’s bush shrikes, African jacanas, bar-tailed trogons, long-crested eagles, hammerkops, African Finfoot, black bee-eater, Abyssinian ground hornbill, standard winged night jar, marabou stocks, secretary birds, etc.
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is another incredible tourist activity that can be done in Rwanda in May. Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park, located in the southern region close to the border with Burundi, is a one-stop center for chimpanzee trekking adventures. Similar to gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking also takes visitors deep into the forests of Nyungwe for a chance to encounter chimpanzee primates and spend an hour with them. In May, the park receives heavy rains that brighten the forest with fresh undergrowth, adding epic adventure scenes to the chimpanzee trekking experience.
Visit the genocide memorial sites.
Off the outdoor activities, visitors can go back in time by visiting the different genocide memorial sites across Rwanda. The history of the country is built on tragic moments of the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi that claimed over a million lives. Fast forward to the present times, after this terror of the genocide against the Tutsis by the Hutus, memorial sites were built to commemorate and remember the victims. Touring these sites will give the visitors an insight into what transpired.
