Gorilla Trekking When Pregnant

Is it possible to go gorilla trekking when pregnant? When going for gorilla trekking while pregnant, you should notify the park rangers or your tour operator you are using in advance so that they will arrange for you a good driver, allocate the easiest gorilla family, book for you the best hotel, and do many other things for your advantage.

During the morning briefing when they give you rules and regulations of gorilla trekking and begin allocating groups, make sure you let them know your condition because during allocation they consider age, physical abilities, and so much more. Youthful tourists can be allocated to a challenging group to like while old and vulnerable people will be allocated to easy groups to find.

When the trekking gets very hard you are advised to use sedan seat stretchers, you will be carried all the way to meet eye to eye with mountain gorillas and back to the beginning point and the cost is $400. You will only be put down during when you meet gorillas for observation and taking behaviors. When trekking mountain gorillas while pregnant, you will also need to book with luxury lodges or top mid-range lodges so that they offer you special services on meals, bed arrangement and so forth or you can also tell your tour operator and they will communicate to the lodge before arrival.

If one is trekking mountain gorillas while pregnant it is advisable for them to board a flight to the park especially if you trekking in Uganda because Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga national park are about 9-10 hours’ drive on poorly constructed roads from Entebbe/Kampala and that is a very long distance for a pregnant people to travel by road. the flight takes about only 2 hours.

Upon arrival to Kisoro or Kihihi airstrip, you must try to book a land cruiser or a 4×4 wheel drive safari vehicle to drop you at the hotel because they are more comfortable through costly. While booking your gorilla permit you should do so in Buhoma or Rushaga sector because they have gorilla families which are easy to locate.

Mountain gorilla trekking can be done while pregnant but one should be very careful with the risks involved and sufficient planning must be done before engaging in gorilla trekking while pregnant. Below are some of the risks involved with trekking gorillas while you are pregnant.

Mountain gorillas stay on higher elevations which can be very steep in most cases, trekking endangered mountain gorillas will require physical fitness which a pregnant woman might not have this might cause a miscarriage due to much exercise involved in trekking.

Mountain gorillas also live in tropical and sub-tropical rain forests which weather sometimes can become unpredictable, you might just lose your pregnancy after heavy rain during trekking or you might miss a step and fall because the trails become muddy and slippery when it rains during the day.

Accommodation and meals

Pregnant women are advised to stay in luxury accommodation facilities because they offer the maximum level of comfort and safety. Luxury lodges provide really nice food ae are safe for vulnerable visitors as they ask what visitors crave for and they will prepare exactly that. Such luxury camps and lodges include; Bwindi Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Buhoma Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Engagi Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Silverback Lodge among others. If you are price sensitive you may also book a mid range and budget lodge for your tour

What is the best time to visit when pregnant?

The best time to travel when pregnant is during the dry when the trails are dry than when you travel during the wet season.

Uganda and Rwanda both experience an average temperature that is about 22 and these temperatures always drop at night to 12. Uganda’s rainfall levels are between 1000-2000mm per annum. But the region generally gives clear skies throughout the year enabling gorilla trekking throughout the year.

High season;

This normally happens in the months of June, July, August September, December, January, and February. During these months less rainfall is experienced as it’s overtaken by the sunshine.

January-February and June-September is the best period to do gorilla trekking both in Uganda and Rwanda. Although this period is termed as year-round up activities, these two countries during this period are always experiencing dry seasons hence enabling visitors to choose trekking in the dry season also known as the high seasons.

December is also another busy month. It’s the busiest month of the year based on the fact that the whole world is always off for Christmas holidays and year-end. Therefore, we strongly advise you to book your gorilla trekking permits as early as possible to avoid disappointments and for proper planning.

If you need the best gorilla trekking conditions with no worries about prices, the high season is the best for you. these countries Uganda and Rwanda have raised topography meaning the climate is fairly cool throughout the year, despite some serious walking/hiking that may result in feeling hot.

Low season;

Tourists who usually come in low season experience real adventure to the fullest. This is because, during the low season, there are always few people in the jungle. There are also price reductions in accommodation facilities since fewer tourists come into the country and lodges are in less demand in this season and there is always availability of gorilla and chimpanzee permits because of fewer tourists coming in.

While in rainy seasons you may incur some challenges in traveling both in Uganda and Rwanda, a day is never lost due to rains, surprisingly days have both rain and sunshine, this means that despite wetness and coldness its usually favorable for you to continue with your activities as stated in your itinerary whether it rains or not gorilla trekking is conducted daily as it has never been canceled due to the bad weather.

The best mode of transport for pregnant women

Instead of using length road drives to gorilla national parks, pregnant women are advised to book scheduled or charter flights. Uganda has the longest road journey from the airport to Bwindi or Mgahinga national park taking you 9-10 hours while from Kigali to volcanoes national park it’s only 2 hours there for, with these long hour drives, a scheduled flight should be arranged for pregnant women.

In conclusion gorilla trekking while pregnant is not a good idea it is better to wait until after birth or if you insist then inform the park authorities or your travel agent about your situation in advance so that they will organize for you netter options for gorilla trekking.