Gorilla Trekking With Children, Family, Kids And Minimum age
Gorilla trekking with children; of late it has become a habit for travelers preparing for family for holidays to Uganda and Rwanda with Gorilla trekking on their itinerary while coming with children below 15 years of age. So, the enormous question consistently is; will our children be authorized to trek the gorillas or what is the minimum age for Gorilla trekking?
To begin with, the minimum age for gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Volcanoes National Park in Uganda and Rwanda respectively is 15 years and above. This is seriously enforced in both Uganda and Rwanda. But if you asked me; is possible for children below 15 years to do Gorilla trekking? The answer will be an absolute YES, but only in Uganda! There however are some instances where a child below 15 years may trek gorillas. That said and done, all park authorities are very serious when it comes to age limits to the extent that passport details will be requested before a gorilla permit is issued. On the day of trekking gorillas, each tourist will also be requested to produce an original passport to make sure that all those that will trek gorillas are of the right age.
Gorilla Trekking With Children……Cnt
The minimum gorilla trekking age is strictly 15 years and above mostly because of the steep terrain which makes it extremely challenging for the young ones to take on the trek since the trek ascends right from the start.
Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rwanda Development Board may allow a child below 15 years to trek gorillas. When the child is about to celebrate his or her 15th birthday, both Uganda and Rwanda gorilla authorities may extend sympathy to such a child and allow him or her to trek gorillas. The second instance where a child below 15 years may trek gorillas in Uganda is when much as he/she is below the required age expresses maturity and is physically strong. If the above are assessed and the child qualifies, authorities may decide to give that child a chance to trek gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda.
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In Uganda, if parents are traveling with their children as a family, a consent letter can be written to the Uganda Wildlife Authority expressing the child’s interest in participating in gorilla trekking. The child can be given a gorilla trekking permit hence granting him/her access to the mountain gorillas with ease in Uganda. Rwanda is very strict and it is very hard to issue a gorilla permit to an underage child hence the chances of that child getting a permit are very low.
The parents of the kids with intentions of trekking gorillas will be required to sign an indemnity form by the park warden in Bwindi and Mgahinga such that in case the child is unable to finish the trek, the parents will not hold it against the park authorities. The park authorities will always try to allocate them to the gorilla group that is closer to the briefing point.
The other trek gorillas easily with children is by hiring porters who will lift them through the trek and this is the easiest way for kids to trek gorillas. If interested in the walk itself, the child can walk one way and experience how it feels to penetrate the impenetrable forest!
Are you organizing a family holiday intending to do Gorilla trekking with kids in Uganda? Reach out to us today and we will organize for you a memorable experience.
