Can pregnant women trek gorillas? YES, expectant women can also visit to trek gorillas with no difficulty. Over time, potential travelers especially women have frequently asked whether it’s possible for a pregnant woman to trek gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The right answer to this question is YES, pregnant women can trek gorillas in Bwindi forest, Volcanoes, Mgahinga and Virunga Gorilla National Parks with no difficulty. Gorilla trekking is ranked as the best wildlife experience, a dream come true for over 70% of total tourist arrivals in Africa. Pregnant women are not an exception but also yearn to experience this magical encounter with the endangered gorillas in the jungle. African Apes Tours offers you the pregnant women’s guide for gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo to ensure a peaceful and enjoyable gorilla tours
Fly to gorilla parks
Fly to Bwindi
If you are landing at Entebbe international airport, book scheduled flight from kajjansi to Kihihi or Kisoro airfields to avoid long hours of driving. The drive time from Entebbe to Bwindi Forest/Mgahinag is roughly 10 hours, which can be exhausting for a pregnant woman. For the ground transport to and from the park, make sure you book a land cruiser with hydraulics. These vehicles are comfortable and raised protecting you from feeling the bumpy roads in Bwindi/Mgahinga that can easily cause a miscarriage. If you are traveling on budget and cannot afford scheduled flights from Entebbe to Bwindi, then opt for Kigali to Bwindi gorilla trekking, which shortens the driving time.
Choose a short gorilla trek
Gorilla treks in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo are categorized into short, medium and long treks depending on the ease and difficulty of finding a gorilla family. Short gorilla treks normally take less time while long treks can go for a full day of trekking to meet endangered gorillas. Pregnant women are advised to opt and ask for short gorilla treks. This is done during the pre gorilla trekking briefing where travelers are pit together in groups of 8 each allocated a gorilla family. Gorilla family allocation depends on one’s age, physical fitness, and hiking abilities. if you are pregnant endeavor to remind your guide or the park rangers to help you get a shirt trek gorilla family.
Do physical exercises
Do physical exercises
You must be physically fit to avoid difficulties in gorilla trekking. Pregnant women are advised to do numerous physical exercises such as walking and hiking to ensure physical fitness in preparing for the strenuous but memorable gorilla trekking. Physical exercises will prepare you gorilla trekking in advance and you will not find difficulty to trek through the jungle forests of Bwindi, Mgahinga, Virunga and Volcanoes National parks when the time comes.
Hire a porter
Whereas hiring a porter for gorilla trekking is optional, pregnant women must hire a porter to help her carry baggage. Also, porters give you support by holding your hands on steep slopes and also supporting you in slippery forest grounds. A porter carries all baggage for a pregnant woman saving her of the heavy luggage that can make gorilla trekking difficulty. Fortunately, porters are hired at a very low between $15 to $20 hence affordable for all travelers. Also, hiring a porter is indirect support of local livelihood. Porters are local people who earn a living fro pottering to support their families and improve their standards of living.
Choose a less difficult gorilla sector
If you are trekking gorillas in Bwindi Forest National park, chose to trek in either Rushaga or Buhoma gorilla sectors. These two sectors are located in the south and northern regions of Bwindi respectively and have proved to be simple to trek for pregnant women. Ruhija and Nkuringo gorilla sectors are so steep and difficult to hike hence a challenge to a pregnant woman.
Carry enough drinking water and energy-giving snacks
Pregnant women trekking gorillas are encouraged to carry enough drinking water to quench the thirst when hiking to meet gorillas. Also, endeavor to carry some energy giving snacks including banana, apple, bread, and eggs ad juice among others to keep you strong throughout the trekking session.
Hire a sedan chair
Hire a Sedan chair
If the pregnancy is 7 months and above, it’s advisable you hire a sedan chair to avoid any difficulty uphill. Here a group of 4 porters carry a pregnant woman on a sedan chair to and from the jungle. The expectant mother is only put down when they reach gorillas to help her take pictures and capture videos. Sedan chairs save pregnant women from difficult and strenuous gorilla trek hikes and altitude sickness. Hiring a sedan chair costs $400 to and from gorilla trekking.
How to book a gorilla tour for pregnant women?
African Apes Tours is your ultimate gorilla tour company to arrange for you a suitable gorilla trek for pregnant women. Contact us today, inform us about your pregnancy and we shall tailor-make for you a suitable package.
Conclusively, therefore, pregnant women can go gorilla trekking without challenges. Contact us today, book a tailored gorilla tour and enjoy this lifetime experience.
