Is gorilla trekking worth the money?

If you do a search for this question you'll find hundreds of pages – mostly from companies selling gorilla treks – saying yes it's definitely worth the money. My reply is more qualified: if you have to ask, the answer might actually be no!

For many, seeing the gorillas is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Personally I love it so much I’ve been four times!

But whether it is quite so life-changing for you depends on how passionate you are about wildlife encounters, hiking, (and early morning starts!) I actually think you’re most likely to be disappointed if your entire trip revolves around just seeing the gorillas – after your 60 minutes, the rest of the trip might feel anticlimactic. It should be regarded as a whole day’s activity in a pristine natural environment, not just the single hour with the great apes.

To get maximum value from the experience, make sure you’re prepared. Be as fit as possible, wear the right gear, rest well and don’t try to pack too many activities into your itinerary. These are both fascinating countries with much more than ‘just’ gorilla tracking; slow down and round out your experience by getting to know the rest of the country.