Questions about the day itself

Genuinely unpredictable — anything from about forty minutes to most of the morning, depending entirely on where the family moved overnight.

Trackers are usually with them from first light and radio the position back, so it is a directed walk rather than a search. Nobody knows the length when you set out, and any operator giving you a figure in advance is guessing.

The pace is set by the group and by the trackers, and there is no prize for speed. Say at the briefing how you are feeling — allocation takes some account of fitness where it can, and some families sit consistently closer to the trailhead.

Take a porter. And ask early about a sedan chair if mobility is a real constraint: it is a genuine option, carried by a team, and it has taken people up who would otherwise not have gone.

Proper waterproof jacket and trousers, worn-in boots with ankle support, gaiters, long sleeves and trousers tucked into socks, and gardening gloves — genuinely, because you will grab vegetation that stings.

Layers, because it is cold at the start, hot on the climb and cold again when you stop moving. Carry very little and give the rest to a porter.

Almost always, because trackers locate the family before you set out and the walk is directed to them. It is much more reliable than most wildlife viewing.

What is not guaranteed is what they are doing when you arrive. Frequently they are resting in thick vegetation, and what you see is a face and a shoulder through leaves. That is the honest version, and both halves of it are remarkable.

No. A minimum viewing distance is required and it has been increased in recent years, because mountain gorillas are susceptible to human respiratory disease and the population is small.

If a young gorilla approaches you, the rule is still yours to keep: you back away. Follow the guide immediately rather than after thinking about it.

Yes, and they are the opposite experience — loud, fast, largely above you, with the tracking more active. Kibale in Uganda is the strongest place for it; Nyungwe in Rwanda is the alternative.

Permits are considerably cheaper than gorilla permits, so it adds days and variety rather than much cost. Golden monkeys in Rwanda are the easy, inexpensive half-day version and work well for anybody not doing two gorilla treks.

A Rwanda and Uganda safari is usually quoted fully inclusive: accommodation, all meals, park and conservancy fees, your guide and vehicle, and transport between parks. Most camps include soft drinks, house wine, beer and laundry.

Not included: international flights, visas or travel authorisation, travel insurance, tips, premium drinks, and extras like balloon flights and spa treatments.

For July to October — the migration months in the Masai Mara — six to twelve months is normal, and the best small camps sell out first. Christmas and New Year book up just as early.

For the shoulder months, three to four months is usually comfortable. Inside eight weeks we can still put a very good trip together, but you are choosing from what is left rather than from everything.

This site is a planning guide. When you send an enquiry it goes to Nomad Africa, our partner travel agency in Kenya, who prepare your itinerary and quote and handle the booking, the payments and you on the ground.

You deal with one team from the first email to the airport transfer home.

No. Sending your dates, getting an itinerary and getting a costed quote is free and carries no obligation. Money only changes hands when you decide to hold space at a camp.

The safari areas themselves are well run, and camps take guest safety seriously. The practical risks are ordinary travel risks: road transfers, sun, stomach upsets and not listening to your guide around animals.

Check your own government’s current travel advice for Rwanda and Uganda before you book and again before you fly, and take out insurance that covers medical evacuation. We will not tell you an area is fine if the advice says otherwise.