Photo: Anisha Shah
around and show up. They’re very relaxed, radiating happiness in the mid-morning sunshine,
casually ripping and chewing on eucalyptus.
The Mountain Gorillas are critically endangered. Here, stood admiring their humanlike
qualities, this fact is made more real and tragic.
They possess unique fingerprints just like
humans. The gestation period is 8.5 months
and females feed babies for several years, so
it’s a 4-year cycle before a new generation is
produced. Though it’s a slow process, here in
Rwanda, the numbers are showing signs of
increase. A percentage of profit from tourism
goes directly towards their conservation. Part
of this involves the re-training of local communities in skills beyond subsistence farming
and in turn educating them to appreciate the
value of the gorillas and the tourism it brings.
Initiatives such as women’s cooperatives
contribute to skills training and empowerment, providing families with more sets of
income. Since being designated a national
park, the gorillas are monitored and fiercely
protected. At US $750 per trek, to spend 1 hour
with the gorillas, it’s not cheap. But the experience is truly once-in-a-lifetime and worth
every cent.
Luxurious lodgings
I choose to stay within the rustic yet luxurious
acreage of Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, positioned atop a hill with the best vantage point
in the region. Governors Camps pamper guests
with this location. The communal lounge
and dining area overlook uninterrupted
views of a majestic trio of volcanoes. Homely
and plush, the interior has a real family feel,
which managers Tracy and Nelis constantly
strive to achieve. From Tracy’s kitchen serving
up hearty meals of fresh local ingredients,
to home screenings of spectacular wildlife
photography by Nelis, their passion translates
and is catchy. Guests join a family ambiance,
swapping the day’s stories and sightings over
dinner and laughing together in the luxurious
lounge area over drinks. When the time comes
to retire to individual cottages, which