Uganda – TravelingSaurus

Flashback Photo Friday: Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Heather — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 18:55:00 +0000

One of my fondest travel memories to date is going to visit the mountain gorillas. I was fortunate enough to see them in both Uganda and Rwanda. While I understand the controversies surrounding animal tourism, and the risks of habituating these animals (for example, disease), I strongly believe that there are important benefits. In particular, the ability to monitor their health, their populations, their family dynamics, and other characteristics makes habituation incredibly important.

I want to be a silverback one day!

Tourism can bring in valuable dollars, and help the local population value the preservation of the animals (though this distribution of increased income is often incredibly unequal). I do not think that seeing visitors for an hour each day “ruins” the animals, or makes them less wild. There is also not evidence that habituation and visitors have negatively impacted the gorilla populations in either Uganda or Rwanda since the program started. In fact, the presence of trackers in many cases has also discouraged and prevented poaching.

So this Friday, I’m going to share some more gorilla photos (all from Uganda, Rwanda pictures saved for another time…too many fun ones!) that I haven’t posted before. Enjoy!

A Different Great Ape: Visiting the Chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, Uganda

Heather — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 18:55:00 +0000

In addition to trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Uganda) and Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) to see the infamous mountain gorillas, we also went chimpanzee tracking in Uganda’s Kibale National Park.

Unless you get bored of animals really easily (and if that’s you, I question why you would be on a trip like this in the first place), the chimpanzees are totally worth a stop. Don’t be afraid that they aren’t as interesting as the gorillas, or that the two experiences will be too similar: they aren’t. First, chimp tracking is much easier (a stroll in the forest, really) than hiking to see the gorillas. And it usually takes less time–we hiked easily 2.5 hours or more to see one of the gorilla groups, and the chimps were a leisurely 45 minutes from drop-off. Second, chimps and gorillas are completely different characters, with different social networks, behaviors, mannerisms, etc. And they are a blast to watch.

For example, did you know that chimps nest each night? They are nesters! Each night they create a nest in the trees, and in the morning they “de-nest”, and spend a lot of their day on the ground, only to return to the treetops to build a new nest for the next night. They also utilize tools, like sticks for poking out those delicious termites from their holes.

The chimpanzees, like the gorillas, need to be habituated so that we, the humans, can view them in the wild without the chimpanzees scampering away. Habituation isn’t just to please tourists; it’s used so that researchers can get to know, monitor, and study the population, health, and behaviors of the chimpanzees. Chimpanzees, we were told, are habituated with a single person, who follows them for between 8-12 hours a day, almost every day, for 4-5 years. For many months, they may only be sighted through binoculars. Gradually the chimps grow accustomed to the non-threatening presence of the human, and allow them to move closer and closer. Chimpanzees take longer to habituate than other primates, in part because they do not routinely come together in a single group. After one person is permitted by the chimps to draw closer, the tracker brings a companion so that the animals slowly become used to multiple humans. Eventually, the groups are habituated enough for visitors to come to Kibale and accompany a guide to the tracker familiar with the chimps; these groups have typically been habituated for more than 5-6 years, and usually much longer. The trackers (who have worked to habituate the chimps) know these groups like family–who is pregnant, who is fighting, who wants to be leader next; it’s really incredible.

You definitely can get by without gloves, trekking poles, or hiking boots for a visit to see the chimpanzees. Do be aware there are ticks, though, and gators are still a good idea. Of course I wore my infamous bug jacket: the bugs, I thought, were significantly more annoying with the chimps than with the gorillas, but I think this is highly dependent on the weather and season. And..if you are sick, you won’t be allowed to see the chimps for their own safety. Human diseases are a serious threat to all primate populations. I don’t care if it ruins your holiday, don’t sacrifice their health by being selfish. Now removing myself from my soapbox…

I found the chimps harder to photograph than the gorillas, as they are much more animated. If you are going to visit either of these animals, I’d definitely suggest worrying about photos 50% of the time, and spending the other 50% of the time just enjoying. The great apes are absolutely incredible animals.

We stayed approximately an hour away from Kigali, near beautiful tea plantations and right on one of the crater lakes (Lake Nyinambuga) at Ndali Lodge. It was a beautiful area, and I’d definitely recommend the accommodations–they were beautiful, clean, and delightfully unique.

Do you want to visit the chimpanzees? Or have you already? Please chime in below!

Our Room & Hiking at Ndali Lodge

Footwear for Gorilla Trekking

Heather — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 18:55:00 +0000

When we went to Uganda and Rwanda last year, I searched high and low for bloggers who had footwear recommendations for gorilla trekking. There were a few good finds, but there wasn’t a ton of suggestions other than “hiking boots”.

Fair enough…but…I don’t own hiking boots. I really am not a hiker (and when I do hike, it’s in running shoes). So I was looking for other options, if possible. Obviously, if I really needed hiking boots, I would have bought them…but did I *really* need them? Could I buy something that I would wear more frequently when I returned?

So here’s my ramble on footwear, for all of you who are interested in gorilla trekking and wondering what to wear. It’s just my opinion, based on my experiences and what I observed from the others in our group. What I recommend may not work for you, but hopefully there is enough information here that you can make an educated decision about what will.

First, as other bloggers note, many of the guides and trackers go in wellies. I even considered wellies, as I have a weird phobia of jungle fungus (caused by getting my feet wet…I realize this is irrational, thank you). But I’m glad I didn’t. I don’t care how American Ninja Warrior you think you are (unless you really are one), you aren’t as nimble or surefooted as the guides and guards (and a few porters) who wear wellies. They go up almost every single day. Their feet are accustomed to the wear and tear, and lack of support. Are yours? My feet get sore walking in my wellies for an hour or two…on the sidewalk.

Wellies–out.

Second, there were a few travelers that remarked they would have been fine in tennis shoes. Tennis shoes, particularly trail running shoes, really would have been o.k. for the 2 treks we went on in Rwanda. So if you are only going to Rwanda, you can probably get by in these. With one note–your feet will get wet and muddy. No, you aren’t likely to slip and fall, and you’ll be fine with support and such, but your feet may be soaked and dirty depending on the gorilla group you visit. If you are going to use tennis shoes, I’d suggest finding some with Gore-Tex to add a bit of water resistance. This is especially important if you are doing more than one trek. Who likes to put on wet shoes in the morning? Now if you are going in Uganda, I’d say a resounding no to tennis shoes. We had pretty arduous hikes, and a lot of jungling (like bushwacking in the jungle). They would have been inappropriate, and very slippery. Tennis shoes–may be o.k. (but not ideal) for Rwanda, look for trail-specific shoes with Gore-Tex/water resistance. Out for Uganda.

Third, full-on hiking boots. This was out for me as I’ve never liked full-on hiking boots (high-cut, with ankle support). If you feel like you need additional support, or if you have hiking boots that are so comfortable you never want to leave them, this could definitely be an option. I’d still advise either waterproofing them again before you go, or finding ones that are waterproof/ water resistant. Again, no one likes to put on wet shoes in the morning (though many lodges will do their best to dry your boots for you…which is awesome). Also, consider weight. I’d say the lighter the better, you’ll likely be doing other things besides gorrilla trekking, and you don’t want to have 10 pound boots to lug around. But if you don’t have a pair, do you need to go out and buy some? I’d contend not. Full-on hiking boots–if you already have some you love, cool. If you don’t, but want extra support or will need them in the future, consider lightweight boots with water resistance.

Fourth, hiking shoes. To me this is by far the most sensible and cost-effective option. You’ll likely wear them again somewhere else. They are not that heavy. There are tons of options. They would definitely be appropriate for either Uganda or Rwanda, plus, they are not cumbersome to wear if you are doing other activities like game drives or chimpanzee tracking. I would say 75% of our group had these, and they got along just fine. And yes, if you are going to wear tennis shoes, hiking boots, or hiking shoes, bring gaitors. There are ticks, there are sticks, and there are other things you don’t want in your socks. Bring gaitors. Do I need to repeat? Bring gaitors.

Hiking shoes–great option for most people. Appropriate but not over the top. Easier to pack.

Fifth, the black swan (i.e. the Dubarry boot or similar). Ok, so I’ll admit I had wanted a pair of these for years. But I never had a good excuse to buy them. I decided that I would order them, see how they seemed, and then decide whether they were appropriate for trekking. They weren’t just appropriate, they were perfect. Even the trackers and guides complimented them. They kept my feet and legs dry and clean. The protected me from branches and vines (and have the scrapes to show it). They were so easy to slide off and on. I never got a blister or as much as a rub. I did add insoles, which seems sort of silly for the price of the boot, but I found them a bit hard at first. They were incredibly waterproof–in a downpour, my feet were still dry. Don’t worry about them being too hot–the inside material is remarkably more breathable than I was expecting. I’d contend they are a bit more fashionable than hiking shoes and gators too, though I would not recommend (as much as I would like to) putting fashion over function for gorilla trekking.

Dubarry boot–worth a shot! Waterproof. Supportive. Keeps creepy crawlies out of socks (no gaitors needed). Incredibly functional. I loved them.

Yup, there are downsides to my footwear selection: $$. But I actually wore them nearly every day this winter, so I found them well worth the price (they are fantastic for snow!). They are also a bit bulky, though not that heavy. I ended up wearing them in the airport, even though I could fit them in my luggage. Why? Because they were so flipping comfortable, and super easy to slide on and off to run to the bathroom during the transcontinental flights.

They aren’t going to work for everyone–my mom tried some, and couldn’t get her foot in the size boot she needed, as they don’t zip. Yet its saying something that she even ordered a pair (after wearing mine with layered socks), as I definitely got the “what type of child did I raise” look when I ordered them, because of the price.

Oh, I love these boots (Though I don’t have good pictures of them)!

Last 2 tips:

1. Please, please wear your boots/shoes/whatever before you get to the gorilla trek. This is hiking advice 101. Or at least bring lots of blister bandages if you aren’t going to do that so you aren’t in pain.
2. When testing out a boot or shoe, don’t forget to walk down a really steep hill. Most trekking involves going up up up and then down down down. Up feels fine in a lot of shoes…down may not. You don’t want crushed toes.

So there you have it. I’d love to hear others chime in about how they decided what to take, and if they have regrets or suggestions!