Face to Face with Giants: Trekking Gorillas in Rwanda
I’ve just returned from one of the most extraordinary journeys I’ve led in Africa — a trip through Tanzania and Rwanda that culminated in two unforgettable gorilla treks.
We were a group of 22, ranging from energetic thirty-somethings to remarkable travellers in their eighties. Logistically, it was a puzzle worthy of a chess grandmaster. Over two consecutive days, we divided into three trekking groups each day, carefully matched by fitness level to ensure every guest could comfortably reach their assigned gorilla family.
Six treks. Six different encounters. Six groups convinced they had the best experience.
And in truth, they were all right.
Trek One: The Dynasty
My first trek brought us to a remarkably large family of 23 gorillas, including four silverbacks — an unusually powerful presence in one group.
We sat just feet away as life unfolded around us:
mothers nursing and grooming
adolescents play-fighting with theatrical enthusiasm
toddlers tumbling through vines
adults eating and dozing in the filtered forest light
and, in the spirit of full transparency, the full spectrum of bodily functions
one enthusiastic couple engaged in what our guide cheerfully termed “jiggy jiggy”
It was intimate, calm, and profoundly humbling.
The trek itself was relatively gentle, allowing us time to simply sit and observe the rhythms of gorilla society.
Trek Two: The Nursery
The following day delivered an entirely different encounter.
This family was small — just nine individuals — with a single silverback, several mothers, and a delightful abundance of tiny infants.
The dynamic was quieter, more intimate.
Then the forest shifted.
We became aware of movement nearby: forest elephants and buffalo moving through the vegetation. The trackers stayed alert. The gorillas stayed cautious. The forest felt alive in a new way.
Witnessing gorillas in proximity to other large mammals added a subtle edge of wild authenticity to the experience.
This was not a staged wildlife encounter. This was the forest operating on its own terms.
Six Treks, One Truth
Across two days:
three groups each day
six different gorilla families visited
six completely unique encounters
Every group returned convinced their hour had been the best.
Each hour was extraordinary — and entirely different from the next.
Why Gorilla Trekking Remains Unmatched
It had been several years since I last saw gorillas. Returning reminded me why this remains one of the greatest wildlife experiences on Earth.
To sit quietly just feet from:
a mother cradling her baby
a massive silverback watching calmly
young gorillas tumbling through the undergrowth
…guided by expert trackers and surrounded by the stillness of ancient forest is one of life’s rare privileges..
This is not just wildlife viewing.
It is connection.
If You Haven’t Seen Gorillas
If you have the time and the means, go. Do it while you can.
If You Have Seen Gorillas
You already understand. Go again.
Every encounter is different. Every moment feels new.
And somehow, it never loses its power.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced gorillas again — both now and in years past.
And I know I would return in a heartbeat.