In Virunga National Park, it pays to prepare well for a gorilla trek. Hiking through mountainous, equatorial rain forests can be muddy. It can be hot and humid with occasional short downpours too, so appropriate clothing, good hiking boots, and gear like poles and gaiter, all add up to a comfortable trek. It is a bucket list experience precisely because it is not easy to get close to gorillas in the wild, but when you do, you will be excited and more than thrilled once you look into the beautiful brown eyes of mountain gorillas.
Planning or packing for a gorilla safari is a stressful experience sometimes, but it doesn’t have to be. Going into it with a clear idea of what you will want and need for the vacation at hand will make the planning that much easier for you.
Prepare a list of things to bring; a list of items can vary widely depending on the type of safari trip you are planning. You should start packing for a trip a few days before you are scheduled to leave. That way you have some time to think about anything you might be forgetting and you will not need to rush around at the last minute.
If you have lots of different types of activities you plan to do like the Nyiragongo hike and gorilla trekking experience, which means you have a fair amount of gear you need to pack into your suitcase. Keep your clothing organised in compartments based on outfit type or activity by using packing cubes. You can start with the basics like lightweight clothing that can be layered, long-sleeved shirts, sweaters or fleece jacket, t-shirts and tank tops, pants, and shits among others.
Certain things like an extra set of clothes are recommended across the board, while other things can be brought or left depending on the type of place you are going to be.
Here is a list of things to consider bringing on a safari to Congo.
Start by collecting all of your important documents in a travel document organizer. The travel organiser holds a passport, documents, a boarding pass, pen, photo Id bank card including credit card for emergency situations, yellow fever vaccination card, which are necessary to bring along whenever you are traveling abroad. This will help ensure you have everything you need to get from one place to the next.
As soon as you book a trip, it is a good idea to double-check that your passports and IDs are not expired and that they will not expire while you are traveling internationally. Also consider emailing yourself a copy of your passport, driver’s license, medical cards, and itinerary, so if anything happens to them you will be able to access them online.
Clothes for a weekend trip, a fresh set of clothing should be considered necessary. You will want to feel fresh on the second and third day of being away from home and in the case that your first set of clothes gets wet or dirty; you will want something to fall back on. The same applies to socks and underwear. Bring heavier clothing, like a jacket, based on the forecasted weather.
Pack to suit the weather, your packing should be arranged with respect to your safari activities and the environment of that destination. Because your trip will only encompass a couple of days, it is prudent to check the weather forecast for those days and plan accordingly.
If there is going to be rain, the clothes you bring should reflect that. In case of the sun, bringing sunglasses and sunscreen will be helpful too. Cold weather demands you to bring heavier clothing like winter jackets and warm clothes.
Toiletries like toothpaste and toothbrush should be deemed essential for your trip. If the place you are going has running water, then a small vial of shampoo and conditioner should be brought along as well to ensure you are feeling fresh throughout the trip.
Keep possible emergencies in mind, under the nest circumstances; carry a small bit of first – aid along with your toiletries. This includes some band-aids, aloe vera, and headache relievers. These will take up a negligible amount of space and you will be glad you bought them if it comes time to use them.
Pack lightly for a safari trip, you are more like to overpack that under. Unless you are going camping, you won’t need much to hold you over for a weekend, and carrying too much stuff around will sap some of the enjoyment of travel, to begin with. If you can see how much you can minimize the amount of stuff you bring and try to fit it all into a backpack.
Some bathing suits, as well as shorts and tank tops. At most beaches, it’s usually warm, so try to wear loose-fitting clothes that are comfortable to wear in the heat. Despite this, it can get cool at night, so having a sweatshirt or hoodie is good to pack as well.
