TRAVEL Q&A
Gorillas in Your Midst
By Carol Sottili
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 27, 2004; Page P03
Q I'd like to take a tour to see mountain gorillas, but I'm sensitive about invading their habitat. Can you recommend a tour?
Lynn Burkett
Frederick
A Viewing mountain gorillas is strictly regulated by authorities at the Virunga National Park in Rwanda and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda, the only two places the endangered gorillas can be found. Only about 650 are left in the wild; none lives in captivity.
Only about 50 people per day receive permits to visit the various gorilla groups, and no more than six people per day can visit any one group. You can spend no more than an hour seeing the gorillas and you must keep a distance of about eight yards. If you have a cold, you won't be allowed to go on the trek to avoid the spread of human disease.
Some travel groups work more closely with conservation groups devoted to protecting this primate. Erika Archibald, spokeswoman for the nonprofit Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, recommends Volcanoes Safaris (770-730-0960, www.volcanoessafaris.com), which offers tours ranging from five to 11 days. An eight-day "Gorillas in the Virungas and Bwindi" tour from Kigali, Rwanda, is $2,160 per person double. Archibald said the Gorilla Fund's CEO also leads two trips per year. Info: 011-44-20-7483-2681, www.dianfossey.org.
Craig Sholley, spokesman for the African Wildlife Foundation (202-939-3339, www.awf.org), said his nonprofit group occasionally sponsors gorilla treks. He said most of the better-run safari firms in the United States contract with Volcanoes Safaris or Classic Africa Safaris in Uganda to conduct their gorilla treks. Phil Ward, U.S. rep for Classic Africa Safaris, said the average cost, based on four clients, is $230 to $250 per day per person, plus gorilla trekking permits ($125 each); contact Ward at 304-724-8235 or e-mail him at phil.ward3@juno.com.
Could you recommend a town in Holland outside of Amsterdam to use as a base for touring the countryside by car? Any lodging recommendations?
John Curry
Alexandria
© 2004 The Washington Post Company
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_____Correction_____
In some editions of the Post, the Travel Q&A column in the June 27 Travel section gave incorrect contact information for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. The correct information is 800-851-0203, www.gorillafund.org.
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