Your experience on transport to Gorillas

Hi, I was there on Dec 4th and hired a car from Kigali. It was just me and the driver in a 4x4 jeep. I was grouped with the Sabyinyo group (8 of us); we all had our own transportation so it wasn't an issue. I noticed alot of 4x4 jeeps with just one or two people in it that could easily fit more so I think you'll be ok to just show up and ask for a ride and offer some money for it. I saw one person ask to catch a lift after being assigned to a group and it didn't seem to be a bother. Once you get to the park office you can start talking to other trekkers to find out who's interested in what group and then network for a ride from there... Each group is assigned 8 trekkers. The Sabyinyo group is the easiest of the treks (so I hear) and for my group, it was an hour into our hike when we came upon the gorillas (12 of them). If you want the Susa group, which I believe is the one that is the longest hike to a big family, just let it be known when you check in, get to the office early, and don't be shy to talk to others once you get there.

Yes, the whole driver thing is annoying. The goal of the Rwandans is for each person or couple to have their own driver at an incredibly ridiculous cost (I can remember exactly, but I seem to recall it being over $ 100). I also stayed at the Knigi Guesthouse. While the Knigi is close to the office where groups are assigned and depart it is NOT necesarrily all that close to where your hike will begin. After assignment to a gorilla group you have to drive from that office to wherever the hike to that group begins. Some are quite close; others are much further (not within walking distance). When I arrived at Knigi (night before the trek) I started sussing out the situation and discovered that the whole transport situation was really a racket. Nobody (local) will drive you for less than the obnoxiously high going rate. So I did the next best thing: I sucked up to a couple of gentlemen doctors from my home country (who it turned out I had hobbies in common with) and within no time they offered me transportation the next day at no cost. They had their own driver (brought from Uganda) for their entire trip so they even loaned him out to me to take me back to the border in the afternoon. Otherwise I would have done the same thing as you plan: walked to the station and made friends with somebody else with a driver. As it turned out our hike start point was maybe half a mile or so from the station. Had I paid the Big Bucks for my own Land Rover for that short a distance I would have been particularly peeved. I will say that altogether that Rwanda - esp the gorillas - is the one place in the world where I have most felt that the populace sees the foreigner as a giant walking ATM. You might be thinking "Catfriend, many Third World countries view westerners this way." I still say the Rwandans take it to a whole nother level. The gorillas are great, though. Defintely a highlight.