The Sedan chair – originally built for wealthy men in London, the Sedan is a facilitator for Physically challenged persons including elderly Travelers to get to see Mountain gorillas in Africa. Hiring the sedan costs about $300 – $500 per chair per day.
Originally made of a seat inside a cabin with a detachable roof mounted on two poles and carried by two men known as ‘chairmen’, one at the front and one at the rear, the sedan chair has evolved to a 12 able-bodied man carriage popularly used to carry disabled, unfit and even elderly travellers into the forests of Bwindi, Mgahinga and Volcanoes National Parks – to see Gorillas.
Following the filthy uncontrolled street litter in London which became a health hazard in the 16th – 17th century, the originally French sedan chair was introduced to London in 1634 by Sir Saunders Duncombe. The sedans immediately became popular and were a favourite of many since they were a lot cheaper than taking a hackney cab, and besides being cheap, they got you through the narrowest streets of then London.
The Sedan Chair was named after a French town where they were first made…
By design, the passenger would get into the sedan carriage from the front through a hinged door, and then the carriage would get lifted by two men called “chairmen”. Sedan chairs soon became popular among the historical British social class of Land & real estate owners knowns as the Gentry who liked the chair because it allowed them to keep their shoes spotless clean, and for the tall fellas, the detachable roof allowed them to showcase to the city their sophisticated hairdressing styles.
Having become a favourite of the fairly wealthy class of people all over London, the sedan chairs were eventually legally allowed to travel on pavement previously meant for pedestrians. It was expected that pedestrians would give way to them if they sounded a vocal warning of ‘Have a care!’ or ‘By your leave, sir!’, but this was often not the case, and so there were frequent accidents that involved chairs tipping over.
As a remedy to the numerous sedan chair accidents on the streets of London, a law was put into place. Like present-day taxi drivers, chairmen were supposed to be licensed and sedan chair stations were set up from which passengers could hire a chair. The chairs were all day-round available for hire, but after midnight the fare was doubled, and After dark, the sedan chair would be accompanied by ‘link boys’ or torchbearers to light the way for the chairmen – all in a bid to make it safer for the passengers.
The wealthy people would not use these stations but would rather send their footmen/porters out into the street to summon a chair by shouting, “Chair! Chair!”. The very wealthy might have their own chair, kept in the hall and often painted and decorated to reflect the decor of the house.
However, despite its boom, the sedan began to fall out of favour due to the rapid expansion of the cities and the distances involved meant that travelling by chair became time-wasting and somewhat inconveniencing. The sedan became less and less fashionable, and by the mid-19th century had virtually disappeared from the streets.
The Return of the Sedan Chair
The sedan chair has found its place on the East African Safari market as the best way to transport the Elderly, disabled, and unfit travellers wanting to see mountain gorillas in Uganda, and Rwanda.
Gorilla Trekking in a Sedan seat
Gorilla Trekking in a Sedan Chair is a new adventure experience that involves a team of 12 able-bodied local porters carrying two (02) poster steel chairs through the toughest terrain you probably ever imagined. This has been tried and tested and has been qualified as the Best way to see Gorillas for physically challenged travellers.
How safe is it to trek gorillas in a Sedan Chair?
Many worry about the safety of the sedan . However, we can wholesomely assure you that this mode of transportation is considered very safe, and has been used by a number of our clients. The local folks (men) that man this chair are very strong and are capable of getting you through the toughest terrain – they have done it for ages and have the expertise.
What is the Cost/Price Of hiring a sedan chair for Gorilla Trekking?
The price of hiring a sedan chair is not fixed but ranges between $300 – $500 (return trip). This is paid to the locals who directly get involved in carrying you back and forth to the gorillas. Although the sedan chair is readily available upon request, we often recommend that you plan to book and pay for your chair well in advance especially if you think you need one.
