10 things to consider before booking a gorilla safari in Rwanda in 2024-2025.
The ten key factors to give thought when scheduling a gorilla safari in Rwanda for 2024–2025. Book the gorilla permit in advance if you want to join gorilla trekking safaris in Rwanda 2024 to 2025. Though there are few Rwanda gorilla permits, demand for them—especially during the busiest season—is great.
The mountain gorillas found on the Northwestern side of Rwanda only find habitat in Volcanoes National Park. There are fifteen gorilla families accessible for treking in Rwanda; however, as the habituation process goes on, the list can change.
Book lodging to use on the gorilla safari in Advance as facilities of your comfortable choice and budget run out, particularly during the busy seasons: June, July, August, September, December, and January.
Choose the gorilla safari package that fits your budget, mid-range, luxury, or otherwise. This lets you create financial plans and save enough money to get you through the gorilla safari in Rwanda. Get your trip insurance beforehand and see if the package includes the cost of your gorilla permit as well.
As the age restriction for gorilla trips in Rwanda is 15 years and above, be sure those booking the gorilla permits for Rwanda are qualified.
Save the means of transportation for use on gorilla trips in Rwanda; competent, experienced driver guides may have a lot of effort to locate during the busiest Rwanda season.
Considerations Regarding Booking a Gorilla Safari in Rwanda 2024 to 2025
Time to arrange the gorilla safari in Rwanda
Anytime of the year is the ideal time to arrange a gorilla safari in Rwanda. Still, most visitors choose the dry season, which marks the height of Rwanda safaris: June, July, August, September, December, and January.
To confirm a gorilla safari in Rwanda, you have to have the gorilla permit. A gorilla permit for Rwanda is a purchase-based document produced by the Rwanda Development Board. Neither completely nor partly reserved, no Rwanda gorilla permits are free from charge. Although a maximum of 8 gorilla permits are offered daily per family, demand for permits during the peak season is great.
Though limitations and conditions apply, the low season sometimes comes with cheaper permit prices if your budget is restricted yet you desire to visit for Rwanda gorilla safari. Usually, Rwanda’s low season of tourism falls in March, April, May, and November. The service providers sometimes also provide discounts on goods like travel, lodging, and others. It is not a promise that these deals will always be accessible.
Though this relies on the Rwanda Development Board, chances of obtaining cheap gorilla permits in Rwanda are available during the low season. Currently in the low season, you could get a gorilla permit discount in Rwanda from $1500 per permit to $1050 per gorilla permit; however, you have to have booked safaris to at least two Rwanda safari sites, either Akagera or Nyungwe National Parks.
Pre-book gorilla licences for Rwanda.
Given their swift selling-through, booking gorilla permits in advance is advised. Booking a gorilla permit should ideally be done six months to a year ahead as the only assurance you will be part of the gorilla safari offers is a permission.
Although Rwanda Development Board is supposed to sell and control the Rwanda gorilla licenses, they acquire these permits using a first come, first served approach.
You need a date and quantity of permits you want to get in order to reserve Rwanda gorilla permits.
When you get in touch with Katland Safaris, our tour adviser examines the availability of gorilla permits based on Rwanda Development Board list. We kindly ask that you buy your permit shortly after we have availability. The availability of gorilla permits fluctuates without notice, hence you can quickly lose these licenses.
The Rwanda Development Board solely employs first-come, first-served booking for Gorilla permits for Rwanda, hence payment is all that is needed.
Once the gorilla permission has been confirmed, kindly provide us some personal information for identification, including your complete name as seen on the passport, birthdate, and nationality.
Book lodging for Rwanda’s gorilla trip.
Luxury, mid-range, and economical categories define Rwanda gorilla safari lodging. Your choice of gorilla safari package depends much on the kind of lodging you pick. Spending the night within or near Volcanoes National Park helps you to make up with briefing time at the ORTPN, therefore preventing early morning worry.
Missing a briefing before the gorilla trekking trip might mean being denied access to this experience even with a permit.
Volcanoes Accommodations: Kinigi Guest House, La Palme Hotel, Hotel Muhavura, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge.
Choose means of transportation to Volcanoes National Park.
Volcanoes National Park is around three hours from Kigali, hence you should know how to get there. Although most people go to Volcanoes National Park via road, you must have at least a 4×4 wheel drive car in decent condition to get there.
While staying in Kigali city and gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is doable, this calls for late night travel to reach the park. There might be a problem as sometimes morning visibility is needed more strongly. Spend the night either inside or near the gorilla safari location to prevent any doubt throughout the trip.
In case you would like a more private gorilla safari in Rwanda, you may also be flown. Kigali airport offers charter aircraft services to Volcanoes National Park; nonetheless, prior booking is essential to get all appropriate approvals.
Extra pursuits to go along with gorilla walking in Rwanda
Rwanda offers more than only gorilla safaris, particularly considering additional vacation time. To list just a few, you may undertake game drives in Akagera National Park, chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park, Kigali city tour, and birding in Rwanda while on a visit.
Based on your budget, we at Katland Safaris can arrange a gorilla safari for you and customize the finest itinerary to fit your visit timing to Rwanda.
Choose the suitable gorilla hiking equipment.
Your trip will be much more pleasant and fun if you pack little yet appropriate for the Rwanda safari. During gorilla trekking, the path to locate the mountain gorillas is via a hard terrain forest. The greatest suggestion is to pack the correct equipment for your gorilla’s trip of safaris.
Safari boots, a long-sleeved shirt and pants, a safari hat, bug repellant, a safari bag, and more might be some things you bring for your gorilla trekking safari.
Having too many bags might create trouble for you and the other passengers as they could eat up the legroom, making it difficult for you to watch, and give you tiredness should you have to unload or load them.
Do workouts in Pre Gorilla Safari?
Start your basic workouts to get your body ready for this African safari trip as soon as you are intrigued in gorilla treking in Rwanda. Generally hilly, Rwanda has various highlands where mountain gorillas usually spend their days—especially on the slopes or deep inside the valleys. It is really difficult to travel up the slopes at Volcanoes National Park in order to find the mountain gorillas during gorilla treking.
Five of the six Virunga volcanoes—Mountain Karisimbi, Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura, Mountain Sabyinyo, and Mountain Bisoke—make up Volcanues National Park. These mountains make the climb to view the mountain gorillas more difficult and steep.
Though you don’t have to spend the whole day at the gym, do stretch your muscles more than you typically do.
Choose from the gorilla safaris packages within your means.
Knowing the gorilla safari package you want to reserve in Advance enables you to plan and save for your trip. We at Katland Safaris arrange our gorilla safaris based on Upmarket, Mid-range, and budget. The gorilla safari package costs more the more features it offers.
The gorilla permit fee cuts across all gorilla safari packages and is the shared expense.
If your budget is restricted yet you want an upgrade on the gorilla safari in Rwanda, low season possibilities might be accessible. Usually June, July, August, September, December, and January, the Low Rwanda safari season runs.
To break even, certain service providers—including lodging facilities—offer lower rates on their amenities. This chance might help you to enhance your gorilla safari in Rwanda.
Visiting Rwanda for a gorilla trekking experience calls for one to be fifteen years and above. The age restriction for gorilla safaris in Rwanda is this one. This is so because of the topography—deep valleys and steep hills you may have to climb. Children under fifteen could not be able to tolerate this.
The search for the mountain gorillas is somewhat demanding, therefore someone with some degree of fitness—even young youngsters below the age of fifteen might still require.
Though you should be in a position to restrain and not display these monkeys, the mountain gorillas seem to be somewhat scary at first look and may cause some adrenaline. Children under 15 years old may find it difficult to bear this time and may scream.
Brief your eligible youngsters about the gorilla safari in Rwanda so they are not startled on the day of the gorilla trip. Show them what they anticipate, what to do, how to reach the mountain gorillas and the guidelines of gorilla trekking.
Rules of gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda
Though they are highly protected species, mountain gorillas might be amenable to public visitation. Based on the most recent mountain gorilla population census, the globe has around 1000 mountain gorillas. Following gorilla trekking guidelines is really important.
Littering changes the ecosystem these primates live in naturally. Dumping objects like plastic does not break down, which changes the character of the forest and the ecosystem these mountain gorillas eat from.
It is against spitting on plants as it contaminates the food source for mountain gorillas.
During the gorilla trekking adventure, keep in a close group as they feel angry, ambushed, and uncomfortable around. This could cause them to withdraw into the park’s deeper ends.
Mountain gorillas are afraid of new events in their surroundings, hence using flash photography is forbidden.
Volunteering to remain behind can help you avoid passing any communicative infection—such as cholera, fever, cough, or virus—on the gorillas. They are very easily infected by humans. The degree of their influence might lead the efforts at conservation to revert to extremely endangered.
Eating or smoking three hundred meters near the mountain gorillas is banned to avoid giving the gorillas access to grab from you. Wild animals have to find their own food and rely not on human supply.
Burry all faeces materials beyond recognition so the forest’s creatures cannot exhume them. About thirty centimeters, ask the ranger to dig a hole for you that should be covered carefully.
Should you want to cough or sneeze, do it away from the mountain gorillas and make use of your handkerchief or elbow.
When on a gorilla trekking adventure, try not to make noise or speak loudly since you could also frighten the other forest inhabitants who might be fascinating to watch.
Following the Corona Virus Lockdown, all primate safaris have a rule: wearing a clean mask before seeing the mountain gorillas.
Gorilla trekking experience has a 15-year and beyond age restriction as youngsters below this age would not be able to survive the wild circumstances.
Get in touch to learn more about gorilla safaris in Rwanda.
