How to plan a family gorilla trekking safari and holiday.
The ages of every participant should be taken into account when organizing a gorilla trekking expedition for the family. Only visitors fifteen years of age and above are qualified for gorilla treking. Think about the places you want to go gorilla trekking with the family; family memories are highly valuable.
Three African nations—that is, Uganda, Rwanda, and D.R. Congo—are gorilla trekking sites. Security-related concerns drive Uganda and Rwanda as the most desired destination for family gorilla trekking adventure safaris.
Family gorilla trekking safari planning
Choose a day when you want to go gorilla trekking as a family and indicate the number of persons qualified for this experience.
Choose Rwanda or Uganda if you want to go gorilla trekking with the family from another nation.
Advance book the gorilla trekking permits to prevent last-minute frantic search for bookings.
When you ask us, our safari adviser investigates the availability of gorilla permits within the dates of your preferred option.
Should good availability, we ask our customers to buy their gorilla permits as soon as first come, first served basis is used to reserve them.
Every family member should be encouraged to work out beforehand to maintain their body in shape and ready to negotiate the wilderness circumstances you will be in while gorilla treking.
Where in family life should one find Trekking Safari with Gorillas Volcanoes National Park
Mountain gorillas in Rwanda only find habitat in national parks around volcanoes. In Rwanda, some fifteen gorilla families are completely habituated and available for visitors.
Among the Rwanda gorilla families are Karisimbi, Amahoro, Umubano, Agashya, Hirwa, Susa, Sabyinyo, and others.
Tourists assemble at the ORTPN for briefing on the gorilla trekking day. Tourists are assigned to these gorilla families based on age, degree of fitness, and other factors; groups of a maximum of eight visitors are used. Unfortunately, the sudden changes in the forest that force the Rwanda gorilla family to migrate make it difficult to find the simplest family.
Rwanda has 96 gorilla permits accessible for visitors right now. Still, given the great demand, they sell quickly—especially in the peak seasons, June through September and December through January. The reason completion for booking Rwanda gorilla permits so competitive is their restricted supply.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The biggest gorilla walking ground in Uganda is Bwindi Impenetrable national park. About 327 square kilometers of land make up the park. From its great scale, the park was split into four gorilla trekking areas: the northern Buhoma region, the eastern Rihijah area, the Nkuringo area, and the southern Rushaga area.
Two gorilla families are accessible for gorilla habituation whereas eighteen gorilla families are now completely habituated for gorilla trekking trips.
Every gorilla permit granted for Bwindi impenetrable national park is reserved based on the area. This is one reason you should think about where your gorilla permit is reserved before lodging is arranged.
Mngahinga National Park
Mgahinga National Park is situated in western deep southern Uganda. Comprising only 33–7 kilometers, the woodland is the smallest national park. Mgahinga National Park’s geography consists also of three volcanoes: mountain Sabyinyo, mountain Muhavura, and mountain Gahinga.
Mgahinga National Park roams from the northern slopes of these mountains; these surroundings are where the sole gorilla family of this park resides. Within Mgahinga national park, the only completely habituated family is the Nyakagezi gorilla family.
In the past, the Nyakagezi gorilla family was known to travel into Rwanda, but today, it’s continuously residing in Uganda. You may pre-book the gorilla permits for Mgahinga national park.
What is treking in a gorilla?
Following a completely habituated gorilla family in the forest and spending only one priceless hour in their company is the experience known as gorilla trekking. To be allowed to participate in extraordinary Africa safari trip, you have to get a gorilla trekking permit.
Describe Gorilla Habituation.
The method of bringing a wild gorilla family used to human presence without changing their nature is known as gorilla habituation. For a gorilla trekking safari, for instance, you follow a semi-habituated gorilla family accompanied by habituators and researchers.
A Gorilla Trekking Permission’s Value
The cost of the gorilla permit varies depending on your chosen destination for gorilla treking.
For international non-residents, the Uganda gorilla permits cost $800; for foreign residents, $700; and for East African citizens, 300 000shs.
Right now, a Rwanda gorilla permit is $1500 per person per expedition.
D.R. Congo gorilla permits now run $450 per person each trip.
The gorilla permit fee includes and excludes what?
One hour with the mountain gorillas, ranger guide fees, mountain gorilla conservation expenses, park admission fees, security, local community assistance, and others makes one gorilla permit.
Gorilla permit fee excludes transportation to the locations, tips, refreshments, packed lunch, and any other item of personal nature.
For what length of time is gorilla trekking?
You just have one hour to find the mountain gorillas; the exact moment of discovery is still unknown. Their unrestricted mobility in the forest and other possible wilderness events help to explain this. You might so spend around two hours or more from the beginning of the gorilla trip.
If you could have some patience during gorilla trekking to follow the path of the gorilla family you are assigned to, it would be ideal. Although the ranger guide matches the slowest trekkers, this does not imply postponing the remainder of the party.
A family gorilla trekking safari costs what?
The main expense of the gorilla trekking trip is the gorilla permit; other elements also affect the whole cost. Every family member has to obtain a personal gorilla permit. Some of these comprise:
Gorilla hiking qualified family members’ count
The gorilla trekking safari costs less per person the more paying people join it. Among safari facilities, you may split car hiring, gasoline, driver guide price, etc.
Days on the gorilla hiking safari
Since most service providers charge by day, the fee increases with the more days you spend on the gorilla trekking safari.
Timing for the family gorilla trekking expedition booking
Peak season gorilla trekking is expensive because of the great demand for services in this high Uganda travel season. The low season might provide safari discounts.
Extra events beside gorilla trekking
The total safari cost increases with increasing activity mix including gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, and wildlife drives.
The Danger of the Mountain Gorillas
Mountain gorillas’ dark-furred bodies help them to remain peaceful animals despite their frightening appearance. Their rich brown deep eyes reflect knuckle local movements. Nevertheless, the mountain gorillas remain calm despite their appearance; historically, there has never been any conflict between mountain gorillas and people during gorilla trekking.
For the gorilla trekking safari, which lodging should one choose?
While it would be fantastic to book family accommodations for gorilla treks, if not feasible you might ask for rooms next to one another. This allows you time to sleep closer to one another and enjoy yourself together.
The gorilla trekking lodgments go into luxury, mid-range, and economical categories.
Among the Rwanda gorilla trekking lodges are Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Kinigi guest house, Hotel Mille Collines, Le Bambou, and La Palme.
Among Uganda’s gorilla trekking lodges in Bwindi are Gorilla Forest Camp, Clouds Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, and Mahogany Springs.
Accommodations at Mgahinga National Park: Gahinga Lodge and others are bookable from Kisoro town.
Can I postpone the permits for the Gorilla Trekking?
Indeed, you may arrange the gorilla trekking permits in line with the policies of the competent authorities.
You write to Rwanda Development Board or Uganda Wildlife Authority asking the gorilla permits to be changed. In case you have any supporting documentation, attach some.
Your permits are booked and our safari consultant rechecks availability as per your revised dates when allowed to reschedule to another date. Uganda gives two chances for rescheduling; the third time calls for a premium of 25% of the total Uganda permit cost and Executive Director approval.
For family gorilla treking in Rwanda and Uganda, which nation is best?
Only after you go gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda will you be able to decide which country is ideal for that activity. Most visitors experience something mysterious after seeing the mountain gorillas. It is incomparable to know you are among the fortunate visitors for the day to experience gorilla trekking. Some of the items below highlight the gorilla trekking expedition between Uganda and Rwanda.
While the Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 per person each trip, the gorilla trekking permit issued by Uganda is $800 per person.
Driving from Kigali airport to Volcanoes National Park takes about three hours. By comparison, visiting Mgahinga National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park takes around eight to nine hours.
Uganda has 152 hike permits with two utilized gorilla habituation safaris and 19 gorilla families. With 96 licenses for gorilla trekking, Rwanda now has 15 gorilla families.
Rwanda is the perfect place for a stopover gorilla trekking adventure in Africa as two days are the least amount of days available for a gorilla trip. By contrast, Uganda has three days of gorilla trekking safari, the least amount of days on safari.
While Rwanda offers few options for activities to mix with gorilla trekking, Uganda offers many extra safaris for those purposes.
Though one of a transit nation, gorilla trekking in Uganda via Rwanda can let you experience both nations. About six to seven hours separate the travel from Kigali airport into Mgahinga national park.
What Guidelines Apply To Gorilla Trekking? Within Families
Stay with the group of trekkers assigned; avoid surrounding the gorillas so as not to cause ambushing of them.
Talk at low tome when looking for the mountain gorillas in the woods. Other forest residents, like mountain gorillas, are very wary of visitors in their surroundings.
Spitting on ground and plants is against policy as it provides food for mountain gorillas.
You might spread pathogens to these very sensitive monkeys causing human diseases.
Offer to remain behind should you develop a communicative illness such as Coronavirus. The mountain gorillas may so die in great numbers. Mountains gorillas have around 96% human DNA.
It is banned to provoke the mountain gorillas as once they become irritated, they might migrate into the deeper parts of the jungle.
Mountain gorillas are wild creatures who have to hunt for their food so never feed them.
Remember to clean your shoes before beginning the gorilla trip; wearing a mask is an essential when gorilla trekking as a step established after the Covid-19 epidemic to lower the possibilities of transferring this virus or other diseases to the mountain gorillas.
Gorilla trekking is reserved for those fifteen years of age and above. This is so because the terrain of the forest is steep but the exact location of the mountain gorillas is yet unknown. These may not be in favor of a youngster under these years.
Once you find the mountain gorillas, just one hour is permitted with them. This is for conservation purposes as they are used to be in human proximity for that certain period.
Dumping trash in the woods, particularly non-decomposable rubbish like plastic wraps, might change the environment mountain gorillas eat from. The mountain gorillas get their food only from the forest.
