Mistakes To Avoid When Booking Gorilla Habituation Safaris and Permits.

One of the few unique experiences available in Africa, the gorilla habituation safari activity of strolling a few meters near a wild mountain gorilla is only found in Uganda.

When lucky, one book a permission to join the regulated number of trekkers on a day trip into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwest Uganda and spend four amazing hours with a semi-habituated gorilla family. While everyone can join the activity if they can schedule a habituation permit, not everyone can negotiate the logistics procedure.

If a visitor avoids the frequent pitfalls we discuss in this piece, then arranging gorilla habituation safaris and permits shouldn’t be a hassle for them either.

Book your gorilla habituation enables without waiting to the very last minute.

Unlike other safari trips you may join out of whim, gorilla habituation is quite restricted. There are only two groups accessible in one of the four sectors around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and only four persons allowed to join each trip group. For even local travel agencies, availability might be a challenge.

Remember not to assume you are the only one drawn to the event. Particularly in the peak season when Uganda gets the most visitors, hundreds are looking at the experience.

Many book months ahead in order to escape the busy season permission rush. Book yours at least four to six, or maybe one year ahead. Not wait until the very last minute.

Book not with a random tour operator.

One typical error first-time Uganda tourists make is booking with a random tour operator, which results in unwelcome annoyance should the company fail to deliver. Luckily you are reading this page and will avoid making the same error.

Anyone may go into Uganda Wildlife Authority’s headquarters in Kampala and buy a gorilla habituation permit or arrange the permit via a licenced local operator. Book it yourself, then confirm the operator with the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) before you give a hapless business your money.

We advise you to see our excellent guide on how to choose the correct tour operator for your safari in Uganda. Alternatively, contact us at; we highly recommended and completely licensed to book gorilla habituation licenses on your behalf.

Unlike gorilla trekking, the habituation experience with gorillas is not

The gorilla habituation experience is different from the usual gorilla trekking in many unique ways that you should not let yourself undervalue the difficulty.

First, you will be walking a bunch of wild mountain gorillas—somehow not used for human visitors. They will therefore be very careful of anything you do and strive to avoid your presence. Any strange conduct from you might set them off, hence your awareness throughout the event is much required. The gorilla family is peaceful and friendly to your presence throughout the usual walk.

Second, the habituation rangers let you stay four hours—more time with the gorillas. That might be because habituation entails several hassles like tracking the movements of the primates. Usually, the hiking experience allows only one hour with the completely habituated gorilla troop.

Thirdly, the habituation experience is not for the timid and is rather demanding. You will negotiate dense forest, steep and uneven hills, and sometimes under downpours to reach gorillas in the early foggy morning hours. Given that, reaching the completely habituated gorilla family is somewhat comparable. With the usual gorilla trip, however, you don’t have to go around so much.

Thus, while you were able to complete the gorilla trekking exercise, avoid exaggerating your physical capacity to participate in the gorilla habituation experience. Exercising shortly before your gorilla habituation safari and before you travel helps you prepare your body and prevents a typical error.

Make sure you book the correct flight if you are flying.

Self-planners often result in the error of choosing the incorrect domestic flight; it is not consoling to have to cancel at the last minute. Booking with a travel operator who knows domestic airlines helps you avoid the usual mistake.

Two airports exist outside of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; one is close to Bwindi, Kihihi Airport, in the northern sector. Using this one, you will have to drive on rough roads for about seven hours to get to the Rushaga Sector in the south. Use Kisoro Airport, around two-hour journey to Rushaga; it is the most suggested one.

Many people find driving the 10-hour journey between Entebbe and Bwindi to be quite a road trip adventure if you do not fly between them. The scenic vistas of Southwestern Uganda are a disorganized scene to marvel at.

Turn to Rushaga on a dirt road before you reach Kisoro; the road trip might follow either the straight path from Entebbe via Mbarara to Kabale. The alternative method is to visit Kibale for the chimpanzees and Queen Elizabeth National Park for the tree-climbing lions then link to Bwindi for the gorilla habituation experience. Your travel agent should suggest anything like this.

Plan a safari lodge remote from the path of walking.

Booking a safari lodge distant from the gorilla habituation activities would clearly ruin your whole trip; avoid making that usual error. Starting at 6:00 am, you lose your opportunity if you miss the briefing in time. The 1500-dollar permit is non-refundable; picture losing all that money to a careless error?

Three locations allow you to arrange your lodging for the adventure and show up on time for the briefing: Nkuringo Sector, around one hour’s drive from the beginning site; Lake Mutanda, likewise one hour’s drive away; the closest is near Rushaga.

While Lake Mutanda offers middle-range possibilities, Nkuringo has more opulent lodging choices; you will also discover affordable options close to Rushaga, the beginning point.

Book additional safari activities not before you reserve the habituation permit.

The gorilla habituation safaris are unique, hence the availability of permits might prove difficult when you are making travel plans. To prevent repeating the whole vacation days, hence avoid booking optional activities to add on your trip before you get the permissions.

Ask your operator to provide you official documentation of a permit reservation—which can call for a complete payment—then schedule your other flights and activities.

Ignoring to request the gorilla habituation guidelines does not justify errors.

Ignorance of the overall guidelines and norms of gorilla habituation might result in unfavorable and even deadly consequences. Mountain gorillas are wild creatures that you will be seeing in their natural environment, where they are allowed to act as such. Rules exist to prevent any confrontation between man and beast; make sure you have them right at hand before you take on the task.

Before you arrive for the safari, your tour operator may assist you with the guidelines; nevertheless, you can also get the restrictions at the early morning briefing at the starting site.

Generally, keep at least 32 feet away from the gorillas; avoid too close proximity. Ask your experienced guide anything if you are unsure about what to do; follow their committed advice. Travel light and dress for a hiking in a hostile, rainy, wild surroundings. Turn off flash photography; do not point your camera straight forward at the gorilla. Keep your voices extremely quiet; avoid eating or trash close to the gorillas; wear hand gloves and a facemask during the encounter.

Take walking sticks and a porter with you.

Most tourists believe that most mistakes may be avoided by not including a native porter. As we just said, the gorilla habituation experience is rather demanding; the landscape does not make things any easier. When you acquire a hot water bottle, the local porter will carry your jacket and bag and offer you a push or pull should you come across a tough climb.

Experience this by working with a local porter; spare yourself the difficult work. Apart from that, the $20 you give a porter covers a whole family for a month; it’s a great way to help the nearby Gorilla villages.

Book your gorilla habituation safari and permit with us.

We provide this knowledge as we are so passionate about your amazing adventure in Africa that you may live to tell next generations. For this, we believe we would be your finest choice in selecting gorilla habituation safaris and permits in Uganda.

Operating safaris in Uganda, Katland Safaris Ltd is licensed by AUTO and registered with UWA. To get a free estimate from our safari experts in the shortest period, kindly contact us.