Planning a low-budget gorilla safari in Rwanda
Do you have a tight budget for a Rwandan gorilla safari? The gorilla permit must be reserved first.
With a gorilla permit, you can spend an hour with the fully habituated gorilla family and take part in the hunt for mountain gorillas in the wild.
The organization that sells and regulates gorillas is the Rwanda Development Board. Only 96 gorilla permits with 15 gorilla families have been made available for public viewing thus far, despite the fact that Volcanoes National Park is Rwanda’s only location for mountain gorillas. The Susa, Hirwa, Amahoro, Karisimbi, Umubano, Agashya, and Muhoza families are among the gorilla families found in Volcanoes National Park.
To participate in this safari in Rwanda, one must have a gorilla permit.
How to Arrange a Low-Cost Rwandan Gorilla Safari
Reserve a Gorilla Permit for Rwanda
You should check with the Rwanda Development Board to see if gorilla permits are available. A Rwandan gorilla permit currently costs $1500 per trekper. You need to decide on a date for your Rwandan gorilla safari and, if you’re going in a group, how many people you want to go with.
Our tour adviser looks for gorilla permit availability from the Rwanda Development Board listing and responds as soon as possible when you inquire about it from a tour operator such as Katland Safaris. The Rwanda Development Board can be contacted directly to check availability, but be prepared for a lengthy call queue.
Due to the restricted amount of permits granted per gorilla family, we suggest tourists to acquire their gorilla permits as soon as they confirm positive availability. A maximum of eight gorilla permits per family are made available to the public each day.
Before granting the gorilla permission, provide some passport information as well, such as full names as they appear on the document, nationality, birthdate, and passport expiration date.
What does the Rwanda Gorilla Permit Cost Include?
A gorilla permit costs $1500 per person per trip, which covers the ranger guide price, park admission taxes, security during the hike, support for the local community, gorilla conservation, and an hour spent with the mountain gorillas.
What does the Rwanda Gorilla Permit fee not include?
Porter fee: A porter is someone who pushes you when you’re tired and helps you carry your gorilla trekking equipment. Transportation, lodging, tips, and any other personal belongings
At Katland Safaris, we assist you in scheduling extra safari activities, lodging, and transportation based on your needs and the duration of your safari. Over the course of our ten years in business, we have accrued the Africa Safari Credit. We work with several service providers, such as lodging establishments, and where appropriate, we may obtain discounted rates for our customers.
Is it possible for me to buy the Rwanda Gorilla Permit in installments?
The best course of action would be to buy the gorilla permit in full, but occasionally you might not be able to. The Rwanda Development Board permits 30% and 70% installment sales of gorilla permits, respectively.
Only when you reserve gorilla permits 90 days prior to the gorilla trekking date and top them up 90 days prior to the trekking date is this applicable. There is a penalty for not replenishing the gorilla permits.
When Is the Ideal Time to Reserve a Gorilla Permit for Rwanda?
The safest option, particularly during high season, is to book the Rwanda gorilla permit at least six months to a year prior to the gorilla trekking date. In Rwanda, June, July, August, September, December, and January are often the busiest safari seasons. Due to global demand, it is quite difficult to obtain gorilla permits at the last minute during Rwanda’s busiest time of year.
March, April, May, and November are typically Rwanda’s low safari seasons, so there may be a chance for last-minute gorilla permits during these times. Discounted gorilla permits are occasionally offered by the Rwanda Development Board during the off-peak months, but this is not a requirement.
Reserve lodging for Rwanda’s Gorilla Safari.
You can spend the night somewhere around Kigali City, which is roughly two and a half hours away, or Volcanoes National Park.
Budget lodging options available for the Rwanda gorilla safari include
Villa Gorilla, Hotel Muhabura, and Kinigi Guest House
Employ a vehicle For trekking with gorillas
In Volcanoes National Park, gorilla trekking is accessible via land. It takes roughly three hours to drive from Kigali International Airport to Volcanoes National Park.
Because the roads in Volcanoes National Park are reasonably decent and weave through picturesque, verdant mountains, you can rent a minivan or take an airport taxi there.
Before going gorilla trekking, take an antimalarial.
There are mosquitoes that spread malaria in Rwanda, a tropical nation. Despite the country’s generally frigid climate, mosquitoes are unlikely to breed there. To be safe, swallow antimalarial medication.
Before the gorilla trekking safari, work out.
You might have to trek up the rocky, steep slopes of Volcanoes National Park to reach the areas where the mountain gorillas might be resting or feeding. It helps to stretch your muscles a bit more to stay in shape and extend your time in the woods. To avoid muscle strains while gorilla trekking, you might perform gradual exercises instead of spending all of your time at the gym.
Book your international flights to the airport in Kigali in advance.
To ensure that nothing will stop you from traveling to Volcanoes National Park, purchase your international airline ticket to Kigali airport well in advance. Your ticket is considered void if you are unable to go gorilla trekking. The gorilla permit is only valid for the day it is reserved.
Choose Extra Activities to Add to Rwandan Gorilla Trekking.
In addition to gorilla trekking, Rwanda offers various activities such as wildlife drives in Akagera National Park, chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park, city tours of Kigali, genocide memorial tours, and trekking for golden monkeys.
You may make the most of your trip to Rwanda outside of a gorilla trekking safari with a carefully planned Rwanda Safari itinerary and vacation time.
Bring the Proper Equipment for Gorilla Trekking
Bring the appropriate, wilderness-safe gorilla trekking equipment. Bring only what you can carry on your own. You can lift your items more quickly if you pack in a duffel bag. Although ORTPN offers some gorilla trekking equipment for rent, you might not feel comfortable using it for personal use.
Gorilla trekking supplies, such as energy bites, insect repellents, boots, clothing, and hats, can be packed.
Enroll in a Rwandan gorilla trekking group.
You can participate in a group gorilla safari if you feel more at ease sharing your gorilla trekking safari with others. Gorilla trekking organizations have a set itinerary that is difficult to modify if you want to complete your adventure. In addition to having set dates, scheduled gorilla safaris also involve age restrictions, a cap on the number of participants before the start, and other restrictions.
You split some safari costs as a group, such as renting a car, paying the driver guide, gas, lodging (if you have twin rooms), and other costs.
All Rwandan gorilla safari costs are borne by you as a lone traveler on a low-cost safari.
What Time of Year Is Best to Reserve a Low-Cost Gorilla Safari in Rwanda?
In Rwanda, gorilla trekking is available year-round. It would be ideal, though, if you had visitors who would rather go during the dry season, when the mountain gorillas are most active. During the dry season, even other forest inhabitants, such as birds, butterflies, and monkeys, are more active. Typically, June through September and December through January are Rwanda’s safari dry seasons.
Booking is crucial before alternatives are reduced since Rwanda gorilla safari supporting amenities are reasonably priced during the dry season.
Discounts on gorilla permits may be available during the off-peak months of March, April, May, and November, making them affordable for those on a tight budget. In the off-season, even service providers like lodging, car rentals, and driver guides occasionally lower their rates.
Depending on your negotiating ability, you have a better possibility of moving from a low-service provider to a better facility during the off-peak safari season.
How Safe Is Gorilla Safari in Rwanda?
Because rangers are trained to safeguard mountain gorillas, other forest inhabitants, and tourists, Rwanda is a safe place to go on a gorilla trekking safari. Other Rwandan security services work alongside ranger guides to maintain law and order in Volcanoes National Park.
In order to ensure your personal safety, you should never enter Volcanoes National Park without a ranger guide accompanying you. The other forest inhabitants are not used to seeing people.
To avoid attracting the wrong people to follow you, try not to flaunt your wealth in public.
To avoid getting lost in the wilderness, make sure you remain close to the gorilla trekkers you have been assigned. The slowest hiker’s pace is followed by the ranger guide.
Despite their reputation for being calm, mountain gorillas should never be provoked. Additionally, their moods fluctuate according on the treatment they receive.
Is Rwandan Gorilla Trekking Hard?
In Rwanda, gorilla trekking takes place in a volcanic region with steep slopes and angular mountains, where mountain gorillas occasionally spend the day. To reach the potential locations of the mountain gorillas, it would be ideal if you were somewhat fit. If you are not, you can use a woven stretcher or sedan chair.
When gorilla trekking, wearing the proper safari boots helps keep your feet safe from harm in the bush. In the wild, applying insect repellent shields you from stinging insects.
The ranger guide uses a machete to cut down any creepers that might be blocking your path to the area where the mountain gorillas might be spending the day.
How Much Time Does It Take to Gorilla Trek in Rwanda?
The terrain of this area makes it impossible to estimate how long gorilla trekking would take because you have to hike over to the mountain gorillas. The mountain gorillas may be forced into the deeper forest if they lose a conflict with another family.
The highland slopes become slick during the intense rainy season, and the combination of water and rotting matter makes the pathways sloppy. Over the intricate system of rivers that occasionally overflow to flood the ground, you must move more slowly.
Do Mountain Gorillas Pose a Threat?
Despite their enormous size and shaggy body, mountain gorillas are calm primates in the wild. They move their knuckles as they walk, giving the impression that they are going to grab you. Despite their intimidating appearance, mountain gorillas are peaceful creatures that keep to themselves, even when you are around.
The mountain gorillas could go into hiding if you agitate them.
Mountain gorillas can become agitated when their babies are touched, which could lead to a stampede through the forest. The mountain gorillas will pull grass around themselves, thump their chests, hoot, and hide when they are upset.
What Should I Bring to Rwanda for a Gorilla Trek?
Safari boots provide comfort when walking on damp terrain.
Given how cold it gets here, a warm sweater or poncho is recommended.
Safar A long-sleeved shirt and convertible pants
A backpack that is waterproof
Water bottle that folds up
The camera
These are binoculars.
First aid pack with emergency care and insect repellent
A pair of stockings
Additional fully charged batteries
In the event that you come into contact with stinging nettles in the wild, use garden gloves.
Toiletries
A poncho or raincoat in case of unexpected rain
Warm enough pajamas for the chilly evening
Flip-flops to switch into following a gorilla trip
A charger and travel adaptor in case you need them
Lighting torch in case the light goes out. The primary energy source is solar electricity. It does occasionally light brightly enough to charge the solar batteries.
