When booking gorilla permits in Rwanda & Uganda, avoid these mistakes.
Booking gorilla permits starts the preparations for the spectacular gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda. The permit is your permission allowing you guided access to the gorillas in their protected habitat. Apart from the passport, the gorilla safari depends on this vital travel document.
For many tourists, booking the permit might be intimidating since it entails back-and-forth correspondence and wire transfers of money. You may make plenty of blunders even using a tour operator to handle logistical issues.
To ensure a flawless planning procedure, we have thus found some of the most often occurring errors you may avoid when buying gorilla permits in Rwanda and Uganda.
Plan a gorilla safari only after you have a gorilla permit initially booked.
A carefully controlled tourism activity in Rwanda and Uganda, gorilla trekking allows just a small daily visitor count to a gorilla troop. Therefore, daily permit availability is little compared to the interested guests.
You may have to amend your bookings, therefore avoid reserving your lodging, flights, or anything else on your trip before you verify that you have the gorilla permit.
Steer clear of last-minute gorilla permit booking.
Last-minute booking of gorilla permits can terribly let you down. As was already noted, gorilla permits are rather rare, particularly during the busiest vacation season when many people want to visit Rwanda and Uganda.
To prevent disappointment, reserve yours three to twelve months in advance; permits might be sold out six months ahead.
Try not to acquire the permits yourself.
We highly suggest you to hire a certified tour operator even if some guests would rather reserve permits on their own. Tour organizations will assist you to postpone the permit to another date in case of unanticipated events and will shield you from the graphic local logistics involved.
Look out a reputable tour operator (registered with the Association of Uganda Tour Operators) that can schedule your whole vacation, including transportation, accommodation, and other activities to avoid this typical error.
Many guests trust Katland Safaris Ltd., which registered with AUTO and offers such services. To enable you to book your gorilla permits in Rwanda and Uganda, kindly contact us at with your accurate names and trip dates.
Make sure the reservation officer has the right names.
Giving the reservation office pseud names instead of your own name is a typical error in booking gorilla permits in Rwanda and Uganda.
You see, the permission corresponds with your passport information. Usually, the booker will want a copy of your passport in order to reserve a permit. Insist on providing them a copy even if they refuse to ask for the passport copy; the office will ask for your passport to confirm ownership and payment when you reach the gorilla trekking starting site.
Should the permit be in the name of another individual, the office could refuse your admission into the gorilla park. Therefore, be sure that the right names show on your gorilla permit before you start to get excited about the trekking trip.
Discounts on the gorilla permit cost are not something you can negotiate.
Governmentally appointed organizations sell gorilla licenses in Uganda at face value; Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). Every visitor over fifteen years may purchase the gorilla permits from RDB or UWA via a local tour operator at the stated fee.
While some tour operators may charge a sourcing fee, they cannot alter the permit’s price. UWA and RDB sometimes may post a cheaper pricing that everyone else will follow, but you cannot haggle over the price of a gorilla permit.
Currently, UWA charges US$800 (£495/€575) per person for gorilla permits to international non-residents. EAC citizens UGX300,000 per person; the one for foreign residents (with work licenses) costs $700,000.
The gorilla permit runs RDB at US$1,500 (£1,062/€1,232) per person.
Cancelling or leaving your permissions expire will cost you money.
On behalf of the holder, the gorilla permit holder or tour operator may change the date up to eight days before the tracking date. You regretfully cannot reschedule beyond the expiration date.
Up to two years ahead of the tracking date, one may reserve a gorilla permit and pay at least a thirty-percent deposit of the permit fee at the reservation.
Cancellation of your gorilla trekking permit fewer than eight days before the tracking date results in no reimbursement. Cancelling the permit ninety days earlier will bring you back 50% or less for days around the tracking date.
Hiring a local operator to manage the permissions for you will always help you avoid the rescheduling and canceling hassles.
Ignorance about gorilla permit distribution in Uganda is unacceptable.
Five gorilla trekking areas run by Uganda Wildlife Authority in Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks Ruhija in eastern Bwindi, Mgahinga head quarters, Buhoma Sector in the north of Bwindi, Rushaga and Nkuringo Sectors in the south, Operating separately, hundreds of kilometers apart, and with controlled numbers of gorilla licenses commensurate with the number of resident gorilla groups, the sectors are autonomous.
Make sure you avoid buying gorilla permits in Uganda without realizing which sector your tickets suggest. Otherwise, you cannot monitor gorillas in an area not mentioned on your permit.
Knowing the allotted sector will also enable you to book lodging close to the trailhead so it will be ready for the trip briefing.
One cannot reserve a particular gorilla group.
On their last trip, your acquaintance could have suggested a gorilla troop they liked seeing. Though many people make the frequent error of expecting the same, it is normal to desire the same. You cannot choose a particular gorilla group when scheduling your gorilla permits in Rwanda and Uganda.
Before you travel into the jungle, UWA officials designate the gorilla group to track during your morning briefing at the trailhead. Perhaps you might whisper your chosen gorilla group to the cop in ear. Still, it is difficult to sway the decision.
The simplest thing you can do is apply for a gorilla permit for the region where your desired gorilla group resides after choosing the trailhead for them.
Book with us and avoid these errors.
Booking your gorilla permits with Katland Safaris Ltd guarantees a good vacation in Uganda and Rwanda and helps you avoid typical blunders.
Licensed operators in Rwanda and Uganda, Encounter will also arrange your lodging, travel between locations, and any additional activity you like to add to your trip. To begin immediately booking your permits, contact our safari advisors.
