Rwanda is celebrating the 18th gorilla naming ceremony in kinigi on 2nd September 2022 at kinigi headquarters of Volcanoes National Park in North Western Rwanda. A total of 20 baby gorillas born last year are to be given names by different prominent people, conservationist, leaders, and gorilla lovers. This year’s gorilla naming ceremony is the first after two years of virtual naming due to covid19 travel restrictions. Kwita Izina is a unique experience in which baby gorillas are given names for easy identification just like in a human family. The experience was started in 2005 to diversity tourism products in Volcanoes National park and Rwanda as a whole.

Besides gorilla naming ceremony, Rwanda Development Board will be celebrating various achievements of conservation especially increase in mountain gorilla population in Volcanoes National park. The bamboo forest park boosts in over 350 mountain gorillas, which make it a premier destination for gorilla trekking in the Virunga Conservation Area. RDB will also be celebrating and appreciating their partners and local communities who have keenly participated in gorilla conservation to promote sustainable gorilla tourism in the park. The combined efforts between park management and local communities have promoted peaceful human wildlife coexistence.

Gorilla naming will be done alongside other interesting activities such as gorilla trekking, mountain hiking, golden monkey trekking, cycling and community tours among other activities done in the park.

About Tourism Revenue share program

Among other things that will be celebrated is the tourism revenue share program. The initiative was started in 2005 and it has seen over 7.9 billion
given out to over 880 community projects around Volcanoes National Park.

Expansion of Volcanoes National park

Apparently, volcanoes National park is undergoing expansion. This is to create more space for the increasing number of mountain gorillas. The park will be expanded by 23% adding 37.4 square kilometers to the existing park area. African Wildlife Foundation is one of the funders for the expansion of the park. The estimated cost for the park expansion is $225 million

Other things to see and do in Volcanoes National Park

In addition to gorilla naming ceremony, travelers to Volcanoes National Park have a long list of interesting activities to do. These include:

Mountain gorilla trekking
Volcanoes National park shelters over 350 mountain gorillas and is one of the few places where these endangered primates can be seen. Gorilla trekking is the top travel experience, which take place in this bamboo forest. In 2017, Volcanoes National park transformed into a luxury gorilla tour destination following a double increase of permit prices from $750 to $1500. Gorilla safaris in Rwanda can be tailored short and long depending on the traveler’s available days and budget. A 1-Day Rwanda gorilla trek is suitable for short time travelers while a 4 Days Rwanda double gorilla safari entails 2 gorilla treks. The park comprise of 10-habituated gorilla families each visited by 8 people, which guarantee availability of 80 permits everyday.

Golden Monkey Trekking
This is yet another interesting to do in Volcanoes National park. The experience costs $100 for a permit allowing you to spend an hour with this lively creature. Rwanda Development has habituated two golden monkey communities to ease the trekking experience

Volcano climbing
Enjoy hiking to the summit of any volcano in Volcanoes National Park. The most hiked mountains are Mt Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke. A 3 Days Mount hiking tour offers you chance to conquer this highest volcano in the Virunga Conservation Area while Bisoke cab ne hiked in one day.

Bird Watching
With over 180 bird species inhabited there, Volcanoes National park is a haven for birders. Some of the notable birds in this park include Blue-spotted wood dove, Red-backed shrike, Cinnamon-chested bee eater, Baglafetcht weaver, African long eared owl, Ruwenzori apalis, Ruwenzori batis, Dusky crimson wing, Lagden’s bush shrike, handsome francolin, Ruwenzori double collared sunbird and Brown necked parrot among others. June to August is the best time for bird watching in Volcanoes National park when the forest is dry.

Cultural tours
Cultural tours in Volcanoes National park take you to the gorilla guardian village, former Iby’iwacu Cultural village where you meet and interact with local people. A cultural tour offers you chance to learn the traditions; norms, customs and beliefs of Rwandese and what makes them different from other people. Locals will also perfume traditional dances and songs to welcome and entertain you

Conclusively, gorilla naming ceremony is a not miss on your Rwanda tour. Come be part of the memorable 2022 Kwita Izina ceremony in Volcanoes National park. Africa Adventure Safaris is your reliable travel agent for your Rwanda safaris

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You could share ideas on the relevant strategies to conserve gorillas in Africa! Gorillas are rare species of primates hardly found anywhere else in the world. Gorilla trekking experience in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo is ranked as a five star experience, a focus for most travelers on African Safaris. Across Africa, gorillas are found in 11 countries but Uganda, Rwanda and Congo are the top destination where gorilla safaris take place. Mountain gorillas are the most visited gorilla specie in Africa. Apparently, there are only 1006 gorillas in Africa half of which live in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park while the rest reside in Virunga Conservation Area shared by Mgahinga, Virunga and Volcanoes National Park. Other gorilla species in Africa include Cross River gorillas, Eastern Lowland and Western Lowland gorillas. All gorilla species are endangered primates on the red list of the International Union For Conservation of Nature.

Threats to the survival of mountain gorillas in Africa

The survival and increase of mountain gorilla numbers in Africa has been threatened by several factors overtime. These include:

Poaching

Mountain gorillas have continuously been poached by local people for meat, hides and other products. The recent incident was in Bwindi impenetrable Forest National Park in southwestern Uganda. In other cases, gorillas fall victims of traps and snares set to catch other wild animals in the forest. Locals set up traps to other forest animals but gorillas find themselves victims, which lead to injury and death of some.

Habitat Loss

Habitat loss is yet another pressing factor hindering the conservation of mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda, Congo and the rest of Africa. Local people have continuously encroached on Gorilla Park’s land to expand land for settlement and farming. Also, forests in which gorillas live are cut for poles, firewood and charcoal by locals who live in adjacent communities.

Diseases

The conservation and survival of mountain gorillas is also affected by diseases, which lead to death of some gorillas especially the young ones. Respiratory diseases are common in gorillas across Africa. The endangered species are man’s close relatives sharing over 98% of human genes. This makes them susceptible to human illnesses. Reports tell that physical injuries and trauma are the major causes of death in mountain gorillas across Africa. Great thanks to the gorilla doctors who have worked continuously to improve the lives of these endangered species.

Strategies to improve gorilla tourism

Responsive conservation bodies such as Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rwanda Tourism Board have put various strategies to improve the wellbeing of mountain gorillas in Africa. These include:

Involving local people

The involvement of local people in tourism activities around gorilla parks has reduced the human wildlife conflicts between local people and park management in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Locals are involved in certain park activities such as pottering and guiding. The batwa cultural trail in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and other community tours to batwa communities in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some part of the money collected from batwa activities is given back to them to improve their standards of living.

Expansion of gorilla national parks

The expansion of gorilla national parks is another strategy to improve the conservation of the endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Apparently, Rwanda Development Board is expanding Volcanoes National park to accommodate the increasing number of mountain gorillas.

Benefits of gorilla tourism

There are lots of benefits that governments and local people in countries sheltering mountain gorillas have gained. These include:
Employment opportunities both formal and formal. Many people are employed as tour operators, hotel/lodge owners, waiter, waitresses, drivers, guides, consultants and porters among others.

Government revenue

Tourism is one of the sources of government revenue for countries where endangered mountain gorillas live. Government manages gorilla trekking activities in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. 80% of the total money collected from the sale of gorilla permits belongs to the government.

Infrastructure development

Tourism has led to the development of various infrastructures such as road, hotels, lodges, schools and the like. These have eased local people’s standards of living in terms of health and transport among others.

Conclusively, gorilla conservation is key if we are to ensure sustainable gorilla tourism in Africa. Respective governments, local people and government bodies are urged to work together for the survival of gorillas in Africa. For gorilla trekking and travel guide, Africa Adventure Safaris is your reliable agent

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Rwanda is in high gears getting ready to host the long awaited 2022 CHOGM conference scheduled for 20th to 26th June 2022. With such a huge gathering, it’s obvious that some delegates will want to explore more of Rwanda. You will have check some of the must Visit Places in Rwanda during the 2022 CHOGM, with Africa Adventure Safaris. This year’s CHOGM meeting comes after two years of postponement due to covid19 travel restrictions. Right now, the Land of a thousand hills is finally set to host the heads of states from 53 former British colonial territories. The CHOGM Conference in Rwanda was first scheduled for 2020 but was pushed further when the world was hit by the deadly covid19 that put a hold on travels across the globe. Rwanda will be the sixth African country to host CHOGM meeting. Zambia was the first African country to host CHOGM followed by Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria and Uganda respectively. The CHOGM meeting in Rwanda comes 15 years since when the listing meeting took place in Uganda.

CHOGM conference & Rwanda tourism

Rwanda tourism is set to reap big from the incoming CHOGM meeting. YES, Rwanda Development Board is all set to welcome and guide delegates to explore the hidden tourism gem of this small country. Unlike other African countries, Rwanda has done extra to promote her tourism potential. Despite the 1994 genocide that smashed the country into ashes, Rwanda under the leadership of HE Paul Kagame has picked up from the ruins transforming into one of the safest and best travel destinations in Africa. Through Rwanda Development Board, the Land of a Thousand Hills has marketed its tourism products informing the whole world what they offer. The success story of today’s Rwanda compared to the past Rwanda is the reason enough to visit this small country.
In 2018, Rwanda Development Board signed a deal with Arsenal football club as one of marketing Rwanda tourism to the outside world. The deal sees all arsenal players wear Jerseys with “VISIT RWANDA”. Also, some members of the Arsenal football club such as David Luiz among others have come through to trek mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.

What are Rwanda Must Visits in 2022?

The fact that CHOGM is closer, Africa Adventure Safaris enlightens you on some of Rwanda’s must visits in 2022. These include

Mountain gorilla trekking
Take part in the lifetime mountain gorilla trekking experience on your Rwanda safari. The experience takes place in Volcanoes National park located in North Western Rwanda. The small country is one of the three African countries where these endangered primates live. Volcanoes Perk is home to over 400 mountain gorillas, which is the highest population in the Virunga Conservation Area. Each gorilla permit in Rwanda costs $1500 but it’s worth it. Rwanda offers luxury gorilla safaris suitable for delegates. The combination of luxury lodges, clean streets, peace and security in Rwanda your best destination. Some of the top lodges in Volcanoes National park include Bisate Lodge, Virunga Lodge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge and Sabyinyo Silverback Gorilla Lodge among others.

Nyungwe Forest National Park
If you want to have a close encounter with your close relative “the chimpanzees” Nyungwe Forest National Park is the best place for you. Located in southwestern Rwanda, Nyungwe Forest offers you memorable chimpanzee trekking experiences. Canopy walk, nature walks and bird watching experience complement the chimp treks.

Kigali genocide memorial Centre
Visit the Kigali genocide memorial Centre to mourn the innocent lives that were lost in the massacre. The scene contains graveyards for the killed people, the skulls, ashes and clothes. Visiting the site gives you morale to appreciate the far this country has come in terms of development and peace. You will also see a short video clip, which shows how the genocide started.

Akagera National Park
Go game viewing in Akagera National park home to the big five game. Akagera is the only savannah park in Rwanda where game and scenic viewing takes place. Guided day and night game drives offer you chance to meet up with different wild animals feeding and resting in the wilderness. Still in Akagera, enjoy a boat cruise at Lake Ihema located in the heart of the park.

In conclusion, Rwanda is all set and ready to host the 2022 CHOGM conference, Delegates are called on to spare mote time and explore tourism in Rwanda offering them a lifetime experience.

The chances of seeing gorillas during the tracking experience is something that crosses every tourist’s mind when planning to take a gorilla safari trip. Travelers are always optimistic about the chances of seeing gorillas given the high cost that come with this experience. It’s undeniable that gorilla trekking is so far the most expensive travel experience in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. To set the record straight, the chances of seeing the gorillas are so high. All thanks to great work done by the park management and conservationists that make it certain enough to meet these huge primates by habituating and monitoring them from time to time. The possibility of seeing the gorillas in the various national parks is 98%, we wouldn’t commit ourselves to 100% because of the rules and laws of nature. But what a visitor must put in mind is that once he purchases the gorilla permits and plans his/her gorilla safaris well with the help of a tour operator, he is guaranteed of seeing the gorillas in the wild. Gorilla trekking takes place in four national parks which are Bwindi impenetrable national park in Uganda, Volcanoes national park, Virunga national park and Mgahinga national park, these three are found at the Virunga massif straddled by Uganda, Rwanda and Dr congo. The four mentioned national parks are the only places in the world to see the gorillas in the wild

Why there is so much certainty of seeing the gorillas in the wild?

Gorilla Habituation

Gorilla habituation experience is the process of making the wild gorillas familiar or accustomed to the presence of humans around them in the wild. The gorillas are initially wild, not used to the presence of human beings around them. The conservation and research team, identify them, start studying their behaviour, find a way of winning their trust and finally get used to people being around them. The habituation process takes about 1-2 years.
Therefore, the habituation process enables the visitors to see the gorillas without any conflict but all in peace.

Behind Scenes Relocation of the gorillas on the trekking day

The mountain gorillas are nomadic animals that keep moving from one place to another looking for food and better places to sleep. They are always on the move every day, they never settle in a place for more than a day. On the day of gorilla trekking, some of the gorilla patrons plunge into the forests of Bwindi or Virunga massif to look for the gorillas. These experts track down the gorillas by their footprints and remains such as poops. When they relocate them, they communicate to the park headquarters the exact locale where the gorillas are feeding or staying at the time. These are equipped with radio calls which they use to communicate with the park rangers to guide the visitors through the gorilla trekking expedition. They also have GPS trackers.

These gorilla experts stay around the gorilla habitats till the gorilla trekking experience starts. When the gorilla trekking starts, the park ranger guiding the visitors on the trek is always communicating and coordinating with the gorilla experts at the feeding areas through the radio call as he directs him on the route trails to take in order to find the gorillas easily.

There is always regular communication between the two parties until the park ranger together with the visitors/trackers finds and meets the gorillas. The relocation of the gorillas by the gorilla experts is a behind scene scheme that is never seen by the visitors. The Visitors never see the gorilla experts who first track the gorillas before they start their trekking experience. The first relocation of the gorillas by the experts makes the chances of seeing the gorillas so high.

The selective allocation of trackers to different gorilla families

There are different habituated gorilla families that live in the different gorilla national parks. In any given national park, gorilla troops normally known as families reside in the different areas of the park with different topography. Some areas where these gorillas live are more deep, mountainous and forested than the others hence making the trekking of different families relatively more difficult or easier than others. This is when the selective allocation of visitors to the different gorilla families comes in as a key factor in seeing the gorillas. The visitors are allocated to the gorilla families to track based on their age, physicality and health condition. For example, the very old people are allocated to trek the gorilla family that live nearer to the trek starting point so that they don’t have to walk a very long distance to tire out and end up not seeing the gorillas.

What circumstances would reduce the chances of seeing the gorillas in the wild?

These are situations that would jeopardise the visitors from seeing the gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park in Uganda and Volcanoes national park Rwanda. These circumstances are mainly nature-based hazards that the park management may not have control over at the time of trekking.

The outbreak of an epidemic or pandemic

In the world we live in, there are always diseases that break out from time to time. These are very infectious and can endanger the lives of both humans and gorillas. Remember the gorillas and humans almost have the same body systems hence contracting the same diseases most of the time. We have seen Ebola and cholera breaking out and recently Covid-19. During the pandemic times, the gorilla trekking activities are always put to a halt until the disease is no more.

Harsh weather conditions on the day of trekking

There are some weather conditions that make it so difficult for gorilla trekking experience to happen for instance heavy rains and storms. The heavy rains and storms make it so hard to move through the forests and hilly areas where the gorillas are found.

Presence of wars in the gorilla habitats

Some of these gorilla habitats are easy areas for rebels to hide for example the Virunga national park in Congo. In the past different rebels used to invade the areas making the chances of seeing the gorillas in the wild very slim. We love so much to visit the gorillas but our clients’ lives are the first priority while on a safari.

Though the mentioned circumstances may antagonise the chances of seeing the gorillas at that time, the visitors or trackers are always given a second chance to see the gorillas by the park authority when the issue is resolved. A reschedule of the date of trekking the gorillas is normally done for free of charge when communication is done to the gorilla management authorities.
For more details on gorilla trekking to Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo,Africa Adventure Safaris is at your service!

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Murchison Falls National Park – Attractions & Activities

With over 76 species of mammals including big animals like great blue turaco, Murchison Falls National Park and the adjacent Bugondo Forest are worthy visiting for game drives, game watching, chimpanzee tracking of the chimps in the park and general wildlife exploration. Murchison Falls National Park is found in North-Western Uganda in the districts of Buliisa, Nwoya, Kiryandongo and Masindi. It is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The park spreads inland from the shores of Lake Albert, around the Victoria Nile up to the Karuma falls and it is the largest National Park in Uganda.The park attained this name in 1952 when the British administration established the National Parks Act of Uganda. It had gone through a lot of reforms since it was first visited by European explorers John Speke and James Grant in 1862. It was further explored by Samuel and Florence Baker in 1963-4 who named the falls “Murchison Falls” after the geologist Roderick Murchison who was the president of the Royal Geographical Society by then. Africa Adventure Safaris offers tailormade Uganda safaris to Murchison Falls Park

As the largest National Park in Uganda, it occupies approximately 3,893 square kilometers (1,503 sq. mi). Murchison falls is found within the park, the waters of the Nile flow through a narrow gorge 7 meters (23 ft.) wide before plunging 43 meters (141 ft.) high. Also the Karuma falls are located within the Park along the Nile. The Victoria Nile crosses the Park for a distance of about 115 kilometers (71 mi). The most prominent tourist activities at Murchison Falls National Park include; game drive, boat cruise, waterfall hike, chimp trekking and bird watching.

Tourism attractions & Activities in Murchison Falls National Park

Game Drives/ Game Viewing
The park is a habitat to a variety of animals like; African buffaloes, African bush elephants, East African lions, the Uganda kob, the Rothschild’s giraffes and the Nile hippos plus Uganda’s largest population of crocodiles, 450 bird species that include water birds with the rare shoe-billed-stork, dwarf kingfisher, Goliath heron, white-thighed hornbill and great blue turaco. They are spread across the savannah landscape of the park which makes game viewing and Uganda wildlife safaris very interesting within the park. The Park’s management has come up with tracks that are designed targeting various wildlife species depending on where they graze from for example the Victoria track, Buligi track and Albert track hence giving you varying experiences as you carry out your game drive.

Top of the Falls
Tourists on Uganda safari tours at Murchison falls National Park can explore the top of the falls either by hiking to the top or by driving. Hiking is done by taking a boat cruise from Paraa jetty to the bottom of the falls where the hike starts by following the River course through hard rocks to the top of the falls. Driving starts off from Masindi-Paraa road near Sambiya River lodge. This 15km drive passes through steep and slippery landscapes to the top of the falls. Murchison falls are known as the most powerful waterfall in the world and it has another wonder as the River squeezes itself to pass through a gorge which is less than 8 meters wide (“The devil’s cauldron”) and then falls 45 meters below to form a plume of spray with a thunderous roar marked by a trademark rainbow

Birding
On your Uganda safari tour at Murchison falls National Park you will have a chance to encounter the Park’s 451 species of birds that will offer you a memorable birding adventure. In addition to encountering birds while on your game drives and boat cruises, the Park also arranges special birding activities. several bird species can be found in different areas of the park. For example, the vulnerable shoebill stork likes hanging at the banks of the Nile. Gees, plovers, ducks and stilts also like being at the River banks. Birds like the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Marabou Stork, Secretary birds, back-bellied bustards, window bird and open-billed storks can be found in the low lying plains of the Park. In Rabongo forests and Kaniyo Pabidi you can find birds like the Swallow-tailed and Red-throated Bee-eaters, these are especially found in the Nyamusika Cliffs, giant and malachite kingfishers, woodland, pied kingfisher, grey heron, francolin, hornbills, hamerkop, flycatchers, cuckoos, crombecs, warblers and woodpeckers. Other birds that can be encountered include; grey crowned crane, white headed vulture, Abyssinian ground horn bill, black headed lapwing and Senegal thick-knee.

Launch Trips on the Nile
On its way from Lake Victoria to the far North into the Mediterranean Sea, River Nile, the longest River in the world passes through Murchison Falls National Park for a distance close to 115 kilometers. This presents a mega opportunity to tourists for an enjoyable launch cruise. The Park has two boat cruises along the Nile which includes one upstream to the bottom of the Murchison falls, the most powerful waterfall in the world and another downstream to the Victoria Nile Delta that goes up to the shores of Lake Albert.
While on these launch trips you will encounter a variety of wild game including elephants, waterbucks, buffaloes, Kobs and giraffes that like gathering on the banks of the Nile in search of drinking water. These are also joined by a wide range of bird species like the rare and vulnerable shoebill stork, African fish eagle, African Jacana, goliath heron among other species that make your launch trip complete.

Cultural Tours
A Uganda cultural safari at Murchison Falls National Park will bring you in touch with a range of diverse communities around the park. The nearby tribes like the Alur in the North West, Acholi in the North East, and the Banyoro in the South introduce tourists to their diverse cultural backgrounds. The Bunyoro cultural heritage that includes like black smith, food preparation, cultivation, craft making among others are always exhibited to tourists by the Boomu women’s group. Cultural dances from the Mubako energetic dancers always leave tourists in amazement.

Sport Fishing
This tourist activity can only be done at only two sites in Uganda that is Murchison Falls National Park along the Nile and at Lake Mburo National Park. Catch the giant Nile Perch as you do sport fishing along the rocky surfaces and the banks of the Nile near the bottom of the Murchison falls

Accommodation/Lodges in Murchison Falls National Park

A variety of accommodation facilities are available at the park which include; campsites, lodges, hotels and guesthouses. All of these have good facilities that are eco-friendly and some of them are built on top of the falls. For budget tourist, places like Kaniyo Pabidi camp and Red Chilli Rest Camp would be very suitable for them. Up market accommodations is also available in Nile safari Camp, Paraa safari lodges and Sambiya River. Those who would like to stay at Masindi, luxury accommodation is available at Masindi hotel and court view hotels with excellent service.

How to Get to Murchison Falls National Park

From Kampala the capital city, it will take you about 5 hours for a distance of about 305 kilometers. The shortest route from Masindi town is that of Paraa that covers 85km. there is another route via Budongo forest that will allow you a magnificent views of Lake Albert from the rift valley escarpments of Butiaba. The good tarmac road network within the park will enable you to have an uninterrupted game drive and game viewing experiences.

Murchison Falls National Park should be on top of your Uganda’s tour destinations for its magnificent tourist activities that will leave you with nothing else to admire in the area of game viewing, game drive, chimp trekking, bird watching, boat cruise, cultural tours, sport fishing and waterfall hiking. For more information and bookings to Murchison Falls National Park, Contact us Africa Adventure Safaris

Guide on gorilla permit booking & cancellation policy in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo with Africa Adventure Safaris. A tourist cannot get involved in a gorilla trekking experience without a gorilla permit. There is no way a traveller can ever be allowed to watch the gorillas in the wild without this card or document. Gorilla trekking is a nature-based experience where visitors meet gorillas in their natural habitats. This tourism activity is swashbuckling and whoever has gotten involved in it says, “It is an experience of a lifetime”. Gorilla tracking brings a person closest to nature. There are three countries in the world that host the expedition, namely Uganda, Dr Congo and Rwanda. The gorilla trekking experience is a largely sought after tourism activity worldwide but comes with some regulations. The tracking of gorillas happens in a very fragile environment if encroached on frequently, it may end up degrading hence resulting in the loss of habitats of the gorillas. Therefore, several restrictive measures were set to regulate the number of people engaging in the gorilla safaris and one of them was the introduction of the gorilla permit.

The gorilla permit is a pass or card, which legitimately allows a tourist to watch the gorillas in the wild. Wildlife management authorities in the three gorilla countries issue the gorilla permits. For example, in Uganda, the Uganda wildlife authority is responsible, in Rwanda the Rwanda development board and in Dr Congo, the Virunga Foundation.

The methodology of buying or booking gorilla permits in the three countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Dr Congo is the same to a large extent but there are some tiny systematic procedures that at times differ as we explain below.

Purchasing Gorilla Permits in Uganda
Gorilla permit reservation is done both online and offline. The clients can contact the Uganda Wildlife Authority via their email address or go to their offices and place a reservation request. There is an option of booking indirectly through the tour company. This is the most convenient and reliable method of purchasing the gorilla permit in Uganda. The gorilla permits in Uganda cost 700$ per person. The gorilla permit of Uganda is a green and yellow card with a golden electronic chip in the middle. The visitors must present this card at the national park headquarters with some small printed receipt on the trekking day. Uganda has 20 habituated gorilla families, 19 families in Bwindi impenetrable park and 1 family in Mgahinga national park. This makes the available gorilla permit on any day 160 as 8 people are allowed to track each gorilla family.
Uganda has another gorilla encounter experience called gorilla habituation. Visitors spend much more time with the gorillas on the habituation experience.
It costs 1500$ since it is more intensive and takes such a long time.

Booking of Gorilla Permits in Congo
The gorilla permits in Congo cost 400$. Unlike the other two countries, Congo provides discounted gorilla permits particularly in the low season at a fee of 200$ per person. The low season consists of April-May and November. The Virunga Foundation issues the gorilla permits. The client can book the permit directly from the authorities or indirectly through a tour agent. It is always commendable to use the indirect method of the local tour operator because of the irregularities in the direct booking system. In Congo, there are two subspecies of gorillas tracked in two different national parks. In Virunga national park, the visitors trek the mountain gorillas while in Kahuzi Biega, eastern lowland gorillas are tracked.

Gorilla Permits Reservation in Rwanda
The gorilla permit in Rwanda is issued by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). Tourists can directly contact the board via email or telephone to reserve the permit. They can use the indirect method through a local operator but still; the operator makes the permit payment to the RDB. The gorilla permit in Rwanda goes for 1500$ regardless of the tourism season. The permit in Rwanda is a paper document with the client’s particular or the tour company name and is well signed and stamped by RDB. The gorilla-tracking permit is collected at the head offices of the Rwanda Development Board in Kigali or at the Volcanoes national park in Ruhengeri.
Rwanda has 12 habituated gorilla families to trek and 8 people are allowed to track each family. This implies that 96 gorilla permits are available for tourists per day.

Gorilla Permit cancellation penalties and policy in Uganda
What the traveller has to bear in mind once the funds have been paid to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, a 100% refund is almost impossible because administrative and operating costs are accounted for right away when the reservation is made. The Uganda Wildlife Authority goes on deducting a certain percentage as the days go by to the cancellation time. Below is the cancellation policy of the Uganda Wildlife Authority;
From 91 days to above, the visitor is refunded 75% of the total gorilla permit fees
If the travel makes a cancellation within 46-90 days, he/she is entitled to a refund of 50% of the gorilla permit fees.
From 45 days to 9 days, the visitor is given back 25% of the total fees of the gorilla permit
From 8 to 0 days, there is no refund given to the client.
Note that the cancellation policy above applies to The Uganda Wildlife Authority, the tour operators might apply their own terms and conditions during the cancellation.

Requirements for booking a gorilla permit.
1. A person must be 15 years and beyond
2. Gorilla permit is issued on a first come first serve basis and also the date of tracking varies with the availability of the permit.
3. When booking directly, the visitor is requested their passport particulars whereas indirectly through local tour operators, the presentation of the particulars may not be asked for
4. Payment of the gorilla permit can be made by cash or electronic transfer through a bank or Pesapal.

More Information About Securing Gorilla Permits in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo
The gorilla permit fees include the actual gorilla trekking activity, park entrance and the park ranger’s wages for guiding the tourists around the park. Note that tips of the park rangers, porter, transport and safari lodge fees are excluded from the gorilla permit fees.

Reservation of the gorilla permits must be made at the earliest time possible. The best time to reserve the gorilla permit is six months before your gorilla trekking safari, especially for peak season travel (June-mid October, December and January-mid march). The gorilla permits are highly demanded and become scarce as time goes by.

A passport is requested to know your age and ascertain whether you need special attention like language and trekking help. The age is significantly looked at for the gorilla trekking expedition due to the 15-year age limit guideline. More so knowing the visitor’s age is one of the criteria is used to allocate the gorilla families to track during the briefing.

The gorilla permit fees are strictly set by the authority bodies in the various countries. The traveller must always first check the official websites of these bodies to know the price as it keeps changing over some time. The gorilla permit must always be bought at that price issued by the authority. The administrative costs added by the local tour operators at times must be of a consensus between them and the travellers.

In any business, there are scammers and travellers must be very keen on the bank account to deposit the gorilla permit funds. The account must always be under the name of the tour company. The travellers are advised to make an underground check of the tour company; they are booking with.

The gorilla permits are pricey due to lots of factors for instance the immense costs incurred to conserve and preserve the gorillas in the wild. Also, some funds are paid to the park rangers and others go to the local communities around the gorilla parks.

Gorilla tracking is done throughout the year be it the wet or dry season, thanks to the park management who have made it possible.

There are some things experienced in life that are unforgettable. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is one activity that will leave an everlasting mark for eternity. There is nothing so amazing and captivating as meeting the gorillas in their natural setting. These endangered apes are our closest relatives with a 98% genetic code similarity. They are huge and scary in appearance but gentle and peaceful in temperament. Gorilla tracking experience presents a close encounter with the gorillas, the closest you can ever get to an animal in the wild. The gorillas have very unique social behaviour akin to those of human beings.

The gorillas express their feeling in times of happiness and sadness by vocalizations and animations. Research also has it that gorillas are intelligent and has the ability to use tools and also think about their actions. For instance, a western lowland gorilla was seen in the swamp using a stick to test the depth of water to cross the channel.

The unfortunate thing is that all gorilla types are endangered species be it mountain gorillas, Grauer’s gorillas, Cross River gorillas or Western lowland gorillas.

The subspecies of gorillas found in Uganda are mountain gorillas. These mountain-dwelling gorillas also have localities in Rwanda and Dr Congo. Their total population across the three countries is slightly above 1000 and Uganda alone has almost half of the total population, about 490 individuals within its two gorilla habitats.

Where to track the gorillas in Uganda
The gorillas are tracked in two amazing and pristine forested mountainous areas of Bwindi and Mgahinga. These were gazetted into national parks to effectively protect the endangered mountain gorillas. Bwindi forest better known as Bwindi Impenetrable national park is a tropical rainforest positioned in the southwest of Uganda in Kanungu district. The primate park is a vast area with a size of about 331km2. There is a plethora of wildlife species in the forest but the mountain gorillas largely dominate it with a whopping population of 459 individuals as per the 2019 census. Gorillas are naturally social animals that live in families or troops and Bwindi has 50 families and 13 lone gorillas. Out of the 50 gorilla groups, 20 mountain gorillas families are habituated for the gorilla trekking experience. The 20 habituated families live within the four different sectors in the forest, namely Buhoma in the North, Ruhija in the East, Rushaga at the bottom South and Nkuringo in the southwest.
The four sectors are where tourists go for the gorilla trekking experience. The availability of gorilla permits depends on the four sectors. It is also imperative to note that the four sectors almost have similar terrains and the experience of tracking the gorillas is the same.

Mgahinga gorilla national park is considered to be a fringe destination for gorilla tracking in Uganda. It is a little habitat located on the Virunga ranges at the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and Dr Congo. It has about 40 gorillas within its boundaries according to the 2016 Virunga gorilla census. The Virunga massif based gorilla park has only one habituated family, Nyakagezi. The terrain of Mgahinga is slightly different from that of Bwindi, it is more mountainous and covered by montane and bamboo forests. Visitors can do a double gorilla trekking in Uganda to experience the tropical rainforest outlook of Bwindi and the mountainous montane and bamboo forest landscape of Mgahinga.

The Cost of The Gorilla Tracking Permit
A gorilla permit is a plastic electronically chipped card issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority granting permission to track the gorillas in any of the two national parks. The cost of the gorilla permit is 700$ per person. The gorilla permit can be booked by either contacting the Uganda Wildlife Authority directly via their reservation email or telephone or indirectly by using the local tour operators to purchase it on your behalf. The gorilla permits are highly demanded, booking must be made earlier as possible and advised.

What Happens During the Trekking Experience?
Gorilla trekking starts when you arrive at the park head offices for a briefing about the code of conduct in the forest and while interacting with the gorillas. You are allocated to a group of other visitors to track a given gorilla family. After the briefing, you drive or walk to the starting point where you plummet into the forest to begin the trek towards the locales of the gorillas. The terrain of the forest is steep, uneven and at times slippery especially on a wet day, having a hiking stick and wearing sturdy shoes are recommended. The walk takes some decent time because the abodes of the gorillas are hidden and also the gorillas keep moving from one place to another. it is some challenge to track them down. Trackers are advised to carry adequate drinking water and dry foods to keep their bodies up to speed. When you reach the localities of the gorillas, you find them in a group of 10-30 individuals enjoying the foliage and playing around. Most trackers are frantically amazed by the gigantic size of the silverback. The silverback sometimes pops out and walks around its family as a way of marking its territory to protect its family but it does not do any harm to the trackers since it is familiar with humans.

Trackers are instructed to keep a 10-metre gap between themselves and the gorillas, lower their voices, restrict their movements and flashes are not allowed on the camera. The interaction with the gorillas involves observing and watching them feed, associate and play among themselves and also capturing their visuals. At the death of an hour, the interaction ends and you leave the forest to meet your safari guide to return to the lodge or proceed with other errands.

The Best Time to Trek The Gorillas
The best time to trek the gorillas by popular vote is the dry season which consists of June through October, December and January-Mid March. In the dry months is when the roads leading to the park and the walk trails in the forest are dry, making it easy for the visitors to access the gorillas and enjoy them. Additionally, the sun is bright enough to offer clear visuals of the gorillas during the trek.
In conclusion. mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda is the best wildlife experience you should never miss! Contact us at Africa Adventure Safaris for a tailored gorilla trekking tour at pocket friendly rates.

Minimizing travel costs to Uganda is a desire for anyone visiting to explore the Pearl of Africa. The best way for budget Uganda safaris is  to seek advice and guidance from a local tour operator such as Africa Adventure Safaris. We help you package the best affordable tourism services and amenities to enjoy on your Uganda wildlife safari. The cost of Uganda tours involves air tickets, accommodation, meals, ground transportation and tourism destination and activity fees and these can all be tricked around to make a tailor-made safari to achieve your planned travel budget. When it comes to exploring and discovering breath-taking landscapes, unique wildlife species and authentic culture with on low-cost travel budget, Uganda is second to none. Uganda appeals and serves all sorts of visitors with different budget plans. The country has one of the cheapest economies where a descent meal goes for as low as US dollar 3$. Having 300$ turns you into a millionaire if you convert it into Uganda shillings. For those who wish to travel at a low cost, Uganda is the place to be and an absolute possibility.

The Tips to make a low-cost trip to Uganda a possibility are explained in-depth as below:
Travel in a low season
There are two prevailing travel seasons in the tourism world, the peak and low seasons. The peak season starts from June through October, December, January and February and the low season is the period between mid-March through May and November. In the low season, tours and travel services like accommodation, park activities, ground transport, air ticket fares and other amenities tend to reduce in price due to their low demand because of the low influx of visitors. Therefore, like a traveller who wishes to have a low-cost safari take advantage of that opportunity to travel in April, May and November (low season) to enjoy tourism services at a discounted price. Interestingly, most travel activities in Uganda including gorilla trekking, game viewing, mountain climbing, chimpanzee tracking and birding among others can be done all year round regardless of the season

Fly Light
Air ticket fare is one of the expenses that take a lion’s share of a visitor’s safari budget. A return Air ticket to Uganda from Europe, Asia and America averagely cost 600$ which is quite some big funds to part with. However, there are budget airlines that fly from the western world to Uganda, namely Turkish Airlines, SN Brussels, Rwanda Air, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines and Uganda Airlines. On a lucky day, you can find an air ticket to Uganda at only 500$ from the aforementioned airlines and hence reduce the cost of Uganda travel.

Book with a Local Tour Operator
Instead of booking your Uganda safaris with an international tour agent, look for a locally based tour operator. Booking directly with the local tour operator, you dodged the facilitation or middleman fees of the international tour agent. Furthermore, local tour operators have vast travel information about Uganda and can identify and advise you on the best affordable lodges to stay in and activities to do. The local tour operators also ask for lower commission or mark up rates than the international tour agents.

Stay in Budget Lodges
When we think about safari travel, the first thing that crosses our mind is staying in a five or world-class hotel. Narrow down the needs to a two or three-star safari lodge if the intentions are about travelling at a low-cost budget. Uganda’s national parks and other cities like Kampala, Entebbe and Jinja have numerous low-cost lodges with services and facilities needed for an epic and cosy holiday vacation. Don’t hesitate to inform the tour company to identify the ideal and affordable lodge to stay in around the various national parks to visit as per your itinerary.

Eat like a local
Most of the times accommodation facilities integrate the meals in their rates but there are meals taken on the road or while engaging in certain activities. For off lodge meals, you should ensure that you order local foods as they are cheaper than international cuisines. Other than being affordable, enjoying a local meal is one way of embracing the culture of Uganda as a destination. Ugandan food is tasty and organic!

Avoid travelling alone.
Travelling in a group or as a couple is less expensive since the costs are shared and discount incentives are likely. For instance, the cost of a double room per person is less than that of a single room. This also works with the ground transport expenses whereby two or more visitors normally pay the same rate for the 4×4 vehicle, driver and fuel as a solo traveller does. Remember those travelling in a group share the expenses among themselves and it becomes less costly for them compared to the solo traveller who has to meet all the expenses alone.

Go for less costly park activities

Uganda has ten national parks; they host a series of activities as a way of exploring their wildlife and terrains. Uganda Wildlife Authority has contrasting rates for the various park activities. For example, as per Uganda wildlife Authority tariff plan of June 2022-2024, a park entrance at Murchison Falls National Park is 45$ per person and an extra 20$ is charged for ranger-guided game drives or 10$ for self game drives whereas gorilla trekking fees in Bwindi impenetrable national park are 700$ per person. Therefore, we advise taking up a game viewing expedition at Murchison falls national park because it is cheaper than gorilla trekking in Bwindi. Other less costly tour activities to take around the various national parks are nature walks, boat rides, cultural tours and sport fishing.

Travel by a budget vehicle
Tour operators have a fleet of vehicles to offer to their visitors during their Uganda safari travel for example 4×4 safari 8-seater land cruiser, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado TX/TZ, Land Cruiser VX/GX/V8 and Safari Van. It is the visitors’ discretion to choose a vehicle to travel by. For 1-3 visitors are advised to choose a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado TX while travelling because it has a low rental price and its fuel consumption is relatively low compared to the grand safari Land Cruiser or Land Cruiser VX/V8.
Conclusively therefore, you can still travel and enjoy Uganda safaris on budget. Africa Adventure Safaris makes tailor-made Uganda tours suitable for your budget and time.