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Why Book a Gorilla Permit in Advance

In all mountain gorilla destinations, Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo, travelers are advised to book before or pay deposit in advance for the gorilla permits. Despite trekkers paying this advance deposit, they still don’t have clear reasons why the payment has to be made in advance.

In Uganda, the payment is US$700 for foreigners who are non residents, US$600 for foreign residents and UGX 250,000 Ugandan shillings for the East Africans. In Rwanda it is $1500 for all tourists regardless whether they are resident or non-resident. In Democratic Republic of Congo, a gorilla permit goes for $400, however presently gorilla trekking in Congo has been called off but yet to resume in 2019.

Among the three gorillas destination, Democratic Republic of Congo is the least visited due to the civil wars that always disrupt safaris to Virunga national park. In every country, on the trekking day each visitor is supposed to have a valid individual gorilla permit. No permission is granted for any gorilla activity for individuals who don’t have a permit. Therefore, it is important for trekkers to book the permits in advance to avoid last minute disappointments.  The following are some of the advantages for advance booking of gorilla permits by tourists.

High demand for the gorilla permits: The experience of gorilla trekking is almost every traveler’s dream.

According to research, about 90% of tourists who come to Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo take gorilla trekking as a first priority. Gorilla permits are issued at first come, first served basis hence definitely “the early bird catches the warm” so the ones who book early have high chances of getting the permits.

Recently, Uganda’s gorilla permits have been on high demand due to Rwanda’s increment of their permits by Rwanda Development Board.  This has made Uganda to have scarce permits and a lot of trips cancelled. The demand is too high especially during the peak season months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February.

To secure accommodation lodges and hotels: Booking gorilla permits in advance gives tourist time to also book for their best lodges, while considering aspects like location of the lodge, quality of services versus price.

This is common for bookings in Ugandan gorilla national parks like Bwindi where gorilla trekking is done in four different sectors. It’s then better for trekkers to book lodges that are located in the area that they will trek the gorillas. What makes it interesting is that gorilla permits also display the particular sector to where the visitors will trek. This gives the tour operator to find the appropriate lodge and save travelers’ time during the actual day of trekking.

These sectors are far way from each other and may disrupt travelers who stay in one sector and trek in another sector the next day. Book early because the lodges always get full in the peak season.

To ensure enough preparations: Booking gorilla permits in advance gives travelers enough time to prepare for this once in lifetime adventure. Preparations can be inform of arranging their travel documents, mandatory health requirements and booking flights, etc.

Book your gorilla permit in advance and relieve yourself from looking for money in the last minutes, just sit and wait for your time of trekking. Know that after paying everything concerning the trip, the tour operator takes over by booking lodges, local tour guide and the vehicle.

Gorilla trekking is a life time experience that is remarkable, just book the permit to see the closest human relatives. Make your choice for the adventure in any of the destinations, i.e. Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo and hit the links for the best of our services to organize for you the safaris in any of the three mountain gorilla destinations.

5 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Gorillas

Gorillas are among the intelligent primates the world host today. When it comes to primate safaris, gorillas should be a must see! They are intriguing animals and worthy seeing! They are capable of using tools like sticks, stones and pods among others. They use sticks to scoop termites from the ground, stones for defense and pods to collect drinking water from the streams. During a gorilla visit in either Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or the Virunga Region, you will come to learn about the life of the mountain gorillas and how they survive in the wild.

Gorillas Live in Families

Gorillas are known stay together in large groups known as ‘troops’. Each troop consists of members ranging from 5 to 40 depending on the size of the habitat. The largest gorilla group in history existed in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.

Who Takes Care?

The females take good care of their young ones and they communicate with each other in a variety of ways. They not only warn their troop members of the approaching dangers, but also warn others to stay away from them.

Male gorillas are also important in grooming the young ones. On many occasions, you will find male gorillas interacting with the young and juveniles, teaching them the way things can be done e.g crossing rivers, building nests etc.

Maturity of Gorillas

A male silverback Gorilla, an adult of 13 years or more, is the head of each group. Only this Gorilla is allowed to mate with the female gorillas of the troop.

The other male members leave the troop once they mature and go on to form their own troops.

Females also leave the troop after maturity, in order to find a suitable silverback so that they can be a part of his troop.

Diet of Gorillas

The usual diet of a Gorilla consists of flowers, fruits, leaves, stems, bamboo, etc. The eastern lowland gorillas however, indulge in ants and other small insects, alongside vegetal matter.

Makeshift Homes

On a gorilla trek through the impenetrable forest, you will look out for the nests that they build daily for their stay. Upon meeting the nests, it is evident and clear that you are close to encountering a gorilla family. The size of the nest also differs with the composition of members.

Gorillas do not sleep in one nest twice….. Gorillas sleep in nests, which they build on the ground or in trees, depending on various variables, such as the vegetation and the security situation. Every evening mountain gorillas construct a new nest, even if it is only a few meters from the nest they used the night before. Each animal builds its own nest; only infants sleep in the same nest as their mothers. About half an hour before it gets dark the gorillas settle in the nest. Occasionally, they also build nests for the midday rest.

To build a ground nest, the animals pull the branches of bushes and other plants into the centre, layer them and anchor them to each other. Other plants are bent in to form the nest rim. Tree nests are built mainly in forks of branches or similar structures. The nest has to be constructed in such a way that it can carry the weight of the gorilla. Females and young animals prefer to sleep in trees, whereas silverback males hardly ever do.

Planning a Gorilla Trek in Uganda

Gorilla Trekking is one of the most popular tour activities that every visitor to Uganda wish to take part in it. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park inhabits over 400 individuals that are known to be half of the other gorillas in Rwanda and Congo. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park lie in southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro district. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the government body  operates and protects the wildlife adventures to attract tourists who bring in income. However gorilla trekking can also be carried out in Rwanda in volcano national park and Congo in Virunga National Park.

Best time to track mountain gorillas.

Bwindi and mgahinga gorilla tracking can be done at any time of the year but most visitors prefer in the peak season which is June, July, August, September, November, December and January. Although visitors who track in low season have high chances of getting a discount of mountain gorilla tracking permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority the government body unlike Rwanda where permits are expensive.

What to pack.

  • Hiking Boots. One of the most important items that should be included in your gorilla trekking gear is hiking boots.
  • Garden Gloves which protects hands from being injured by the trees.
  • Rain Jacket since Ugandan weather is unpredictable.
  • Long Sleeved Shirts, Blouse and trouser.
  • Energy Giving snacks that is water and food though it’s limited taking it when your with gorillas.
  • Cameras and extra batteries but on a condition of removing flashlights.
  • Hat and Sun Glasses to prevent you from too much sunshine
  • Pair of Binoculars to help you spot birds and animals from a distance.

How to access permits

When planning a gorilla safari, there are two things a visitor should know the cost of the permit as well as the overall cost of this tour safari. Gorilla tracking permits are issued out by a government body which is Uganda Wildlife Authority. In Uganda, permits are cheaper than Rwanda at 600US Dollars and 1500US Dollars respectfully. Although Congo has the cheapest price of gorilla tracking permits, it’s not safe for visitors due to political wars thus giving chance to Ugandan tourism which is safe and cheap.

Getting there

Bwindi impenetrable national park can be reached by flights or roads. From Kampala to Kisoro district by road takes over 8-10 hours driving. Due to the fact that it’s a long distance, it’s worth it because a lot of adventurous sceneries are spotted like Equator along masaka-mbarara road and the driver can have a stopover for photos, shopping or for a cup of tea. Lake Mburo national park with Zebras and Uganda kobs, then in Kabale visitors are able to spot Lake Bunyonyi and mountainous areas. Flights are quick but with few spotting adventurous sceneries and is expensive to budgeted visitors.

Where to spend a night?

Choosing the best safari lodge or accommodation will depend on how much you can afford. Depending on the level of visitors, some lodges charge as high as, $ 500-900 while the budget ones can pocket as low as $ 50-70 for a double room. The services, food, location and so on matters a lot in most lodges.

Some luxury lodges include Gorilla Forest Camp, Mahogany Springs, Clouds Lodge and Buhoma Lodge Gahinga Lodge

Budgeted lodges include Travellers INN Kisoro Lake Chahafi Resort; mid-range options include Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge.

What to follow on gorilla trekking

  • Use cameras on a condition of removing flashlights which threatens the mountain gorillas.
  • Children above 15 years of age are allowed to track mountain gorillas and elders are supported by stretcher chairs.
  • Limited number is 8 members to track mountain gorillas in order to keep gorilla environment calm.
  • Visitors are given one hour visit when they are with mountain gorillas.
  • Visitors are told to keep a 7 meter distance when they are with mountain gorillas.
  • Visitors who are ill aren’t allowed to track mountain gorillas to prevent gorillas from being attacked by the diseases

How Do Mountain Gorillas Feed?

These Mountain Gorillas may be seen in Mgahinga Gorilla Park; a stunning park and a component of the Virunga chain of towering volcanoes that extend into the DRC and Rwanda, and then in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park  which is located in south western part of Uganda in kisoro district neighboring swiz of Africa.

These parks support 400 Population of Mountain Gorilla.  Bwindi Impenetrable national park is an ancient forest also called the “Place of Darkness” because of thick trees which harbors mountain gorillas.  The tree cover makes it very dark within this forest.  The forest’s altitudes are between 1,160m and 2,607m above sea level. The Bwindi plus Mgahinga each possess varying characteristics as well as similarities. The Bwindi isn’t an extinct volcanic region while the Mgahinga is.

Due to the fact that Mgahinga Gorila National Park is on a high altitude, mountain gorillas move up and feed on some of the afro-montane vegetation. These great apes typically feed on fruits, leaves, roots, bamboo, flowers and shoots in the season. Researchers say that they eat in large quantities.

Most tour companies such as Africa Tours Adventure do arrange packages to all of these destinations in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. It also has professional guides and the service has no doubt. The company hires cars which are comfortable for long and short route driving at a cheap price and in case you need more information visit our website.

Gorilla Trekking: What If I Fail to See the Gorillas

Many tourists wonder about what happens if one fails to see the gorillas during a gorilla safari in Uganda. Though the success rate of seeing the gorillas on a single trek is 99%, on a bad day, some tourists have failed to see the gorillas. Then what can be done to save the day? What happens if I fail to see the mountain gorillas? We try to answer this commonly asked question so that you can book your next gorilla safari in Africa when you are in the know.

For cases where a trekker fails to view mountain gorillas when he or she is already in the forest, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) can improvise where need be. In case she or he has adequate time the following day, he or she shall have a second chance to trek. But note, this rarely happens!

For trekkers try their best to hike through the jungles and steep slopes to search for mountain gorillas. In this process, some tourists do not make it due to many reasons. Some of the reasons include physical wellness or illnesses, old age and the movement of gorillas.

On most occassions, old or less fit clients, tourists can be allocated gorilla families that are expected to be close to the starting point. At times, when the trek has already started, visitors can be taken back to where they started their trek and then hike to the nearby gorilla groups that is if there is any. Such trekker will be required to give his or her details concerning the physical abilities to park ranger or official. This is to help the park officials find the best alternative for such category.

Where to trek mountain gorillas in Uganda

A glimpse at mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is a lifetime experience. In Uganda, you can be part of this thrilling experience only in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park which are all set in southwestern Uganda. The two parks offer refuge to over half of all the 1004 mountain gorillas that the world today boast of. There are over 21 gorilla families available for tourism and research purposes. In Bwindi National Park, treks usually start in anyone of the four trekking regions; Ruhija, Nkuringo, Rushaga or Buhoma area, each of these has habituated families and only one will be assigned to you to trek in a group of 8 trekkers. You will be accompanied by a professional park ranger guide and in case of heavy luggage you will hire a porter to help you carry.

Gorilla permits in Uganda

A gorilla permit is an essential tool every trekker should have if he or she is to trek mountain gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda. In Uganda, you can obtain one at $600 if you are a foreign non-resident, $500 for foreign resident and shs. 250000 for East African citizens. However, starting 1st July 2020, gorilla permits in Uganda will cost $700, $600 and shs.250000 respectively. A gorilla permit at hand gets you about 99 percent chances to see mountain gorillas. Normally, trackers are sent to the field to ascertain the whereabouts of these incredible creatures before the next group of trekkers set off something that easies and also reduces hours of hiking to see mountain gorillas.

How to obtain gorilla permits in Uganda

Gorilla permits in Uganda can be obtained either through a reliable, trustworthy tour operator in Uganda or through a reservationist at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). Visitors on gorilla safari to Uganda or Rwanda are advised to secure their gorilla permits earlier before embarking on actual trip since the demand is high. If you plan to visit Rwanda for gorilla trekking, you need $1500 to secure a gorilla permit and you can do so through a ground tour operator or a reservationist at Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

In summary, a trek to see mountain gorillas is a life changing experience that any traveler on African safari shouldn’t miss out.

Gorilla Trekking in Mishaya Group of Bwindi

Many travelers wonder about how to choose a location for gorilla tracking within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Forest. Though many travelers would like to track where multiple groups, many zero down on tracking one gorilla group. Remember only eight tourists are allowed to track a particular habituated gorilla group! Though there are ten habituated gorilla groups (as per 2014) that get visited each day, Mishaya is one of the interesting groups that our correspondent visited on his recent gorilla tour within Uganda.

MISHAYA GORILLA GROUP

Mishaya is one of the most exciting gorilla family in Uganda that are available for gorilla watching all year round. Located in the Rushaga area, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest- southern section, this is one of the gorilla families with interesting history. The Mishaya Gorilla family separated from Nsongi group due to conflicts that cropped up amongst the family members. Then Miyasha led an uprising and split from the major group with close to 8 gorillas left Nshongi family. It is now 4 year since Mishaya group was habituated in July 2010- it is one of the new gorilla families in Bwindi forest.

In February 2014, the Silverback gorilla that led this group was found dead on the morning of February 3rd, 2014 by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) trackers on patrol in the forest. At just 28-years-old, Mishaya, the dominant leader of the Mishaya Gorilla Group in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was reported dead on the morning of February 3rd, 2014 by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) trackers on patrol in the forest. Mishaya died after a short illness, according to the top wildlife officials.

Otherwise Mishaya was a strong and healthy silverback, with no history of illness, no evidence of injury or previous medical interventions and his sudden death was impossible to explain without further investigation. The Gorilla Doctors later carried out a necropsy study to find out what killed the old Mishaya! Surprisingly, blackback Mwine managed to fill the leadership role in Mishaya group for the time being to keep the females together and the infants safe.

Currently there are 7 members of the group. The Mishaya Family Members include; Bakunzi the adult female, Mwiza the adult female, Rutaro a juvenile, Mize a juvenile, Mwiza Baby 1 an infant, Mwiza baby 2 an infant, Bakunzi baby an infant, Unknown infant 1, and Unknown infant 2.

Have you visited the mountain gorillas in person? You can easily learn more about gorilla travel in Uganda by getting in touch with one of the adventure travel company in Eastern Africa.

Briefing on Gorilla Trekking

It’s a process of preparing clients before set off for gorilla trekking. It is a very important process to prepare trekkers for the task of searching for gorillas in their natural habitat.  Briefing occurs in the morning at the park headquarters by the ranger guides who are experienced about the gorilla behaviors.

HOW IS BRIEFING DONE?

Tourists from different parts of the world who bought their gorilla permits in advance, gather at the park headquarters.  They are requested to register their names. The rangers start equipping them with the rules and regulations governing gorilla trekking. They also let them know the ease and difficulties experienced during the process of Gorilla trekking.

Failure to follow the rules and regulation governing gorilla trekking, the clients can be expelled from the activity at none refund penalty.  After briefing, tourists are grouped into eight to visit each Gorilla family. A maximum of eight people are allowed to visit each gorilla family.

REASONS FOR BRIEFING

Briefing is done purposely to protect gorillas and their habitat for future generation.

Briefing is done to overcome harm from Gorillas. It should be noted that, Gorillas are wild animals and if not handled well, they can fight and cause harm.

It is done to enable trekkers interact with each other. In most cases, they are requested to introduce themselves to each other.

RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING GORILLA TREKKING

A maximum of one hour is allowed to chat, take photos/ films of Gorillas. It is done to avoid over stressing the gentle giants.

Each Gorilla group/ family is visit once a day. Gorillas are wildlife which does not need presence of man for a long time.

A maximum of eight people are allowed to visit each gorilla family.  Many people may suffocate the gorillas making them upset.

Do not litter in the park. All dust should be put in the bins.

Do not dump waste products anywhere in the park.  Request the ranger guides to dig for you a hole and burry after.

Avoid noise while amidst the Gorilla family. It can force Gorillas to fight you.

If Gorillas charge, please leave the group.

Maintain 7 meter distance between human and Gorillas.

Do not touch and engage gorillas. They are tough and do not want to be challenged.

When Gorillas charge, please reduce the height and move away.

HOW GORILLA TREKKING IS CONDUCTED AFTER BRIEFING?

After briefing, each group of eight trekkers moves to encounter different gorilla families. They walk through the forests under the guidance of rangers. Rangers are assigned the task of answering all questions to ensure informative and enjoyable experience.

Depending on the location of a gorilla group, trekking may take 3-6 hours and sometimes a full day when Gorillas move far away from the park headquarters.

When they meet gorillas, trekkers take photos/ films and so on for the maximum of one hour before leaving Gorillas in peace.

The experience is somehow tough because of the difficulties gone through while trying to search but the thrill obtained while with Gorillas erases a way all the bad memories went through in trying to meet them.