Securing a gorilla permit has always been one of the things to consider whenever one opts to trek gorillas irrespective of where to trek from. Some see the process as hectic one but everything on gorilla trekking is just worthy the experience. From the two gorilla zone of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Virunga Conservation Area and the three gorilla countries and parks the cost of the gorilla permit alternate but the process of securing a permit remains almost the same.
In Uganda gorilla permits are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) a national authority that manages all national parks in Uganda, in Rwanda the permits are issued by Rwanda development board (RDB) and in Democratic Republic of Congo DRC gorilla permits are issued by the Virunga Park management. The process of securing a permit is maintained in the three countries where by the authorities reserve the permit to individuals by reaching out to their offices.
The most recommendable is using legal tour operators that are spread throughout the countries, the special advantage here is that any company can help secure a permit from any country to trek in any park as the difference in national boundaries are always opened to tourists across the gorilla zone.
Mountain gorillas trekking has for the last decades hyped to top the list of Africa’s most thrilling adventure. As many tourists have opted to take an adventure to trek the gentle giants but the chances to encounter the species have always stood to be limited, this is as a result of limited number of trekkers where only a group of 8 trekkers are allowed to trek a single habituated gorilla group a day. So, sometimes the demand has overwhelmed the supply of the trekking permits and this has statured gorilla tours so competitive and securing a permit can require one book a permit at least 3 months before the suggested trekking date to guarantee your trekking chance.
The cost of the gorilla permit
Trekking mountain gorillas from the four world gorillas parks the costs keeps on alternating. Uganda’s two gorilla parks have made the country the only place where one can do a double gorilla trekking in still one country. Trekking gorillas in Uganda’s both parks the permit costs US$700 and in a special way Uganda offer a spectacular encounter of gorilla habituation experience where trekkers have more 4 hours in the presence of the gentle giants and a permit to go gorilla habituation costs US$1500.
Trekking gorillas in DR Congo has always looked to be the cheaper in terms of procuring a permit. A gorilla permit to trek in Congo’s Virunga National Park costs US$450 which is relatively affordable compare the moderate Ugandan permit and the hyped Rwandan permit. A permit to trek in Rwanda for a one hour experience in the presence the gorillas costs US$1500 almost tripling and doubling that of Congo and Uganda respectively. Rwanda hyped gorilla permit has always statured Rwanda an upmarket trekking destination.
However, though the alternating costs of the permit but anywhere trekked from the experience will not alternate as trekking process remain maintained in all the four gorilla parks of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park both in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda and the Virunga National Park of Congo.
Is the cost of the gorilla permit worth the experience?
This question has been troubling many people’s mind, asking is the cost of the gorilla permit worth the experience? If ever trekked the gorillas hope you got the answer but if never then have to make enough research to get that satisfying answer. The unbiased response here is yes! The experience is the experience is worth the cost.
Image leaving your deluxe bed in the early morning and hurry into the forest to start a search for the giants. When entering into the forest have to remember that the search can last for 30 minutes to about 6 hour when just looking for the assigned habituated gorilla group, this has always looked so tiresome and hectic going through the muddy, misty, rolling terrain, moist, thorny and moist impassable forests looking for the gorillas. However, on finding the giants all the wearisome is forgotten and then concentrate on exhausting an hour before the gorillas.
So, now the experience may not the point of discussion on matters of gorilla permit costs, the main factor is the gorilla sustainability. Mountain gorillas are known to be wild delicate only located in the African eastern Albertine Rift valley in the thick rainforest volcanoes of both Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the Virunga Massif. On a trek a chance to an eye glance to a gorilla compare it as holding a glass of a cocktail. Mountain gorillas are very curious with designated to accommodate nature as they can’t survive under captivity (Zoos), any simple infection of the mountain gorillas can cause their death. For the last jubilee gorilla had suffered with challenges of extinction and efforts had to be employed to ensure their existence.
To ensure gorilla existence is conservation effort and every year gorilla conservationists need about US$400bn to ensure deployment of the conservation efforts. The seen hyped gorilla permit costs is always been the source of the huge dollars needed to ensure that gorillas still are seen in the forests. The pending question of worthiness of the cost of the gorilla permit is well responded to and one should not hesitate making effort of making gorilla trekking the next adventure to undertake on an holiday to Africa.
This is the best collection of things to do, things to see, things to do, best places where to stay, and more. Lets explore Bwindi Forest National Park together! We bring to you the best tours and journey ideas as well as travel information to help you plan a perfect trip into the impenetrable forests of Bwindi.