Budget gorilla habituation experience safaris Rushaga, Bwindi, Uganda

A budget gorilla habituation experience safari in Rushaga, Bwindi National Park, usually involves a 3-day safari in the Rushaga sector where tourists get to spend four hours with the mountain gorillas while in their natural habitat. The gorilla habituation safari includes a gorilla habituation permit, transport, meals and accommodation amounting to about $2000 to $3000 per person.

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Considerations for a budget gorilla habituation safari in Rushaga

Planning a gorilla habituation experience safari in Rushaga Bwindi involves several steps but you need to know that this is the only place in the world where gorilla habituation is done. The different considerations you need to put in place for an unforgettable habituation experience include the following.

1. The gorilla habituation permit

The gorilla habituation permit is the first thing you should put into consideration when it comes to gorilla habituation safaris because no one will be allowed to trek mountain gorillas without a permit. The gorilla habituation permit can be purchased from the Uganda Wildlife Authority through a tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris.

Gorilla habituation permits have to be booked online and in advance because only four permits are printed per day.

The cost: The gorilla habituation permit cost is determined by UWA and the current cost of the permit is UGX750,000 for East African Citizens, $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for African citizens and $1000 for foreign residents.

Inclusions: The gorilla habituation cost includes security, 4 hours with the mountain gorillas, research about the gorillas, community projects like schools and hospitals, park entrance fees and ranger guide fees.

Exclusions: The gorilla habituation permit does not include accommodation, transport and other personal purchases.

How to book for the gorilla habituation permit:

The gorilla habituation permit can be booked through a tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris, where you have to contact us with your dates, that is month, date and year in which you would wish to participate in gorilla habituation in Rushaga, Bwindi. After contacting us, we will proceed to check for the availability of the permits on the given dates and get back to you with the results. When the permits are available, you will be informed and asked to make a deposit on the permit which will allow us to temporarily book the permit for you. Follow the bank details that will be provided and ensure that the permit payments are made in full so that the permit is purchased. Once we have proof that the payments have been made, we will proceed and purchase the permit on your behalf and send a copy as proof of purchase.

2. Accommodation

Budget gorilla habituation safaris in the Rushaga sector, Bwindi are possible depending on the type of accommodation facilities that are found in the sector. There are three categories of accommodation facilities that are found in the Rushaga sector and these are budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation facilities.

When booking accommodation during the budget gorilla habituation safari, you have to make sure that it is done in advance and that the facilities are located within the sector and not any other place to ensure that you keep time on the morning of the exercise.

The budget-friendly accommodation options in the Rushaga sector cost between $100 to $150, mid-range between $200 to $300 and luxury accommodation between $400 and more per night. Note that these are estimates and the costs can be more depending on the time of booking. Accommodation costs more during the dry/peak season because the fees are hiked due to the presence of many tourists during this period and during the rainy season of March to May and October to November, the cost is less due to the discounts that are offered to attract more tourists during this period.

The different accommodation facilities that you can use during a budget gorilla habituation safari in Rushaga include Gorilla Hills Eco Lodge, Bweza Gorilla Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Bwindi Jungle Lodge,

Gorilla Close-up Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Nshongi Camp, Rushaga Gorilla Resort, Rushaga Lodge, and Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge among others.

3. Transportation

Transport is one of the many key considerations when planning a budget gorilla habituation safari in the Rushaga sector. You need to have a plan on how you are going to get from the airport to your destination and then back, and we are here to help easily plan for your transportation.

The most used and budget-friendly mode of transport is road and 4x4 safari vehicles are used to transport you to and from your destination in Rushaga, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. We can arrange for comfortable 4x4 cars to take you around with experienced driver guides who know the history of the different destinations and Bwindi.

Driving to Rushaga sector can take about 8 to 9 hours and although it is a long journey, you are provided with beautiful scenery along the way. You can also decide to start your journey from Kigali in Rwanda and this takes 4 to 5 hours. At Encounter Africa Safaris, we can pick you up from wherever you are, that is, Kigali International Airport or Entebbe International Airport, and we make sure that you have the best budget gorilla habituation safari to Rushaga.

For tourists who would wish to fly, we can arrange for charter flights from either Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kisoro Airstrip or Kihihi Airstrip. From here, our guide will pick you up from the airstrip and drive you the rest of the way to the park headquarters.

4. The itinerary

A budget gorilla habituation itinerary usually covers 3 days, and this includes travelling to and from the national park, spending a day at the national park for the habituation experience and potentially participating in other activities around the sector, some of which include guided nature walks, bird watching and cultural visits among others. A brief sample of what the 3-day itinerary looks like is as below.

• Day one involves driving from Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with stopovers at the Equator crossing in Kayabwe and Lunch in Mbarara before proceeding to Rushaga sector in Bwindi for the night.
• Day 2 is when tourists engage in the gorilla habituation experience which starts early morning with a briefing. You can also engage in other activities as per the itinerary before resting for the night.
• Day 3 is the last day of the safari, and the driver guide will drive you back to either Kampala or Entebbe, depending on your preference.

Get in touch with us at Encounter Africa Safaris to help you plan an itinerary that fits your budget and preference.

5. Other costs

As you plan your budget gorilla habituation safari to Rushaga in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you have to plan on spending on other expenses some of which include tips, purchase of souvenirs, premium food and drinks, international flights and other safari activities.

Note that all these extra costs are not part of the cost of the safari and the gorilla habituation permit cost and can either be avoided or planned when the budget allows it.

• The cost of the international flights is determined by your country of origin and before travelling, you must have a return ticket as well, all booked in advance.
• All extra activities that are added to the itinerary, like bird watching, game drives, cultural trips and guided nature walks, are paid for independently, and you need to plan accordingly.
• Tips come out of your pocket and all tourists are advised to carry some extra cash with them in cases where tipping is necessary. Carry some smaller changed notes to cover the tipping of different service providers like ranger guides and porters.
• All premium drinks and extra snacks are not covered under the safari cost and have to be paid out of pocket. So carry some extra money with you as a form of better planning.
• You also need to carry extra cash for personal purchases especially when it comes to souvenirs.

What to pack for the budget gorilla habituation safari in Rushaga

The packing list is part of the expenses that you should put into consideration when planning a budget gorilla habituation to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.  Most of the many things that are needed for gorilla habituation are to be purchased, especially if this is your first time, and the first thing you need to think about are the safari clothes that need to be packed. They should come in neutral colours, and the colours that should be avoided include camouflage and blue. Below is a list of items needed for a budget gorilla habituation safari to Bwindi.

• Long-sleeved shirts and light-weight trousers
• Waterproof jackets or coats
• Sweaters, ponchos and scarves for the cold.
• Socks to keep warm
• Adjustable gaiters
• Waterproof and comfortable knee-length hike boots
• A camera with extra lenses, memory cards, batteries, and a camera bag.
• A pair of binoculars
• A waterproof backpack
• Snacks and a refillable water bottle
• First aid-kit
• Gardening gloves
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen and a wide-brimmed sunhat.

Tips of having a budget gorilla habituation safari in Rushaga

Gorilla habituation experience safaris are not cheap although the money spent is worth it in the end but there are instances where the costs can slightly be reduced for tourists to have a budget-friendly safari some of the things to put into consideration include:

Consider travelling in a group: When you travel in groups, the cost of many of the services, like transport and accommodation, are shared, significantly reducing the cost of the safari per person.

Consider accommodation: Choose budget-friendly or mid-range accommodation facilities that are cost-effective and comfortable based on your safari. Cost-effective budget accommodations that are safe are always available and all you have to do is have effective communication with your operator to make the best choices for you.

Consider other costs: There are factors, especially other costs, that you need to put into consideration, like visa fees, permit fees, meals, premium drinks, tips, flight fees and costs of other safari activities that you might be interested in.

Individual safari activities is paid for independently, and you need to factor in all those costs. The more activities planned, the more money you are going to spend on your safari.

If you want to have a budget-friendly safari, consider having cost-effective activities added to your itinerary, like community walks, nature walks and many more.

What is the cost of the budget gorilla habituation experience safari in Rushaga

The cost of the budget gorilla habituation experience in Rushaga depends on the range of travel for the tourist; for example, it might be luxury, mid-range or budget. The biggest cost of the safari is the gorilla permit followed by other factors like the number of days spent on the safari, accommodation chosen, transport and other services. Discuss your itinerary with us to ensure that you have a budget gorilla habituation experience safari in Rushaga.

The most commonly used itinerary is for 3 days, and the cost can range from $2000 to $5000 or more depending on the considerations made during the planning process. Note that these costs are just estimates and can either be increased or reduced.

When to go for a budget gorilla habituation safari

Budget gorilla habituation safaris in Rushaga can be done throughout the year but the best time is during the months of March to May and October to November. The months of June to September and December to February are the best times for the exercise, but it is also the peak season, which means that the safari will be expensive in the long run.

Budget gorilla habituation experience safaris in Rushaga, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an extra activity that can be combined with other activities some of which include boat cruises, game drives, bird watching, the Batwa cultural walk, guided nature walks, game drives and mountain climbing among others.

For more information about budget gorilla habituation experience safaris in Rushaga, Bwindi NP Uganda, get in touch with us at Encounter Africa Safaris.