Planning A Gorilla And Chimpanzee Safari In Rwanda On Christmas Day

Tips on planning a gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda on Christmas day. It sounds beautiful to jingle the Christmas bells with a gorilla and chimpanzee trekking experience in Rwanda. It would be best to have a gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permit from the Rwanda Development Board, as this is the regulating body for all these primate's activities in Rwanda.

Gorilla trekking safaris in Rwanda only happen in the Volcanoes National Park, North Western part. The park currently hosts 15 gorilla families open to public booking.

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Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is known to Nyungwe National Park, and two semi-habituated communities of chimpanzees are currently open to public viewing.

Boking the chimpanzee and gorilla permit for Christmas day in advance saves you from last-minute panic as you check for availability. The permit is the only confirming ticket of your attendance for the gorilla or chimpanzee trekking safari, yet they have limits for conservation reasons.

The festive season is the time to wind and unwind from the hassle of the entire year, and so the tranquility of the gorilla and chimpanzee trekking destinations gives you the right ambiance for this. These primate destinations have a controlled population of tourists, and the rules that govern gorilla trekking or chimpanzee trekking deter tourists from going overboard with noise. The cool breeze from the natural forest aerates your accommodation facility, creating a great feeling.

What a Christmas holiday with chimpanzees or mountain gorillas in their natural Rwandan habitat.

To enjoy the entire experience of gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda, you need to make prior preparations. Remember that gorilla or chimpanzee trekking can be done daily as these Rwandan parks are far apart.

How To Plan For Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking In Rwanda?

Book Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking Permit

It would be best to have your gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits in advance, as these are the only entry tickets to either of these primates adventure in Rwanda. They are limited in supply for conservation reasons, so you must reserve the permits in advance. 

The maximum number of gorilla permits for booking daily is 8 per gorilla family. The maximum number of chimpanzee permits per session per troop is 6. This is to minimize the after-effects of mass tourism. Both the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees depend on the provision of the forest, so when many people are let in, they trample on their food.

How To Book Gorilla And Chimpanzee Permits For Rwanda

Enquire about the availability of the chimpanzee or gorilla trekking permits for Christmas day. Have the number of people you hope to travel with at your fingertips to prevent moving back and forth with checking availability. 

If availability is positive, we advise clients to purchase their gorilla or chimpanzee permits in advance because of their high worldwide demand.

Forward personal details like your nationality, full name as indicated on the passport, passport expiry date, and date of birth. These details are for record purposes, and some are added to your certificate after completing the gorilla trek.

What Is The Cost Of Rwanda Gorilla And Chimpanzee Permits?

The current cost for a Rwanda gorilla permit is $1500 for foreign nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents, and $300 for East African residents. 

The cost of a Rwanda gorilla permit includes:

• Park entrance fees.
• Ranger guide service fees.
• Gorilla conservation support.
• Local community support.
• One hour with the mountain gorillas.

Exclusions of Rwanda: gorilla permit cost, no tips, accommodation to use during gorilla trekking, transport, and any other items of a personal nature.

What Is The Cost Of Rwanda Chimpanzee Trekking Permit?

A Rwanda chimpanzee trekking permit costs $90 per person per trek.

The chimpanzee trekking permit cost includes ranger guide fees, chimpanzee conservation support, local community support, and one hour with the chimpanzees.

Exclusions of chimpanzee trekking permit for Rwanda are park entrance fees, tips, porters, transport, and any other items of personal nature. 

What Is The Best Time To Book Gorilla And Chimpanzee Permits For Christmas In Rwanda 

Booking your gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permit in advance is the best option, as they are both limited in number for conservation reasons. During the Christmas season, these primate permits for Rwanda sell out before the last quarter of the year.

It is best to book your Christmas gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits 6 months prior or a year in advance. Gorilla and chimpanzee permit booking and help you reserve where to stay, as Rwanda has limited accommodation options close to the primate destinations.

Each day, the Rwanda Development Board opens a maximum of 8 gorilla permits to be booked per gorilla family, yet only 96 gorilla permits are available. This body also accepts a maximum of 6 chimpanzee permits per session for public booking per troop, yet there are only two chimpanzee communities.

What Is The Age Limit For Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking In Rwanda?

15 years and beyond is the age limit for gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda because of the nature of this adventurous activity in the volcanic Virunga area. The topography of Volcanoes National Park is generally volcanic, with ridges and plateaus where mountain gorillas sometimes lounge. It may be hard for people below 15 years to withstand the huddles within prehistoric volcanic forests.

The age limit for chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is a person must be beyond 15 years because the chimpanzees are provocative yet very sensitive primates. Chimpanzee trekking is done in a rough jungle that may not favor a child below this age, yet one of the rules of this adventure states that no noise is made while in the jungle. 

How Long Is Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking In Rwanda 

The duration of locating the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees is still being determined as it depends on prevailing factors in the wilderness.

Some tourists have emerged from either gorilla trekking or chimpanzee trekking in two hours, while others have spent more time.

Some factors that determine when to locate the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees include the proximity of their food sources in case of a fight, the weather prevailing on the day, the pace of other trekkers, and so much more.

It would be best if you had patience during gorilla and chimpanzee trekking adventures to avoid missing out on the best part of this experience.

Even some level of fitness during gorilla and chimpanzee trekking helps you to withstand the long hours or the topography of these destinations.

The ranger guide follows the pace of the slowest trekkers, but you do not need to delay the rest of the group.

What Is the Cost for Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Package for Rwanda on Christmas Day?

We package our safaris according to luxury, midrange, and budget gorilla and chimpanzee safaris. To come up with these safari packages, we consider a number of factors like: 

The number of people traveling with. The more paying people on safari, the lower the per-person cost.

The number of activities to combine with the gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari, whereby the more extra activities you include in this package, the higher the safari cost

The more days on the gorilla and chimpanzee safari, the higher the cost of the safari because service providers charge per-day prices for amenities like accommodation, vehicle hire, ranger guides, and others.

Time for booking your safari; in this case, during the festive season, most service providers charge a different price.

How Difficult Is Gorilla or Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda?

Rwanda generally is a land of a thousand hills, so most of her destinations are similar to other parts of the country.

Since gorilla and chimpanzee trekking is done in the jungle, expect some rough plants like stinging nettles, some with gears that can withstand them.

At times, the mountain gorillas may spend their free time on the slopes feeding or lounging, which may require you to hike. Having some fitness level helps you overcome the possibility of getting muscle pulls.

 Carry insect repellants to keep away stinging insects that may buzz to harm you during gorilla or chimpanzee trekking. Even carrying the first aid kit can save your life in case emergency action is needed.

Can I Purchase The Gorilla Or Chimpanzee Trekking Permit In Installments? 

The Rwanda Development Board accepts installment gorilla and chimpanzee permit purchases as long as you buy them 90 days before the days of a gorilla or chimpanzee trek. You must also remember to top up before 90 days to the activity day.

Failure to abide by this may cause you to be penalized.

It is best to fully pay for your gorilla or chimpanzee permits to avoid getting inconvenienced when you need to remember to top up.

Can I reschedule the gorilla or chimpanzee trekking permit for Christmas in Rwanda?

Terms and conditions applied:

The Rwanda Development Board accepts tourists to reschedule their gorilla and chimpanzee permits using the below procedure.

Write to the Rwanda development board requesting the reschedule your gorilla or chimpanzee trekking permits. State the date to which you wish to move both.

When approved, your gorilla and chimpanzee permits are rescheduled; however, this is based on the prevailing availability status per your new date.

Note:

Rwanda Development Board adds a surcharge for gorilla or chimpanzee permit reschedules.

How safe is gorilla or chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda?

Since the 1994 genocide, Rwanda has been enjoying great peace as it seems to have learned from its past mistakes. The ranger guides of Nyugwe National Park and Volcanoes National Park are well-trained to give the best primate experience to visitors on Rwanda safari.

Each group of tourists is escorted by at least two rangers, one holding a machete to trim creepers and create the way and another carrying a rifle and radio call to communicate with park security.

Other Rwandese security agencies are in place to keep law and order around the forest.

You must pay attention to personal security by only entering the forest with an escorting ranger guide. The wilderness has other dwellers that are not habituated to human presence that may harm you.

Refrain from counting large sums of money in public that may attract the wrong characters.

Rwanda is very strict with drug abuse, so try not to attempt wearing them, or you may find yourself in the harsh jails in the country.

What Are the Dos and Donts of Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda?

• Littering in the forest is forbidden as you are advised to leave the natural habitat to thrive and provide food for the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees; when you dump items like plastic, they do not decompose, which alters the nature of the forest, which is habitat to the mountain gorillas. 
• Stay in a tight group during gorilla or chimpanzee trekking because surrounding these primates when you locate them causes them to feel insecure and agitated. This may lead them to retreat into the deeper ends of the park.
• Using flash photography is not allowed because mountain gorillas or chimpanzees 
• are scared of new occurrences in their environment.
• Suppose you catch any communicable infection like cholera, flu, cough, or coronavirus; volunteer to stay behind so you don't pass it to the gorillas. They are highly susceptible to human infections. The extent to which they may be affected may cause the conservation work done to go back to highly endangered.
• Eating or smoking 300 meters closer to the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees is forbidden to prevent chances of these primates grabbing it from you. Wild animals must search for their own food and not depend on human provision.
•  Burry all fecal materials beyond recognition so the animals in the forest cannot exhume it. Ask the ranger to dig a hole for you about 30 cm and cover well.
• If you wish to sneeze or cough, avoid the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees and use your handkerchief or elbow.
• Try not to talk loudly or make noise when going on a gorilla or chimpanzee trekking because you may also scare the other forest dwellers that may be interesting to see.
•  Wearing a clean mask before meeting the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees is an added rule for primates trekking after the Corona Virus Lockdown.
• The age limit for gorilla trekking is 15 years and above or beyond 15 years because children below this age may not withstand the conditions in the forest. The time for locating the mountain gorillas has yet to be discovered. A child below this age may not withstand

Contact us for more information.