Does Rwanda offer low season discounted gorilla permits?

October 9, 2015

Does Rwanda offer low season discounted gorilla permits?

Rwanda sometimes offers low seasonal discounted gorilla permits but their availability is dependent on the Rwanda Development Board Management. It is not a must that these gorilla permits are available all the time as everybody must wait for advice from the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) the gorilla activities regulating and management body of Rwanda.

Most Popular Safaris

The normal gorilla permits for Rwanda are available with Rwanda Development Board but you must book them in advance. The high demand for people to do gorilla trekking safaris in Africa makes it quite challenging to reserve gorilla permits late. Firstly, they are limited to only about 96 permits in Rwanda. These are competed for by the rest of the world every day so a first come first served basis is used when purchasing them.

The limited number of gorilla trekking permits is for conservation reasons. So that mass tourism is prevented and the mountain gorillas are not overwhelmed by the huge crowds of people. During the gorilla habituation process, the mountain gorillas are limited to only the presence of 8 people.

Volcanoes National park in northwestern Rwanda is the only mountain gorilla habitat in this country hosting about 12 gorilla families. Some of these gorilla families include the Hirwa gorilla family, Susa gorilla family, Igisha gorilla family, Karisimbi gorilla family, Sabyinyo gorilla family, Amahoro gorilla family, Agashya gorilla family, Kwitonda gorilla family, Bwenge gorilla family, Ugyenda gorilla family, Muhoza gorilla family, Umubano gorilla family.

What Is the Cost Of Rwanda Gorilla trekking Permits?

The Rwanda gorilla trekking permits cost $1500 per person per trek. This money includes a number of items that it supports like

Gorilla medication

Through the gorilla Doctors, Rwanda is able to know the living status of the mountain gorillas. The Gorilla Doctors do routine checkups on the mountain gorilla by randomly collecting some dung, blood samples, and others. They do some laboratory work to establish the general health status of the mountain gorillas.

In case a mountain gorilla is injured, the gorilla Doctors at times come in to administer treatment even if the gorillas are wild animals that must depend on the forest for their treatment and not humans.

Ranger Guide fees

Every group of tourists is led by an informed ranger guide with experience in the gorilla family allocated and the wilderness in general. These rangers dedicate their lives to supporting the lives of the mountain gorillas and protecting all forest dwellers from intruders. This work they do deserves payment in order to encourage them to keep on protecting the mountain gorillas and the other forest inhabitants.

Part of the money you pay for buying the gorilla permits is used to pay salaries for the rangers.

Security for Volcanoes National Park

After the 1994 genocide, Rwanda has steadily maintained peace which is encouraging tourists to visit Rwanda for gorilla trekking and others activities. The ranger guides do cooperate with other Rwanda Security officers to keep law and order in this area so as to protect the primates, the local people, and tourists on safari.

This money is part of the cost of Rwanda gorilla permits

Park fees

To support the Rwanda wildlife conservation fund for every tourist to access any Rwanda National park including Volcanoes National Park, must pay Park fees. These fees are used for park maintenance, upgrading park monitoring technology, and much more. When you purchase the Rwanda gorilla permit, you support this

Research Fund for the mountain gorillas

The life of mountain gorillas changes like that of humans so more research has to often be done. Even during habituation, this research fund is used this is why the number of gorilla families in Rwanda is expanding. Gorilla habituation is the process of getting wild mountain gorillas used to the presence of humans without altering their nature. This process takes some time which may be about 2 years or more.

When Is the Best Time To Book Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Permits?

The Rwanda gorilla trekking permits are sold all year but the peak season permits are normally booked in advance. This is because of the high demand for tourists to visit Rwanda, especially in the months of June to September and December to January.

Some tourists book the gorilla permits as early as 1 year in advance or 6 months before. At times you may be allowed to purchase the gorilla permit in installments as long as you remember to top up 90 days to your gorilla trekking date. After 90 days to days of gorilla trekking and the permit are not topped up it is released back for the public to book. This is done to allow people wishing to do gorilla trekking to access them. A gorilla permit not sold is a loss to the gorilla fund.

The low seasons also have an advantage especially for those wishing to do exclusive gorilla trekking with limited obstruction but at no cost. Some days during the months of March to May and November, people may not book gorilla trekking so in case you are lucky to use some of these days, you may do an unprepared solo trek.

Discounts on services like accommodation are at times given during the low season. You may use this opportunity to do your gorilla trekking safari with a limited budget but use high-end facilities.

In case you do not want to be obstructed by other trekkers especially when you are filming or photographing, you can use the low season when their fewer people or no people allocated to your gorilla family but the crew only.

What Is The Cost Of Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda

The cost of a Rwanda gorilla trekking safari is generally preceded by the price of a gorilla permit. This is a universal cost for all packages that is Luxury package, Mid-range package, and Budget package.

Other factors that make up the gorilla trekking package include

The number of paying people joining gorilla trekking as more people join the gorilla safari, the less the cost of the tour per person. You get to share some costs like vehicle hire, driver guide, gas, and others.

Timing of the gorilla trekking safari whereby the peak season calls for the high demand for services that make up the gorilla trekking package while the low seasons may attract some discounted prices. Some of the accommodation facilities may offer low costs to attract clients in the low season. You may use this opportunity to use upmarket facilities with a limited budget.

Number of days on Rwanda safari

The more days on a gorilla trekking safari, the more the cost of the entire package. This is because most services are charged per day.

Additional activities combined with Gorilla trekking

When you combine more activities with gorilla trekking, the cost increases. Rwanda has other activities like chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National park, Game drives in Akagera National park, boat trips, Kigali city tours, Rwanda cultural visits, and others.

The type of gorilla safari package that you choose is a luxury, mid-range, or Budget gorilla trekking package. Each of them has different inclusions and exclusions. The more inclusions the higher the gross cost.

How safe Is Rwanda Gorilla Trekking

Rwanda is peaceful after the genocide and the ranger guides together with other Rwanda security agents keep law and order in this gorilla trekking area.

You must also be very careful with your personal security ad your property by;

No eating street food in case you wish to taste the local cuisine. You may not know how your body will react after consuming it. Ask the driver guide to take you to a designated point where you can taste Rwanda’s local meals.
Do not count large sums of money in public because you do not know who may be watching. You may attract the wrong company.
Pack the right gorilla trekking gear that you will be comfortable walking in while in the jungle. The forest is filled with thick vegetation, pricking surfaces, stinging nettles, and much more. Even the ground is at times slippery yet sloppy so you need to hike to get to the mountain.
Do not carry your precious items around which may attract bad people. In case you have them, declare to the lodge manager in case they have a safe for them to keep. Remember to collect them on departure day.
Pack some hard cash to change into local currency in case you need to do on-ground purchases, credit cards are not commonly used in Africa because of the lengthy process of collecting money from them.
Never enter Volcanoes National park without an escorting ranger guide. This is because you may encounter unhabituated forest dwellers that may be harmful to you.
While on the gorilla trek, stay close to the group you are walking with so that you are not left in the forest. The ranger guide follows the pace of the slowest trekker but you may wish to step aside to enjoy own a certain attraction. You must not do this without the ranger guide’s knowledge. You can be lost in the forest yet communication may be hard too since there is no WIFI or telecommunication in the forest.

What To Pack For Rwanda Gorilla Trekking

Safari boots can take you through the hike in case that is where the mountain gorillas are lounging.
Garden gloves protect your hands from getting hurt in case you wish to hold a tighter grip from falling.
Insect repellant to protect yourself from biting insects in the wilderness.
Long-sleeved shirt and trousers for you to walk in the wilderness and protect your body.
Toiletries in case your lodge doesn’t provide them.
A large brim foldable hat to cover your head from water falling off the tree leaves and the dew.
A pair of binoculars to get a clearer view of far-ranging features.
A torch to use in the night when lights run out.
Stockings to tack in your clothes and prevent insects from creeping into them
Duffel bag to carry in your belongings and easily transfer them anywhere in case you have no one to help.

Rules Of Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

No one with a communicable infection like cough, flu, or coronavirus is allowed to visit the mountain gorillas. They are highly susceptible to human infections and may massively die which retards their conservation.
Never surround the mountain gorillas when you locate them. remain in a tight group so that they do not feel ambushed by your presence.
Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you locate them. This is another preventive measure for you not to spread any infection to these primates.
Using flash photography is forbidden as it may scare the mountain gorillas.
Never smoke or eat 200 meters from the mountain gorillas because they may grab it and yet they are wild animals that must search for their own food and not depend on the human provision.
Burry all human fecal materials in a hole of about 30 centimeters. burry beyond recognition because the forest dwellers may exhume it.
Spitting on vegetation contaminates it so keep the food for the mountain gorillas safe by not spitting on it.
Only people aged 15 and above are allowed to do gorilla trekking because of the huddles surrounding it at times like the time of locating the mountain gorillas is not known.
Try not to make a loud noise when with the mountain gorillas so that they do not feel unsafe in your presence.
Littering in the forest is not a great idea because it alters the nature where the mountain gorillas live. The mountain gorillas feed entirely on foliage like soft stems, bamboo, fruits, and others.
Only an hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas when you locate them. They have been habituated to this. Ensure that you exhaust everything like watching the gorillas, taking photographs, and others.
Wearing a mask is compulsory so make sure you have a clean mask on before meeting the mountain gorillas.