Planning a gorilla habituation experience tour from USA, The United States of America

Gorilla seeing is absolutely one of the best safari activity Africa. Are you planning a gorilla habituation experience tour from USA or The United States of America? Are you in California, Florida, Arizona, Kentucky, Kansas and Illinois and you want to visit Africa for mountain gorilla trekking? Would you love to spend more hours with mountain gorillas still under habituation in the jungles of the Bwindi impenetrable National Park in Uganda? If so, take time to read guidelines to follow if you are planning to book a gorilla habituation experience trip from USA or the United States of America.

Things to know before planning Gorilla habituation experience tour from USA

Before booking a gorilla habituation experience tour from USA, you need to get more information about it, whether or not to use a tour operator, best time to book your gorilla habituation permit, how to get to Bwindi and so many things as below

1. About Gorilla habituation experience.
2. Why do gorilla habituation experience instead of normal one-hour gorilla trek?
3. Where can I do gorilla habituation experience in Africa?
4. How to book a gorilla habituation experience permit?
5. How much is a gorilla habituation experience safari?
6. How much is a gorilla habituation permit in Uganda?
7. How many people are allowed to do gorilla habituation experience excursion?
8. When should I book my gorilla habituation experience from USA?

About gorilla habituation experience safaris in Bwindi impenetrable National Park

Gorilla habituation is a process where wild mountain gorillas are tamed to get used to the presence of human beings. The process of gorilla habituation takes 2-3 years where experts keep visiting and monitoring the progress until they are sure that these great apes are fully used to human beings before opening such gorilla families for trekking.

Gorilla habituation experience is the act of visiting mountain gorillas still under habituation in Bwindi impenetrable National Park. It is a four-hour gorilla trekking experience and only takes place in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable National Park in Rushaga and Nkuringo. During the four hours, you will observe and practically participate in activities of taming these wild mountain gorillas to get used to human beings. Such activities include making calls, collecting specimens and stool, naming and observing general day-to-day activities of such gorilla families still under habituation. Before planning a gorilla habituation experience tour from the United States of America, you need to know the below key points.

How to select a tour operator to assist in planning your gorilla habituation experience

You will need services of a local tour operator in Uganda to assist you in organizing a gorilla habituation experience tour from the USA. There so many options online but while looking for one, you should look out for the following key points. The reason we recommend using services of Local tour operators is that, they will make your work very easy in a far continent of Africa.

Choose a Local tour operator that is licensed by Uganda Tourism Board

There so many tour operators with websites online but before planning to hire one, you need to check whether they are licensed by Uganda Tourism Board. It is by law that to conduct any tours in Uganda, one must be licensed. Go further to check if the said Tour company is a member of AUTO (Association of Uganda Tour Operators). If they don’t belong to the two bodies, please avoid using them as you will end up dealing with quack companies who may end up reaping you off.  Take time to explore there website especially “The about us” page.

Check for trip advisor and safari booking reviews

Trip advisor and safari bookings are the biggest platforms where tourists leave reviews after using services of tour operators in Uganda. It is very important that before using services of any Tour company to assist in planning your gorilla habituation experience tour from united states of America, you check out all reviews. Look at both positive and negative reviews, look at how many reviews this company has, look at when did this company was last reviewed and if possible, check if this company has ever assisted tourists from the United States of America. Choose from those on trip advisor and ask them their experience while dealing with the said Tour company.

Why use Encounter Africa in booking gorilla habituation trips from USA

 Encounter Africa safaris is a Ugandan based tour operator, fully licensed by Uganda Tourism Board to carry our safaris in the East African region. Encounter Africa safaris is a member of AUTO (Association of Uganda Tour Operators) and is highly reviewed on Trip Advisor and Safari bookings. We work closely with Uganda Wildlife Authority so booking your gorilla habituation experience tour from the USA is not a problem.

When contacted, we will assist you in arranging your gorilla habituation experience holiday from United States of America by booking your gorilla habituation permits, accommodation in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable National Park plus transport to and from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Our website has some sample Gorilla habituation experience safaris which you may interest yourself with.

American tour operators working with Encounter Africa safaris

Are you an American tour operator looking for a ground handling local company to arrange gorilla safaris on your behalf? Look no more than Encounter Africa safaris will do this on your behalf. Encounter Africa safaris is a local ground handling safari company for many international Tour operators. When contacted, we will send you quotes with Nets and you are free to markup as you want. When conducting your safaris in Uganda and Rwanda, we will use your branding materials such as tire covers, stickers, uniforms so that you are fully represented on the ground. For more information about how we work with international Tour operators, feel free to contact us via email or phone.

Where can one do a gorilla habituation experience in Africa?

Before planning to visit Africa from the United States of America to do gorilla habituation experience safaris, you need to know which countries offer such excursions. Gorilla habituation experience is currently available in only Uganda and in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. For all those interested in gorilla habituation, safari holidays from the United States of America must look at Uganda as the destination for this activity. Encounter Africa safaris offer gorilla habituation experience tours that can be customized to suit your budget and interests.

Why should I consider booking Gorilla habituation safaris instead of the normal gorilla trek?

Visiting mountain gorillas is once in a lifetime experience one has to do when he comes to Africa. It is therefore very important that before you embark on visiting Africa from the United States of America, you consider activities that offer you enough hours and is value for money. The advantage of gorilla habituation treks is that they give you up to four hours in one trek. You therefore get to spend more hours with mountain gorillas compared to one hour which is provided for in the normal gorilla trek.

Gorilla habituation experience treks help you in saving time since you are given four hours in one day. If, for example, you wanted to spend four hours with normal one-hour gorilla treks per day, you will need four days and four gorilla permits, which takes lots of time and money.

Gorilla habituation is cheaper compared to the normal gorilla trekking of one hour. A gorilla habituation experience permits costs $1500 and give you four hours with mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable National Park. This, therefore, means that on average, each hour of gorilla seeing is $375. This is much cheaper when you compare it with the $800 charged for one hour when you do normal gorilla treks. So, for you to attain four hours using normal gorilla permits, it will be 4x800, which is $2800.

Gorilla habituation experience offers more experience compared to the normal gorilla treks. While on your gorilla habituation excursion, you will be able to participate in activities like naming of gorillas, collecting specimens, making calls on top of observing the behaviors of mountain gorillas. Such experiences are not provided for in the normal gorilla treks.

Please note that the only shortcoming with gorilla habituation experience is that you visit mountain gorillas still under habituation and their behavior can not be pre-determined. Normal one-hour gorilla treks visit fully habituated mountain gorilla families and the chances of seeing them is 98%.

How much does a gorilla habituation experience safari holiday cost?

A 3-day budget gorilla habituation experience safari may cost around $900 for one person and $500 for two people sharing while a 3 Day gorilla habituation experience trip may range from $3000 or more depending on the lodge selected. The above-mentioned cost excludes gorilla habituation permit of $1500 per person. There three to four things you need to consider when contacting a Local tour operator to assist you with booking a gorilla habituation experience safari and its related costs. You need to be mindful of the price of gorilla permits, accommodation as well as transport to and from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

How much does a gorilla habituation permit cost?

A gorilla habituation experience permit costs $1500 per person per trek.  This cost includes up to four hours with mountain gorillas, services of a ranger guide and sometimes a team of experts, park entry fees, and a certificate after your trek. This money is paid directly to Uganda Wildlife Authority and is used to help in efforts geared to the conservation of mountain gorillas, pay salaries of UWA staff as well as community-based projects. The cost excludes transport and accommodation which are part of the package but paid and arranged separately.

Encounter Africa safaris will check availability, reserve and secure gorilla habituation experience permit on your behalf. All we request from you is to provide us your preferred dates which will help in checking availability. Once we find permits, we will invoice you for the same. We accept wire transfers and credit card payment when paying for your permits. We request you to send us proof of payment as soon as payment is made. Gorilla habituation permits are guaranteed only when paid for in cash. UWA issues our gorilla habituation permits on first come first serve.

Accommodation/Overnight stay in Bwindi impenetrable NP

Encounter Africa safaris will assist you in recommending the best available options for Lodges in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. All our gorilla habituation experience safaris are all-inclusive of permits, accommodation, and transport, but we can tailor your package to suit your interests. Rushaga and Nkuringo in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable National Park have Budget, Mid-range, and Luxury Gorilla Lodges. Budget Lodges are around $50-60 per person sharing, Mid-Range $80-150 per person while the Luxury range from $300 onwards. Kindly get back with your budget and interest and we will advise you on which lodge to stay in while in Bwindi impenetrable National Park.

Transport to and from Entebbe Airport to Bwindi impenetrable National Park

When planning a gorilla habituation holiday to Uganda from the United States of America, you must consider transport to and from Entebbe International Airport to Bwindi impenetrable National Park. Encounter Africa safaris operate both Luxury Land Cruisers and Safari Vans for High end and Budget travelers, respectively. Safari vans cost from $80-100 while Land Cruisers range from $300-350. All our vehicles come with well-trained safari guides, drinking water, and have AC. They exclude fuel for the round trip. Please let us know what you prefer and we will advise you accordingly.

Sample Gorilla habituation experience safaris with prices

• 3 Day gorilla habituation experience safari
• 3 Day gorilla habituation safari from Kigali
• 5 Day gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experience
• 5 Day gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experience from Kigali
• More gorilla habituation experience safaris………………………..?

How many people are allowed to trek a gorilla habituation family?

Uganda Wildlife Authority limits the number supposed to visit a given gorilla family under habituation to only 4 people. The reason for this is that such a family is not yet used to people. Therefore, when planning your gorilla habituation trip from the USA to see mountain gorillas under habituation in Bwindi impenetrable National Park, you need to know the number of people in your group. If you are more than four, the rest can visit the next day meaning that you will have to plan for an extra day/night in Bwindi impenetrable National Park.

How many gorilla habituation permits are available daily?

Uganda Wildlife Authority maintains two gorilla families for gorilla habituation experience. Each gorilla family is supposed to be visited by 4 people for four hours a day. This, therefore, means that only 8 gorilla permits are available per day each at $1500 per person per trek. Uganda Wildlife Authority issues gorilla habituation permits out on first come first serve.

Who issues out gorilla habituation permits in Uganda?

Uganda Wildlife Authority control and issues gorilla habituation permits out. Uganda Wildlife Authority is in charge of all animals in Uganda National Park including Bwindi impenetrable National Park where gorilla habituation experience takes place. Permits are issued on first come first serve with payment.

Encounter Africa safaris is one of the leading tour operators organizing gorilla habituation experience tours from the USA and other countries. We have a team of well-trained office staff and Safari guides who will be assigned to you. We are licensed and fully registered by Uganda Tourism board and we boost of very many positive trip advisor reviews and Safari bookings.