Gorilla trekking for seniors or old people in Uganda and Rwanda
Gorilla trekking for seniors or old people in Uganda and Rwanda
Gorilla trekking is open for all ages as long as you are fifteen years and above, including for seniors or old people. You just need to buy a gorilla trekking permit for the date you wish to do gorilla trekking. In case, you can still do some exercises to stretch your muscles a little more to go through the entire gorilla trekking adventure successfully.
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If you have some physical impairment, sedan chairs are available for you to hire at an affordable price. The cost involves porters too, but it varies with the kind of chair you select as there are some original chairs and locally made sedan chairs. A porter is a person who carries your gorilla trekking gear or lifts the sedan chair throughout the entire trek.
When booking your gorilla permit, it is best to state your age so that you are advised on what is required in case you have aged. Everybody is allowed to do gorilla trekking as long as they are eligible.
How Can to Book A Gorilla Trekking Permit For Aged Persons in Uganda And Rwanda
Have a date when you wish to go gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda. Knowing the possible number of people accompanying you is very important too.
When you enquire from Encounter Africa Safari about your desire to do gorilla trekking, our safari consultants act on your request by checking availability from the gorilla permit listing of Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rwanda Development Board. Ensure you state your age if you wish the consultant to pay more attention to this when booking the gorilla permits.
If available, we advise our clients to purchase their gorilla permits in advance so that other buyers do not outcompete them. A first come, the first served basis is used when reserving the gorilla permits. This is because they are limited in number, that is to say, a maximum of 8 permits per day per gorilla family.
Later, you must provide personal details like Nationality, date of birth, full name as indicated on the passport, passport expiry date, and others.
These details are used for record purposes and to know where to put more marketing emphasis for either Uganda or Rwanda safaris.
How Much Can I Buy A Gorilla Trekking Permit For The Aged In Uganda or Rwanda
The Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 per person per trek, while the Uganda Gorilla permit costs $700 per person.
What Is Included in The gorilla Permit Cost
One hour with the mountain gorillas because they are habituated to being in front of humans for just that one hour.
Gorilla medication where although the gorillas are wild animals that must search for their food, at times, they require extra help from the gorilla doctors. At times they are victims of snares that damage them. They may need special attention from veterinaries, but this is administered while they are in the forest.
Security during gorilla trekking is an adventure in the wilderness where everybody would like to return home in one piece. Therefore, the ranger guides work with other security organs in either country to provide security in the park and surrounding areas.
Park fees as this is used to support conservation. Before entering any National park in Uganda or Rwanda, you must pay park entrance fees.
Ranger guide fees because the ranger guide is the one who explains in detail the traits of the gorilla family you are visiting, leads every gorilla trek, and talks about other forest dwellers. Although general information is written about the gorilla families on the internet and in other documents, the actual reality can only be found on the ground. This is because the gorilla families keep evolving.
What Is excluded In the Cost Of a Gorilla Trekking Permit
Transportation means to the gorilla trekking destinations, tipping, drinks, packed lunch, porter fees, and others items of personal nature.
Can I reschedule My Gorilla Trekking Permit?
Gorilla permit rescheduling is possible, but ensure you have topped up your permits for those that purchase them in installments.
You write to Uganda Wildlife Authority or Rwanda Development Board stating why you would like to move the dates. Include proof, too, so that your reason is backed up.
When you get a positive response, ensure you have the date you wish to move your gorilla permit. Our safari consultant checks availability, and if there is still space, your permit is moved to that date.
What Is The Cost of a Gorilla Trekking Safari In Rwanda Or Uganda
The cost of gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda starts with the permit cost, which cuts across all packages, that is to say, Luxury, Mid-range, or Budget.
Other costs of gorilla trekking packages are based on the following:
Booking Time For the gorilla trek
The peak season, which is June to September or December to January for gorilla trekking, usually has high costs because of competition for services from even other safari activities like game drives, birding, and others. On the other hand, the low seasons may come with discounted costs on services because of limited demand for services like accommodation, driver guides, and others in this period.
A number of people traveling whereby you get to share some costs like vehicle hire, gas, and others with many people accompanying you. Solo travelers also carry the entire safari budget.
A number of days on gorilla trekking safari; where in Uganda, the minimum number of days for gorilla trekking is three days; in Rwanda, the minimum number of gorilla trekking days is two days. Any additional days also increase the amount of money you spend on safari.
Additional activities combined with gorilla trekking include chimpanzee trekking, game drives, birding, sport fishing, etc.
What Are The Gorilla Trekking Destinations For Uganda or Rwanda
In Rwanda
Volcanoes National park
On the Northwestern side of Rwanda is Volcanoes National Park. This park so far has 12 gorilla families open for tourism. Some of these gorilla families include Amahoro, Karisimbi, Umbano, Kwitonda, Susa, Agashya, and others.
Three distinctive volcanoes comprise Volcanoes National Park, including Mountain Muhabura, Mountain Bisoke, Mountain Karisimbi, Mountain Sabyinyo, and Mountain Gahinga.
This park is also a birding haven for Rwanda; about 200 bird species have been recorded. The ornithologists are still recording more birds because this area favors the survival of numerous birds, including Albertine rift endemics.
Other primates in this park include olive baboons, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, and others.
In Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Locally, Bwindi means impenetrable, and this double description is right for this park. The park so far has 18 gorilla families open for tourism but these are booked according to the area. Bwindi’s impenetrable national park is composed of four areas that are Buhoma area, the Rushaga area, the Nkuringo area, and the Ruhija area.
The vegetation of this park has culminated over time, composed of tangled vegetation that drapes over ridges and plateaus. Over 200 tree species make up this thick forest cover. They provide a comfortable home for several primates like olive baboons, chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, L’hoest’s, black and white colobus, and others.
Feeding in Uganda can only be completed after visiting the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which has over 350 bird species. Some birds may see include Western Green Tinkerbird, Red-faced Woodland, Rwenzori Batis, Collared Apalis, and others.
Before booking accommodation for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, ensure you know the area where your gorilla permit is booked.
Mgahinga National Park
This is the smallest home for the mountain gorillas occupying about 33. 7 square kilometers. The park lies in the fur southwestern part of Uganda. At the moment, only one gorilla family makes up this park, the Nyakagezi gorilla family. This family, however, was very mobile in the past as it used to cross into Rwanda.
Several other primates live in this forest, including black and white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, blue monkeys, olive baboons, etc.
You can take a day’s mountaineering safari to any of the three distinctive volcanoes: mountain Muhavura, Mountain Gahinga, and Mountain Sabyinyo.
For keen birders, Mgahinga National Park is a habitat for over 115 bird species. However, this being a rarely visited park, ornithologists say the birding list of this park is still expanding.
How To Get To Gorilla Trekking Destinations
By Road
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Kampala to Kabale to Kanungu to Buhoma, which is about 8 hours to 9 hours on the road. The distance from Kampala to Kabale is about 414 kilometers from Kanungu to Kanyantorogo for about 120 kilometers.
Kampala to Ntungamo to Rukungiri to Kihihi to Buhoma is the shortest route, where the drive from Kampala to Rukungiri is about 390 kilometers carry on for 32 kilometers to Buhoma.
Kampala to Kabale to Nkuringo, the drive from Kampala to Kabale, is about 414 kilometers, and it heads to Nkuringo for about 105 kilometers.
Mgahinga National Park
Kampala to Kabale to Kisoro is about 540 kilometers, from Kampala to Kabale is about 414 kilometers, then carries on for 80 kilometers. Finally, carry on for 14 kilometers from Kisoro to Ntebeko, the Mgahinga National Park’s headquarters.
Volcanoes National Park
From Kigali Airport to Musaze to Volcanoes National Park is about 3 hours.
By Flight
Daily flights commence from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi airstrip to Kihihi airstrip if you go to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Even flights leave Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airport to Kisoro Airport if you travel to Mgahinga National Park.
Charter flights depart from Kigali Airport to Volcanoes National Park
Even in Uganda, you can book a charter flight from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip.
When Can I Book A Gorilla Trekking Safari For An Elderly Person
Gorilla trekking is open at any time, but tourists prefer to use the dry season, which is June to September or December to January.
The Virunga area forests are known to receive rain at any time without warning, but in the dry season, fewer drops of rainfall. Therefore, the humidity of this area is less during the dry season, and the mountain gorillas are very active, plus other forest dwellers.
The trails are drier, and plants are not overgrown to cover the paths. If you wish to take clearer photos of mountain gorillas, the dry season is a perfect choice. This season also has a high cost because of the high demand for gorilla trekking experiences worldwide.
The low season between March to May and November also has its advantages, especially for those with a limited budget since there are sometimes limited prices on services.
Even the low season normally has limited people booking to do gorilla trekking, so in case you wish to take an exclusive adventure, chances are more open in the low season.
What are The Rules Of Gorilla Trekking For Old People Or the Elderly
- If you catch a communicable infection like cough, flu, Covid-19, and others, volunteer to stay behind.
- Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you meet them. This is one of the preventive measures to protect them from catching human infections.
- If you wish to smoke or eat, do it at least 200 meters from the mountain gorillas, so they get no chance of grabbing it from you.
- Littering in the forest is forbidden as it alters the nature of the forest where mountain gorillas live.
- Only one hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas when you locate them. This is the only time they are habituated before the mountain gorillas.
- If you wish to ease yourself, ask the ranger guide to dig a hole for you at least 30 centimeters deep and bury everything well beyond recognition.
- No taking flash photographs during gorilla trekking as this may scare the mountain gorillas.
- Try to keep your voice low when searching for the mountain gorillas in the forest. This is because they are highly sensitive to new occurrences in their vicinity.
Contact us for more information.
