Planning a last minute gorilla habituation experience safari from Kigali

Planning a last-minute gorilla habituation experience safari from Kigali. If you decide to do a gorilla habituation experience at least 90 days to a day before this adventure, you qualify as a minute gorilla safari booking. Suppose you commence from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. In that case, you may be required to purchase a visa if it is one of your country’s travel necessities before entering Uganda or Rwanda. The East African visa serves as a solution to entering Uganda and Rwanda. Both countries are in the East African community.

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It would be best if you had a gorilla habituation experience permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority. The gorilla habituation experience only happens in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The gorilla habituation experience is an adventure where tourists follow a semi-habituated mountain gorilla family and spend four hours with them. Only 8 gorilla permits are open to public booking per day from two gorilla habituation experience families.

From Kigali, you get into Uganda via Cyanika or Gatuna Border, then drive to Kabale town and Kisoro, then the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Flights from Kigali Airport to Entebbe Airport are available too.

 Note for last-minute gorilla habituation experience plans, be ready to make instant payments on services and activities availed.

How To Plan For Last Minute gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda From Kigali

Book Gorilla Habituation Experience permit

Uganda has a limited number of gorilla habituation experience permits that is 8 permits per day. These are from two gorilla families in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You must check availability and purchase your gorilla permit as soon as possible. 

The peak season is most sought after June, July, August, September, December, and January, and demand for gorilla permits is over the top. Chances of finding gorilla permits at the last minute are next to none as supply is limited, yet demand is high.

Most people secure their gorilla permits upfront to avoid last-minute inconveniences. 

The low season that is March, April, May and November has more open chances of finding last-minute gorilla habituation experience permits, although only a guarantee some of the time. No matter the season, we advise our clients to book their permits in advance.

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we can assist in checking for last-minute gorilla permits, and upon finding the gorilla habituation permits, we request you purchase them as soon as possible. Gorilla permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and none is reserved without payment.

You need to be flexible in case there are optional gorilla habituation experience permits around your dates of preference, just in case you do not have specifications for choosing that date.

Reserve Accommodation To Use During Gorilla Habituation Experience 

Although last-minute plans for a gorilla habituation experience safari come with limited accommodations options, at Encounter Africa safaris we try and turn all possible tables for you to find where to spend your nights best on your budget. You must book accommodations in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Rushaga or Nkuringo area.

We highly recommend that you secure accommodations within or closer to where your gorilla permit is booked to avoid driving in the dark to catch up with briefing the following day. Most of the routes connecting one area of Bwindi to another have a number of obstacles like getting slippery, being blocked by the fallen logs and others. These may stop you from getting to the briefing point, and you may be disqualified from gorilla habituation experience.

Southern Bwindi Accommodations: Clouds Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Safari lodge, Bwindi backpacker’s camp, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Nshongi Camp 

Secure transport to Southern Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

From Kigali, Rwanda, you can cross into Uganda by road via Kabale, then Kisoro. You need a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle because the conditions of the road change, especially in the countryside. The roads are dusty during the dry seasons and get slippery in the severe wet seasons.

The drive time from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park may take about 5 to 6 hours. It would be best to have a professional, experienced driver guide who is familiar with the way and can trace other optional routes.

When you opt for air transport, you can fly into Entebbe Airport from Kigali and then connect with daily domestic flights from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kisoro Airstrip. You can charter, too, in case you want a more luxurious gorilla habituation experience safari.

Book Additional Activities To Combine With Gorilla Habituation Experience 

Uganda is a country of plenty of optional safari activities so in case you have extra time on holiday, you can add game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park or Lake Mburo National Park, Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale or Kyambura gorge, Birding in Bwindi forest, scenic viewing in Lake Bunyonyi, hiking on Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura or Mountain Sabyinyo. You can visit the source of the River Nile, do white water rafting on Itanda Falls, and others.

 It is best to book these activities before traveling to these destinations just for them to plan better for you.

How Much Is a Gorilla Habituation Experience Permit?

Currently, the cost of gorilla habituation permit is $1500 for foreign nonresidents, $1000 for foreign residents and 750000shsh for East African residents. At Encounter Africa safaris, when you contact us, we can assist you in finding gorilla permit availability from Uganda Wildlife Authority and in case there are resells according to your date at the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO).

The gorilla habituation experience permit cost covers the researcher fee, park entrance fees, security during gorilla safari, four hours in the presence of the mountain gorillas, local community support, mountain gorilla conservation and any other items of personal nature.

Exclusions in the gorilla permit cost are 

Accommodation, transport, porter hire, snacks and any other items of personal nature.

Can I Purchase Last Minute Gorilla Habituation Permits In Instalment?

Installment gorilla permit purchase only applies to those who purchase gorilla permits 90 days to gorilla safari day and remember to top up 90 days to gorilla habituation day. When you find gorilla permit availability at the last minute, you need to pay in full not to forget to top up. 

Although gorilla permit availability is open in the low season, only travel with a confirmed permit, as this is the only entry ticket to any gorilla habituation experience safari.

How Long Is Gorilla Habituation Experience?

The duration of Gorilla habituation experience depends on when you locate the mountain gorillas plus the four hours allowed with them. Finding the mountain gorillas depends on factors like the proximity of their food, the weather conditions prevailing in the day, in case the gorilla family is adventurous, the death of a family member, and any other. 

Upon locating the mountain gorillas, you have four hours in their presence helping the researchers make some notes, collect samples, observe the traits of the mountain gorillas, and so much more. These notes are presented to tourists when the gorilla family is finally opened for gorilla trekking.

Tourists are advised to have some patience because you need help finding the mountain gorillas. These primates are semi-habituated, too, so expect some odd behaviors like moving into hiding, hooting, and others.

The pace of other habituators also plays a big part in determining when to find the mountain gorillas. The ranger guides and researchers follow the pace of the slowest tourists but do not delay the rest. One must have some patience before the gorilla trek to stay for a long time in the wilderness. Having an open mind is very thoughtful as the forest has a number of other interesting features you can enjoy.

Are Mountain Gorillas Dangerous During Gorilla Habituation Experience?

Although the mountain gorillas under the habituation experience are semi-habituated, they still possess their natural traits. In nature, mountain gorillas are calm and serene primates despite their scary outlook. The mountain gorillas have dark-furred bodies with a huge body structure and brown sunken eyes that many people misunderstand for being aggressive. 

Despite the concoctions made by onlookers, when you stand before the mountain gorillas, you get to find in your heart that special place and create a relationship with them. Meeting the mountain gorillas creates an admirable attachment between you and these primates.

Before gorilla habituation experience, tourists must attend a briefing to understand the rules and regulations of gorilla safaris. This is to let tourists understand how to behave while with the mountain gorillas and not to agitate them. 

When angry, mountain gorillas hoot, walk into hiding, pull grass around them and so much more.

How sure can I see the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation Experience? 

Before being opened to the public, mountain gorillas are first habituated prior to being presented to the public. They get used to human presence during this process, although only partially. Mountain gorillas also live in families that do not quickly separate, so they feed in the exact location for some time. This makes it more convenient to find them.

 Each day, a group of trackers follows the mountain gorillas to establish their overnight location and possible hangout spot. These clues are what researchers and rangers follow when searching for the gorilla family.

When you follow the rules of gorilla habituation experience, like talking in a low tone, you get to meet the mountain gorillas, and you do not look suspicious because they usually notice your presence before you find them. In case you are loud, you cause the mountain gorillas to move into the deeper ends of the forest.

Finding the mountain gorillas depends on your persistence and ability to withstand the hardships of the wilderness like the slippery slopes, flooded ground surface, protruding vegetation that may be required to trim and much more.

Meeting the mountain gorillas is like winning a rotary because of the challenges you face trying to find availability. This is a dream come true African safari adventure.

What Are The Rules And Regulations Of Gorilla Habituation Experience?

• Surrounding the mountain gorillas when you meet them is forbidden because it makes them feel ambushed by their visitors. When they get agitated, they may go into hiding.
• In case you catch a communicable infection like flu, Covid 19, cough you may need to volunteer and stay behind so as not to pass this infection to the highly susceptible mountain gorillas.
• Eating or smoking 300 meters from the gorillas is forbidden because the effect of the smoke may cause the gorillas illness as time goes on, or even the gorillas grab what you are eating and start depending on humans. They are wild animals that must search for their food.
• When you meet the mountain gorillas, only 4 hours is allowed to be with them because they are habituated to be in the presence of humans for just that time. Later, you have to leave them alone to go about their day-to-day activities.
• Littering the forest is forbidden so that it is left to thrive in its natural setting. The mountain gorillas feed on foliage throughout their lives. Throwing plastic wraps, soda cans and others that do not decompose may alter the nature of the forest with time
• Please do not use flash photography when taking photos because it may scare the mountain gorillas, which are usually scared of new occurrences in their vicinity. The camera must be soundproof, too, to not cause tension within the gorilla family.
• Spitting on the vegetation contaminates it, which may infect the mountain gorillas with human infections. It is also unhygienic.
• Provoking the mountain gorilla when you find them may agitate them and push the family into hiding. Mountain gorillas are very sensitive primates that are very conscience with there surroundings.
• 8 meters from the gorillas is the distance permitted to be apart from them. This is to reduce the chances of passing an infection. If they approach you, slowly retreat without them recognizing your moves.

Contact us to plan your last minute gorilla habituation experience.