Planning A Last Minute Uganda Gorilla And Chimp Habituation Safari From Kigali

Planning a last-minute Uganda gorilla and chimp habituation safari from Kigali. Organizing a gorilla or chimpanzee safari in Uganda can only commence with a gorilla and chimpanzee permit confirmed. If you wish to attend gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experience at the last minute, you must be able to make payments as soon as possible. We consider last-minute gorilla and chimpanzee habituation safari planning from 90 days to a day to this adventure.

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If Kigali in Rwanda is your point of commencement to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Kibale National Park, you must secure a visa in case it's part of your travel requirements into Uganda Or Rwanda. Purchasing the East African visa is time-saving as it allows you entry into two East African countries, to which Rwanda and Uganda are members. You get to cross from Rwanda into Uganda via the Cyanika or Gatuna Border.

When trying to find gorilla and chimpanzee habituation permit availability at the last minute, using a tour operator would save you the trouble of getting frustrated as a chance of finding them narrow with closing in time. At Encounter Africa Safaris, we may assist you in the search for last-minute gorilla or chimpanzee permits because we can also check with other tour operators under the umbrella Association of Uganda Tour Operators ( AUTO). Under this association, members have access to gorilla or chimpanzee permits on resale. You may be lucky to get the gorilla and chimpanzee permits on resale in case they are sold out at Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Booking accommodation within or closer to the gorilla or chimpanzee habituation experience destinations is vital, too with last-minute safari booking. This gives you time to get to the briefing point, as the gorilla habituation experience happens once in the day and starts very early. Although the chimpanzee habituation experience is twice a day, you have to get to the briefing point at Kanyanchu in advance.

Let us first understand what the term gorilla habituation experience or chimpanzee habituation experience mean.

What is Gorilla Habituation experience?

Gorilla habituation experience is an adventure where tourists follow a team of researchers and trackers to find semi-habituated mountain gorillas and spend four hours with them. in Uganda, gorilla habituation safaris is happening in the southern sector of Bwindi. Currently, only two families are open for gorilla habituation experience.

What is chimpanzee Habituation experience?

Chimpanzee habituation experience is an adventure where tourists escort a team of researchers and habituators in the wilderness to follow a community of semi-habituated chimpanzees and spend four hours with them. Kibale National Park and Budongo Forest are the homes for chimpanzee habituation experience in Uganda so far. During this adventure, chimpanzees get familiar with humans without altering their nature.

How To Plan For Gorilla and Chimpanzee Habituation Experience safari at the Last Minute?

Book Uganda Gorilla and chimpanzee Habituation Permits

You must first secure gorilla and chimpanzee permits to confirm this Uganda primate safari. Both gorilla and chimpanzee permits are sold and regulated by Uganda Wildlife Authority so you need to find availability first. In Uganda, gorilla habituation experience permits are only attached to the southern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Kibale National Park is the main chimpanzee habituation experience destination of Uganda.

During the peak season, that is June, July, August, September, December and January demand for the gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experience permits is high and sell out fast because of there limited number of maximum four per troop or per family.

Upon finding the last-minute gorilla or chimpanzee habituation permits, you need to purchase them as soon as possible because they can be sold out anytime.

When booking these Uganda primate habituation permits, you must have the date for the adventure and the number of people you hope to travel with. This is to avoid moving back and forth with checking for permit availability. Buy the gorilla and chimpanzee permits when you get availability per your confirmed dates.

Forward some personal details to add to your gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experience card from which this information of retrieved on the day of the adventure.

What Is The Cost of Uganda Gorilla and chimpanzee habituation Experience Permits?

At the moment, the cost of gorilla habituation permit is $1500 per person for foreign nonresidents, $1000 for foreign residents and 750000 shs for East African residents.

Currently, chimpanzee habituation experience permit costs $300 for foreign nonresidents, $300 for foreign residents and 300000shs for East African residents.

What are the inclusions in the gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experience permit?

The gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experience permit covers researcher fees, ranger guide fees, park entrance fees, security, certificate after the gorilla safari, government tax, local community support, gorilla or chimpanzee conservation and others.

What is excluded from the cost of gorilla and chimpanzee habituation permits?

The gorilla and chimpanzee habituation permit cost excludes transport, porter hire, snacks and any other items of personal nature.

Book accommodations to use during gorilla and chimpanzee safari

In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you can book accommodations for either Nkuringo or Rushaga area. These areas lie in the southern part of Bwindi forest. Accommodations in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are graded according to Luxury, mid-range and budget.

Bwindi Accommodations: Clouds Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla safaris Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Nshongi Camp, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi back paker’s Camp

Secure accommodations in and out of Kibale National Park area for chimpanzee habituation experience.

Kibale accommodations: Kibale Safari Lodge, Primates Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Chimps Nest Camp, CVK

When booking accommodation to use during gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experience, you must consider the distance from the lodge to the park especially for clients who have to attend the early morning session for chimpanzee habituation and gorilla habituation experience. The lodge must be in quick to get from to the briefing point.

Reserve transport to the gorilla and chimpanzee habituation destinations

You can reach Bwindi impenetrable National Park and Kibale National Park by Road or air from Kigali in Rwanda.

By Road

You need to hire a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle that can withstand the rough road conditions in the countryside. Sometimes the roads are dusty and other times very slippery so you need a vehicle that can withstand all these conditions.

From Kigali Rwanda, the drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park may take 5 to 6 hours. You cross into Uganda from Rwanda via Gatuna or Cyanika border to  Kabale then Kisoro and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The drive is scenic as you drive through winding roads shielded by several highlands.

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we use professional and experienced drive guides familiar with the necessary routes from Rwanda into Uganda order not to prolong the journey for our client who may need a rest from jet lag and get ready for gorilla and chimpanzee safari.

By air, you can fly from Kigali airport to Entebbe airport then catch up with the daily domestic flights from Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airstrip to Kisoro airstrip or Kasese Airstrip.

Hire a transfer vehicle because there is a distance from Kisoro Airstrip to the southern sector of Bwindi even from Kasese airstrip to Kibale National Park.

Consider Additional Activities To Combine With Gorilla and Chimpanzee Safari

Apart from gorilla and chimpanzee habituation safari in Uganda, you can do other Uganda safari activities like golden monkey habituation experience in Mgahinga National Park, Visit Ngamba chimpanzee sanctuary in Lake Victoria, other primate viewing in Bwindi and Kibale National Park.

Game safaris in Uganda are an interesting addition to your tour package like game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National park and Murchison Falls National Park. You can attend white water rafting on Itanda Falls on River Nile, visit the source of River Nile, do bungee jumping on River Nile, kayaking and others.

Can I buy last-minute Gorilla or chimpanzee Habituation permits in installment?

Uganda Wildlife Authority accepts installment gorilla and chimpanzee permit purchases if you secure your permit 90 days before safari day and remember to top up 90 days to habituation day. Last minute gorilla and chimpanzee permit purchases may not be eligible for installment permit purchases.

When you fail to top up your gorilla and chimpanzee permit, you lose it and the prepaid money.

What Is The Best Time To Book Last Minute Gorilla And Chimpanzee Habituation Permits?

Although gorilla and chimpanzee habituation safaris are open all year, last-minute primate safaris are more convenient in the low season. The low Uganda tourism season is March, April, May and November, chances of finding gorilla and chimpanzee permits are more open in this season when demand for them is less.

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we advise clients never to travel without securing a gorilla or chimpanzee permit because, no matter the season finding these permits is not a guarantee. Sometimes even the low season may attract many tourists on a given day.

The competition for gorilla and chimpanzee habituation permits is higher in the peak season which is June, July, August, September, December and January with a tight supply of gorilla permits. most tourists buy their gorilla and chimpanzee permits at least 6 months to a year upfront leaving a limited or none for those who plan for the last minute. Finding gorilla and chimpanzee permit availability gets trickier at the last minute. This also trickles down to finding accommodation for your last minute primate safari, as the best options are sold out in advance.

What are the rules of Gorilla and chimpanzee Habituation experience Safari?

• Spitting on vegetation is forbidden because it contaminates the food for the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees.
• Littering in the forest is forbidden 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 the habitat to these primates feed.
• Stay in a tight group during gorilla or chimpanzee habituation experience because they feel ambushed when you surround them, 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.
• In case you catch any communicable infection like cholera, flu, cough, Corona Virus, volunteer to stay behind so that 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 so far conservation work done to go back to highly endangered.
• Eating or smoking 300 meters closer to the mountain gorillas is forbidden to prevent chances of the gorillas or chimpanzees  grabbing it from you. They are wild animals that must search for own food and not depend on human provision.
•  Burry all fecal materials beyond recognition so that the animals in the forest cannot exhume it. Ask the ranger to ding a hole for you about 30 cm and cover well.
• In case you wish to sneeze or cough, do it away from the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees and use your handkerchief or elbow.
• Try not to talk loudly or make noise when going on a gorilla  and chimpanzee habituation experience 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 one of the added ruled for all primate safaris after the Corona Virus Lockdown.
• The age limit for gorilla habituation experience is 15 years  and beyond 15 years for chimpanzee habituation experience and because children below this age may not with stand the conditions in the forest.
• When you locate the mountain gorillas only one hours is allowed with them. This is to allow the gorillas go about there day to day activities. They have been habituated to be in the presence of humans for just that hour.
• Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you locate them. This is to reduce on the chances of passing an infection to the mountain gorillas.
• Provoking the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees during habituation experience is not accepted because you do not know how this will treat them. they are very sensitive with anything that happens to them.

Contact us for more information and let us plan your safari today.