Process of Rwanda gorilla permit availability and booking

October 21, 2015

Process of Rwanda gorilla permit availability and booking

Process of Rwanda gorilla permit availability and booking is the first step to confirming attending this adventure. Rwanda has limited gorilla trekking permits available for the public to book so a first come first served process is used to acquire them.

Most Popular Safaris

Steps to booking Rwanda gorilla trekking permits start with having a date when you wish to go and trek. They may be confirmed or tentative days for gorilla trekking. The number of people you wish to travel with for gorilla trekking matter when booking the gorilla permits so that no one is left behind.

In case additional people join your gorilla trekking party you need to check more available days for the safari.

Steps To Checking Rwanda Gorilla Permit Availability

Identify the date when you wish to do gorilla trekking in Rwanda and the number of gorilla permits you are interested in checking for. Rwanda gorilla trekking permits are sold per day and a maximum of 8 permits per gorilla family per day.

Our safari consultant checks the status of the availability of the Rwanda gorilla permits from the list provided by Rwanda Development Board ( RDB).

In case it’s positive, we request our clients to purchase their Rwanda gorilla permits as soon as possible. This is because they get sold off fast. The demand for these permits is high yet the supply is low. No gorilla permit in Rwanda is reserved without payment so as to allow interested people to acquire the permits instead of jokers.

A receipt is issued after purchasing the Rwanda gorilla permit and later the gorilla permit is issued towards the day of trekking.

On the day of trekking, you are required to present your gorilla permits to attend the briefing. You are alter divided into groups of a maximum of 8 clients to follow a certain gorilla family for the day.

When you emerge from gorilla trekking, a certificate of accomplishment is given to you as a token for succeeding.

When To Book Rwanda Gorilla trekking Permits

Depending on availability per the date you wish to do gorilla trekking, you can book the gorilla permits any time. It is best to reserve your gorilla permit in advance so that you do not panic to get one on the last day.

When you secure the gorilla permit at least 6 months in advance, you have ample time to reschedule it in case you want to depend on the terms and conditions of the Rwanda Development Board.

Ensure you top up your gorilla trekking permit before the deadline which is 90 days from the date of trekking depending on the terms of the Rwanda Development Board.

Last-minute gorilla permit booking is very risky because you are not sure of a no-show at the ORTPN. You may get a panic attack In case you do not have a gorilla permit after traveling far in Africa.

What Is the Cost of a Rwanda Gorilla trekking Permit?

The Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 per person per day per trek but this price includes

Park entrance Fees Into Volcanos National park

For every Rwanda National park, you need to pay park entrance fees as a support to these parks. This money is sued to support park maintenance and upgrade facilities like communication gadgets.

Gorilla Medical Care support

The mountain gorillas need some extra medical care from Gorilla Doctors who monitor their health and well-being. The mountain gorillas must not depend on human provision but at times there is a need to administer treatment and do general checkups for them. Periodically, the mountain gorilla dung and blood samples are randomly collected and taken to labs for health checkups.

All this requires funding from the sale of gorilla permits and other conservation sources

Support Research On Mountain gorillas

Mountain gorillas’ life changes over time and research is required so as to catch up with these life changes in the mountain gorillas. From the days of the American Naturalist called Dian Fossey to date, a lot of research is being conducted about mountain gorillas and even during the gorilla habituation process.

Gorilla habituation is the process of getting a wild gorilla familiar with human presence without altering its nature. At the moment Rwanda has about 13 gorilla families open for human viewing.

Security of gorilla Trekking area

In collaboration with the ranger guides in Volcanoes National park, the Rwanda security organs keep law and order in Volcanoes National park. This is to ensure that the mountain gorillas are kept safe including the tourists and locals around the park.

It is from the money collected from the sale of the gorilla permits that such services as security can be improved in this place.

Volcanoes National Park maintenance

The trails within Volcanoes National park need maintenance even if they are in the wilderness. This is to allow access to different areas of the park. Even during trekking, ranger guides use machetes to create a path for you to get to the mountain gorillas

Ranger Guide Fees

The ranger guides lead the way into the forest to start searching for the mountain gorillas. They have knowledge of the life of the mountain gorillas, and their family members and know most of the family members by name. They know the lineage of these family members and the characteristics of these mountain gorillas. All this information is worth paying a salary to the ranger guides.

In case you tip them as a token of appreciation, you encourage them to continue loving the mountain gorillas and support them for the future generation to see.

Support the Local Community Around Volcanoes National Park

A porting of the money is given to the local community to support their projects like road maintenance, building schools, health center and so much more. When they realize how important the gorillas are in their community, they get on the conservation effort.

To promote the conservation of the mountain gorillas, the community around the park must be sensitized about the importance of these gentle giants in their environment. They are not harmful and their homes are water catchment areas for the community.

What To Pack For Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda

Safari solid walking shoes that can withstand conditions like slippery trails and hiking to the slopes to locate the mountain gorillas. They must be comfortable enough to protect your feet in the soggy conditions of the soil.
Warm wear because it gets so cold in the morning and late afternoon because of less sunlight received in this area. Rwanda is a land of a thousand hills that regulate the weather conditions of this Virunga area.
Garden gloves protect your palms from slippery surfaces in the wilderness. In case you slip you place your hands on rough surfaces that may prick your palms.
Insect repellant protects your skin from biting insects in the wilderness. They may hurt your body.
Long-sleeved shirt and convertible trousers to wear and protect you from biting nettles. They must be in colors that are nature friendly like tan or Khaki that will not show dirt.
A pair of binoculars to get a clearer view of far-ranging features in the wilderness like monkeys, birds, and others in Volcanoes National park
A camera is flashless because flash photography is forbidden because it scares the mountain gorillas in the wilderness.
Snacks and drinks to munch on when hungry and thirsty during the walk.
Rain gear protects you from getting wet when it rains any time of the day during the trek. Getting cold while in the wilderness may prevent you from continuing or delaying the gorilla trek.
A torch to use in the night when lights go down because solar energy is the main source of energy used in this area.
Bug spray in case your room is infested by bugs.
Duffel bag to pack in your gorilla trekking safari belongings some of these must be quick for you to carry even when you have no one to lift them for you.
Shoe bags to keep in your shoes after trekking because you may have no time to wash them. Instead of them getting the rest of your clothes dirty, you can put them in this bag.
Waterproof backpack to carry with your gorilla trekking gear so that they do not get lost in case you fall or wet when it rains.
First aid Kit with relevant items in case you need emergency treatment.
Toiletries to use in case your lodge doesn’t provide or is not applicable to your skin.
Some hard cash to exchange into local currency because the most transactions in Rwanda is done in Rwandese Franks. Credit cards are rarely used locally because there are limited credit card reading machines and the time is taken to collect money from them is long.
Spare batteries to exchange with in case one runs low during the trek.
A travel adapter or charger to use in case you need to recharge your electric gadgets.
A pair of stockings to tack in your trousers securely and provide extra protection to your body.

Rules Of Gorilla trekking In Rwanda

Carry a mask when in front of the mountain gorillas and hand sanitize to prevent passing an infection to these gentle giants. Before taking a certain trail, you have to sanitize your shoes by stepping into sanitized soil provided after the briefing.
Littering in the forest is forbidden because this is where vegetation from which mountain gorillas feed thrives. When you dump plastic wraps they prevent water from penetrating the ground where plants thrive. Even alter the nature of the forest with time.
Eating and smoking 200 meters from the mountain gorillas is forbidden because they may be forced to grab what in your hands from you. You do not know the extent of the effect that eating what you gave them may cause. They are wild animals that must fend for their own food in the wilderness.
Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you locate the mountain gorillas. They are wild animals that may have some infections that they may pass to you and you to them. although they are wild animals, touching them is forbidden.
The Age limit for gorilla trekking is 15 years because the nature of the topography where mountain gorillas thrive is disturbing for a child this age to hike. The time to locate the mountain gorillas is unknown so some level of patience is required.
Cover all fecal material in a hole of about 30 cm deep and cover beyond recognition. This is to prevent them from being exhumed by the forest dwellers because it may cause the spread of germs.
In case you catch any communicable infection like cough, flu, Cholera, covid-19, and others volunteer to stay behind so that you do not pass it to the mountain gorillas. They are highly susceptible to human infections.
If you wish to sneeze or cough, do it away from the mountain gorillas and use a handkerchief to cover your mouth or the elbow so that you do not release germs into the atmosphere.
When with mountain gorillas, keep your voice low and avoid sudden movements. This is because forest dwellers are used to certain voices and unfamiliar noise in their environment may cause them to rage.
Only 1 hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas when you locate them. this is how long they have been habituated to being in human presence. To allow them to go about their day to day activities like feeding, grooming infants, and making babies.
Provoking the mountain gorillas is forbidden because you don’t know how the gorillas will perceive your actions. They are very shy primates that are easily agitated by intruders in their vicinity.
Using Flash photography is forbidden because mountain gorillas do not like new occurrences in their presence. They may get scared of flashlights and dash into deeper ends of the park.
No spitting on the vegetation when trekking to find the mountain gorillas. This is food for the mountain gorillas because they are vegans in nature. They feed on bamboo, soft stems, leaves, fruits and so much more.