Rwanda discounted gorilla permits
Rwanda discounted gorilla permits.
The Rwanda gorilla permits all year cost $1500 per person per trek but offers discounted gorilla permits to foreign residents in Rwanda at $500 and $200 per person per trek for East African residents.
During the low season, that is, March, April, May, And November, Rwanda offers discounted gorilla permits that are 30% off the normal cost. This is $1050 per person per trek for foreign nonresidents. However, you must have booked at least two nights in either Akagera National Park or Nyungwe National Park. You can take one night in either or spend two safari nights in either Akagera National Park or Nyungwe National Park to qualify for the low-season Rwanda gorilla permit discount.
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The Rwanda Development Board is the gorilla permit regulating and selling body for Rwanda. The only park in Rwanda where mountain gorillas live is Volcanoes National Park, located in the western part of the country. This park has a beautiful chain of five mountains that form its boundary: Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura, Mountain Sabyinyo, and Mountain Bisoke.
Anyone to confirm attending gorilla trekking in Rwanda must possess a gorilla permit, which you must purchase in advance as they are limited. The peak season, which is June, July, August, September, December, and January, is the most sought-after gorilla permits sell out fast, especially in the last three months towards peak season.
When Is The Best Time To Book a Rwanda Gorilla Permit?
Rwanda has been open for gorilla trekking throughout the years; however, the dry season, which serves as the peak season, is the most demanded. To be safe, booking gorilla permits at least 6 months to a year upfront saves you from last-minute panic to reserve a permit.
Since gorilla permits are limited to a maximum of 8 per family, finding availability at the last minute during the dry season is challenging. In case you purchased it through the tour operator, not even those on resale.
If you wish to have last-minute gorilla permit booking, the low season that is March, April, May, and November may avail them; however, this is not a guarantee. You need to check for the availability of the gorilla permit and purchase it in advance before traveling, as their status changes quickly, no matter the season.
How Many Gorilla Trekking Families Does Rwanda Have?
Currently, Rwanda has 12 gorilla trekking families open to public booking, that is, 96 gorilla permits per day. Rwanda has 12 gorilla permits, some of which include the Amahoro Family, Muhoza Family, Karisimbi Family, Susa Family, Agasha Family, and So many more.
The gorilla family trek is not indicated when reserving a Rwanda gorilla permit.
On the day of gorilla trekking in Rwanda, you register at the ORTPN and attend a briefing; then you are allocated a gorilla family.
What Criteria Is Used To Allocate Gorilla Families In Rwanda?
No specific procedure is used to allocate the mountain gorilla families in Rwanda; however, after the briefing, gorilla families are sometimes allocated to tourists according to age, physical fitness, interests, and much more. The maximum number of people allowed to do gorilla trekking per day is 8 people per family.
Some tourists pause the question of which Rwandan gorilla family is the easiest to trek. This is hard to predict as mountain gorillas keep migrating to different areas for several reasons. A gorilla family that was closer the previous day may be the furthest the next day.
You need to be fit and patient when trekking mountain gorillas because they are mobile primates that must seek new feeding ground.
When Can I Book A Rwanda Gorilla Permit?
The Rwanda gorilla permits are available all year, but every peak season, gorilla permits, that Are, June, July, August, September, December, and January permits, sell out fast. To avoid last-minute panic, it is best to secure the gorilla’s permit for the high season at least 6 months to a year upfront.
As peak Rwanda tourism season draws in, gorilla permits for this period become increasingly scarce. Even finding gorilla permits at the last minute becomes harder.
During low season, March, April, May, and November, Rwanda gorilla permits are sometimes discounted, but this depends on management. Last-minute gorilla permits may be offered in the low season; however, this is only a guarantee some of the time.
Can I Book Rwanda Discounted Gorilla Permits In Instalments?
Purchasing your gorilla permit would be the best solution; however, even an installment purchase is acceptable in 30% and 70% portions.
However, this applies to those who buy gorilla permits before 90 days to the gorilla trekking date and remember to top up before 90 days. Failure to do so may call for a penalty.
Can I Reschedule The Rwanda Discounted Gorilla Permits?
For promotional Rwanda discounted gorilla permits, you can only reschedule within the period of the reschedule or else top it up to the normal cost and move the permits to the date you prefer.
For discounted Rwanda gorilla permits for foreign and East African residents, you can move the gorilla permits as follows.
Write to the Rwanda development board requesting a new date to reschedule the gorilla permits. Attach some evidence in case you have any as a backup.
When approved, the gorilla permit is moved as requested, depending on the prevailing availability status.
Rwanda has charges for gorilla permit rescheduling service.
How Difficult Or Easy Is Gorilla Trekking In Volcanoes National Park?
The topography of Rwanda is generally high, and the Volcanoes National Park is not exceptional. This park comprises a chain of volcanoes where mountain gorillas spend part of their time. The Volcanoes National Park trek is steeper than her counterparts but manageable.
It would be best to have some level of fitness to enjoy gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, but be assured you will see the mountain gorillas. You walk through the thick ancient rainforest, culminating in vegetation tangles over the years.
The ranger guide uses a machete to make way for tourists to access the mountain gorillas. It is hard to predict when to find the mountain gorillas due to different factors prevailing in the forest.
Having an open mind and not focusing on only locating the mountain gorillas but looking out for a number of birds, monkeys, and butterflies may consume your time, and you may need to realize the period you may spend in the forest.
Upon finding the mountain gorillas, only an hour is allowed in their presence so that you can let them run their day-to-day activities.
Are Mountain Gorillas Aggressive During Gorilla Trekking?
Considering their serene nature and the gorilla habituation process, mountain gorillas are calm. You need to follow the rules of gorilla trekking explained during briefing and instructions given by rangers as they observe the behavior of the mountain gorillas.
Sometimes, the mountain gorillas may thump their chests hard to show disagreement. However, this doesn’t show they are angry with their visitors. Sometimes, they have family feuds, so you need to wait for the ranger guide to observe where the anger is emanating from.
Showing allegiance to the dominant silverback is a sign of respecting his sovereignty. Sometimes, this may be the solution to having a great time with the mountain gorilla family.
When angry, the mountain gorillas thump their chests, pull grass around them, walk on one foot, hoot, and so much more.
How Safe Is Gorilla Trekking In Volcanoes National Park?
Volcanoes National Park is safe for gorilla trekking; however, the park also has a trained team of rangers. These professional and experienced rangers also go through refresher courses to keep up with the new trends of how to deal with customers.
After the briefing, at least two ranger guides escort a party allocated to find a particular gorilla family. One holds a machete to trim the creepers, and another has a rifle in case of any attack from forest dwellers.
The rangers constantly communicate through radio calls with the security team on the ground in case the need for backup arises.
A team of trackers also patrols the park every morning before tourists move in to establish the possible way about of the mountain gorillas.
Other Rwandan security agencies are in place to keep law and order around Volcanoes National Park.
It would be best if you minded personal security, too, by not sneaking away from the rest of the group during gorilla trekking, even though the ranger guide follows the pace of the slowest trekker.
Only enter Volcanoes National Park with an escorting ranger guide because you may encounter unhabituated forest dwellers that may harm you.
Do not trust anyone unknown to you into your lodge room, as you may invite someone with ill intentions that can cost you happiness while on a gorilla safari.
What Can I Do With Gorilla Trekking In Volcanoes National Park?
Birding
Volcanoes National Park is one of the best Rwanda birding destinations. Over 200 bird species are residents of volcanic forests, including Albertine rift endemics. You have a double opportunity to see the mountain gorillas and do birding simultaneously.
Some of the birds you may get to see in Volcanoes National Park include the handsome francolin, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Dusky Turtle Dove, Alpine Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, Malachite Sunbird, Montane Double Collared Sunbird, and others.
Golden Monkey Trekking In Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park is home to some of the few leftover golden monkeys worldwide. The unique physical structure of the golden monkeys makes them different from other primate species. The golden monkeys have a larger body structure covered with golden brown hairs at the lower bottom.
Despite the fact that they are habituated, golden monkeys still possess their charming nature. While in the forest, you must be ready to stay on your toes as these monkeys keep hopping from one tree to another. Their charming acrobatics makes them a must-see for most primatologists who visit Rwanda.
Before being allowed to do golden monkey trekking, you must possess a permit from the Rwanda Development Board.
Dian Fossey hike
The hike to the Dian Fossey resting point takes you on the last steps of the mountain gorilla hero. Dian Fossey was an American primatologist and philanthropist who dedicated the last part of her life to defending the mountain gorillas.
She launched her mountain gorilla research in 1967 in Rwanda, where she set up the Karisoke research station. On many occasions, she was misunderstood by the locals for her overwhelming love for the mountain gorillas, which they thought was odd.
In the 1980s, she and her team organized a population census for the mountain gorillas that resulted in 250 mountain gorillas existing. These findings were brought to the knowledge of the international and local conservation bodies in Rwanda then mountain gorillas were declared highly endangered.
Conserving them required funding and familiarizing the mountain gorillas to human presence. Through gorilla trekking, both are achieved, but with conditions such as gorilla conservation takes precedence.
In 1985, unknown assassins gruesomely murdered Dian Fossey at her residence, but her voice still sounds through organizations like gorilla doctors and others supporting sustainable mountain gorilla existence.
Nature Walks In Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes have different features that form their topography, like the chain of distinctive volcanoes and deep valleys, the beautiful fauna and flora, the cool breeze in the forest, and so much more.
You may spot a number of other primates like Black And White Colobus Monkeys, Blue Monkeys, Red-Tailed Monkeys, Olive Baboons, and so much more.
Volcanoes National Park is one of the ancient forests that have accumulated their list of fauna and flora over a long period of time. The volcanic forest is the water catchment point for the area around the park, too. The forest has a dense network of rivers with sparkling water.
You have to wear the right gorilla trekking gear, as the trails in the park are sometimes soggy and slippery from the regular rains that fall on soft volcanic soils.
Contact us and let us book your gorilla permit in Rwanda.
