When you forget your gorilla trek date. What happens?

When you forget your gorilla trek date. What happens? Forgetting the trekking date is one of the many mistakes that are committed by tourists but this should be avoided because the trekking permit becomes invalid after the trek date it was printed for. In case you show up a day or days after the gorilla trek day, you will not be allowed to trek the gorillas. However, this mistake can be avoided if you book through trusted tour operators like Encounter Africa Safaris because they will keep on reminding you about the actual trekking date and when to come into the country for gorilla trekking. For all tourists planning on a gorilla trekking safari in Africa, make sure that you do not forget the trekking date because you will miss out on meeting the Mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. There are other mistakes that tourists should not avoid and these are going to be discussed below.

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Common mistakes to avoid when gorilla trekking

Gorilla trekking is a one-of-a-kind safari activity that grants tourists a chance to meet face-to-face with the gentle giant gorillas. There are so many mistakes that tourists make during a gorilla trekking safari and below is a list of mistakes that you should avoid when trekking Mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda and DRC.

Forgetting the gorilla permit: Many visitors/tourists normally forget to carry the trekking permits and yet this is the one ticket that allows tourists to gain access to the national parks where gorilla trekking takes place. You will not be allowed to trek and come face to face with the Mountain gorillas if you do not have a permit. Therefore, tourists are advised to book the permits 6 months before the trek date because of their high demand and when coming for the trek, come with the scanned copy that was sent by the tour operators because when you get to the country, the guides will hand over the original permit to you which you should protect at all times.

Not paying attention to what is written on the permit: Gorilla trekkers usually pay less attention to what is indicated on the gorilla trekking permit which is a mistake because you have to verify if the details on the permit belong to you. You have to read and understand the gorilla trekking sector that has been assigned to you, especially in Uganda (Bwindi’s Nkuringo, Buhoma, Ruhija and Rushaga). This mistake is usually made when tourists go to a sector that they have not been assigned and yet the gorilla permit cannot be exchanged with a different sector. The trek permit also has the date of trekking, and at the back on a black strip, there is your personal information, including your full nationality and passport number, with a unique serial number for each permit.

The gorilla permit cost

A gorilla permit is a legal document that is purchased through trusted tour operators to gain access to the Mountain gorillas. The cost of the gorilla permit is different depending on the category of tourists you belong to. The different categories of tourists include foreign non-residents, foreign residents, East African citizens and Citizens from other African countries. The cost of the permit also varies from country to country and below is the current cost of the permit in the different gorilla trekking destination countries.

Uganda: The cost of the gorilla permit in Uganda was increased in 2024 and is valid till 2026: $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, and UGX300,000 for East African citizens. Uganda has habituation permits where tourists spend more time with the gorillas, and the cost is $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for citizens from other African countries, $1000 for foreign residents and UGX750,000 for East African citizens.

Rwanda: The cost of the gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda is the highest in the region and it costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $200 for East African citizens, $500 for citizens from other African countries and $500 for foreign residents. Rwanda, unlike Uganda, offers discounts for gorilla permits to tourists who plan to spend two nights at either Nyungwe Forest National Park or Akagera National Park, paying $1050 per person per trek.

DRC: The Democratic Republic of Congo has the cheapest gorilla trekking permit which is $450 per person for foreign non-residents and $200 for East African citizens.

How to book and purchase gorilla permits

Contact a tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris with the date of your choice you wish to trek gorillas in one of the three countries and the number of people you are purchasing the permits for so that the consultant can check for the availability of the permits on the provided dates. In cases where the gorilla permit is available, you will be contacted, the permits will be pre-booked for you and you have to make payments as soon as possible so that they are not bought by another person. Note that the gorilla permits are in high demand and sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. In cases where gorilla permits are not available on the day chosen, you will be advised to choose from the available dates.

After the payments have been made and confirmation sent (make sure that the bank deals with the withdrawal charges), the permits will be purchased on your behalf, and a copy of the purchased permit will be sent as a confirmation to show that the permit has truly been purchased. Before the permit purchase, you have to provide some personal information like full name, passport number and nationality as this information is used when generating your permit.

The age limit for gorilla trekking

The age limit for gorilla trekking in Uganda is 12 years and 15 years for both Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is no maximum age limit for as long as the trekker is still fit and some of the reasons why the minimum age limit was set include the following:

Mountain gorillas are shy but huge primates, and the first time you see them, they might be scary, which might not go down well with children. Any agitation from the trekkers causes agitation to the gorillas and this causes them to go into hiding or attack when they feel threatened. Children who are below the minimum age limit may find it hard to control their reaction towards the Mountain gorillas.

Noise-making is prohibited when with Mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, and this might not be possible for children who act impulsively and communicate with crying or outbursts when hungry and tired. Gorillas are agitated by unfamiliar noises.

Mountain gorillas sometimes approach the trekkers and this might not go well with children whose reaction is unpredictable. Children below the minimum age may not withstand the sudden movements of the Mountain gorillas.

Trekking gorillas can take a long time, between 1 to 6 hours or more, and children might not be able to withstand and have patience for all those hours without throwing a tantrum.

Safety during a gorilla trek

Safety during a gorilla trek comes from personal safety and following all the rules and guidelines that were set by the different governments that are in charge of wildlife. The areas where gorilla trekking is carried out are located in remote areas and that is why there is 24/7 security around the national parks to protect the Mountain gorillas from poaching and other threats to the gorillas. The armed rangers found in the national parks also provide security to the trekkers and to the gorillas. Personal security involves following the rules which include the following.

• Trekkers have to leave a distance of 7 to 10 meters from the Mountain gorillas after locating them.
• Trek groups have an hour with the Mountain gorillas but this can be reduced by the guides in case there is a problem with the gorilla family that you have been allocated.
• The trekking age limit in Uganda is 12 years and 15 in DRC and Rwanda
• All fecal matter is supposed to be removed and buried in a hole of 30cm so that the Mountain gorillas do not dig it up.
• Sick tourists are prohibited from trekking gorillas to avoid infecting the Mountain gorillas
• Only 8 people are allowed to trek a single gorilla family per day and this was done not to overwhelm the Mountain gorillas.
• Follow all the guidelines given by the ranger guides
• Never wander away from the trek group because the forest is filled with wildlife that could be dangerous to you.
• Communicate in low tones so as not to disturb the peace of the Mountain gorillas.
• When you locate the Mountain gorillas, make sure that you do not surround them because they will feel trapped.
• Turn off your camera flash when taking photos of the Mountain gorillas.
• Eating when with the Mountain gorillas is prohibited.
• Feeding the Mountain gorillas and smoking around them is also prohibited.

DRC, at the moment, is not a safe place to go for gorilla trekking safaris and other wildlife safaris, and this is because of the ongoing conflicts that are dangerous. Tourists are advised to avoid DRC for now and trek from only Uganda and Rwanda. Get in touch for more information.

Gorilla trekking destinations

There are only three gorilla trekking destinations in the world, and these are Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the moment, Rwanda and Uganda are the only gorilla trekking destinations that are safe in the world and the choice of destination entirely belongs to you.

Uganda: There are two gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda and these are Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks. Uganda has the highest gorilla population in the world with 21 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi and one in Mgahinga National Park. Bwindi has different trekking destinations where gorilla trekking is done and these are Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo.

Rwanda: Rwanda has 12 habituated gorilla families that are found in Volcanoes National Park which is located in the southeastern part of Rwanda. The gorilla families in Volcanoes are open to the public all year round and with time, more families that are still undergoing habituation will be opened to the public.

DRC: The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to Mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park. However, at the moment, tourists are not going trekking in DRC because of the political unrest that is faced in the country.

What to bring for your gorilla safari

Packing right is one of the best ways to enjoy your gorilla trekking safari in Africa and below is a list of the few items that we recommend you bring on your gorilla trekking safari.

• Neutral-colored clothes including long-sleeved shirts and trousers
• Waterproof rain jacket and warm clothes like a sweater, scarf and ponchos among others.
• Socks at least 2 pairs to keep you warm, and they are also used as tuck-ins for trousers when trekking.
• Gaiters are used in both the dry and wet seasons.
• Garden gloves
• Strong knee-length hike boots that are waterproof
• Waterproof backpack
• Snacks and refillable water bottle
• A camera, extra batteries, lenses and a camera bag
• Binoculars
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen
• A sunhat

Gorilla trekking in Africa is an exciting experience that starts early morning after breakfast. The entire exercise starts with a briefing at the park headquarters, where ranger guides tell the trekkers about the rules and guidelines that are to be followed during the trek; you will also be divided into groups of 8 and given gorilla families to trek. After the briefing, each group is escorted by a ranger guide and an armed ranger as they venture into the forest in search of the Mountain gorillas. After locating the Mountain gorillas, each trek group has an hour with the Mountain gorillas and after, trek back to the park headquarters, where you will be awarded a certificate of participation.

Book in advance for your gorilla safari to Uganda, Rwanda and DRC to get the best deals from the different service providers, including accommodation, transport, meals and many more. Gorilla trekking is carried out all year round but the best time is during the dry season from June to September.

Contact us for more information.

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