How To Book Gorilla Trekking Safari In Rwanda During Christmas Holiday

Choosing to do gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda during Christmas holiday requires booking a gorilla permit first which are on a high demand especially in this festive season. Having a face to face adventure with the mountain gorillas is an unforgettable life changing experience.

In Rwanda gorilla trekking happens in Volcanoes National Park which lies in North western part of the country.  Each gorilla trekking Safari in Rwanda necessitates holding a permit which you present for verification with other identification documents.  Unfortunately, maximum 8 gorilla permits are open to the public each day despite the overwhelming demand. Enquire Now

To book a Rwanda gorilla permit, one has to chose a date and its from here that gorilla permit availability can be checked. Do not forget the age limit for gorilla safaris in Rwanda is 15 years and over.  Check for availability of gorilla trekking and act as fast as you can to reserve a permit because first come first served basis is used to and none is reserved without payment.

Commemorating Christmas holiday with gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda is a remarkable. It is a Christmas gift that cannot be traded with anything else. In case the gorillas trekking permits for Rwanda on Christmas happens to be sold you need to be flexible to adjust to another date when there is availability within the same season.   

Safari Packages

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7 day gorilla, chimpanzee and game safaris in Uganda

3 day gorilla trekking Rwanda

2 day gorilla trekking Rwanda

How To Book Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Permit For Christmas Season 

Select when to do the Rwanda Gorilla trekking safari but keep it flexible with dates beyond Christmas day in case they are sold out. The dates for gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda may be tentative or permanent.

Enquire about the Rwanda gorilla safari inclusive of the dates when you hope to travel.

Our safari consultant will check gorilla permit availability according to your enquiry and get back to you in the soonest time possible.

It is best to purchase the Rwanda gorilla trekking permits as soon as you can because they sell out fast especially those with dates within the festive season.

No gorilla permit is reserved without payment yet first come first served basis is used to reserve them. None of the gorilla permits is reserved without payment which you can do in full or partially in portions of 30% and 70%.

 Avail some personal details to be added to your gorilla permit for identification.

What is the cost of Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Permit

Currently, the cost of Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is $1500 per person per day. The Rwanda gorilla permit cost includes conservation support, park entrance, ranger guide fees, security and more.

In addition to the cost of the gorilla trekking permit for Rwanda, additional safari logistics have to be considered as for the entire tour. The cost of accommodation, transport, personal expenses and more compose the entire quotation for the Rwanda safari package.

Do not forget to carry some cash for on ground purchases and this you can change into local currency for on ground purchases.  You can change foreign currency into Rwandese Franks at the Banks or Forex bureau.

Why is the Rwanda gorilla Permit Expensive?

Indeed, the Rwanda gorilla permit is costly but worth the experience of being in close proximity with the few leftover mountain gorillas there is in the world. A lot of misconceptions are out there about the mountain gorillas but the only reality can be felt and experience when you choose to do a gorilla trekking safari. World over, Rwanda, Uganda and D.R.Congo are the only homes of to mountain gorillas.

Being in company of the mountain gorillas is like walking into history of human evolution where you get a glimpse into the past life of humans. For sure gorillas daily activities mirror that daily life of humans where they wake ( de-nest), have breakfast, follow the guidance of the dominant silverback, have family conflict, play and more.

Every gorilla permit you purchase is part of the support to the conservation fraternity of Rwanda. Mountain gorillas still need more conservation as currently about 1062 mountain gorillas are left in the world from 250 per the 1980s gorilla population census report. Over the years, step by step the mountain gorillas have been protected and so far the results are promising.

When you choose a porter to help carry your gorilla trekking gears, you contribute to the community sensitization and support the well being of the communities around the gorilla destination.

The number of visitors to the mountain gorillas has to be minimized to avoid effects of mass tourism to the environment where these gentle giants feed and thrive. The forest is the sole provider to the mountain gorillas as they are generally vegetarians.

How Sure Can I Be To See The Mountain Gorillas During Christmas Season On Rwanda Safari

Mountain Gorillas do not go for Christmas holiday so be sure to see them with 99% chances. Mountain gorillas are first habituated a process that enables them to be around humans atleast for an hour.  Gorilla habituation process doesn’t totally erase the nature traits of mountain gorillas but helps them get accustomed to human presence for atleast one hour.

Each day a team of ranger guide wakes up to trace where the mountain gorillas families may have nested. Some of these clues are what ranger guides with tourists may use to trace the mountain gorillas that wonder throughout the forest with nothing to stop them. In addition, the ranger guides use the trails leading where the mountain gorillas were last seen the previous day.

As part of the gorilla trekking experience, tourists are asked to help trace the mountain gorillas using the clues they leave behind like foot prints, freshly leftover celery, listen to the murmurs they make as a way of communicating with each other and more. Some of these clues are what is used to find the mountain gorillas.

Gorillas live in families that do not move abruptly unless there is reason like food scarcity, having a fight with another gorilla family, death of a dominant silverback and more. This is why rangers guides often start the trails following the trail leading where the gorilla family was last seen.

A fully grown male mountain gorillas ways about 200 kgs and the female adult gorillas about half the weight and this doesn’t allow the gorillas to move fast. The mountain gorillas normally relocate but stay closer to the previous spot so using some clues you can trace them.

When Is The Best Time To Book A Gorilla Trekking Permit For Christmas Season

It is safer to book the gorilla trekking permits for Christmas season atleast 3 months in advance to avoid last minute disappointments. The demand for gorilla permits is overwhelmingly high during Christmas time leaving no chance to find last minute availability.

Other than the gorilla permits, even additional logistics that support safaris have to be booked in advance including accommodations, transport and more. The demand for these amenities goes higher as the season opens which makes it hard to secure a permit at the last moment.

Although Christmas is on a particular date but being flexible with alternative dates to do gorilla trekking safaris is recommended to enjoy the fun. Alternatively, you can alter your itinerary to suit your needs in order to find desired gorilla permit availability.

Finding gorilla permits at the last minute may come with a cost as well as options of finding suitable accommodations run out as the seasons gets closer.

What To Expected During Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda During Christmas

On gorilla trekking expect to report to the ranger station early morning for briefing and document verification. This is compulsory for every tourists and may end in getting disqualified in case you do not show up for this session.

Each tourist is randomly allocated a gorilla family and then start the search for the mountain gorillas using the trails heads leading where the family was last seen.  There is no particular criteria used to locate the mountain gorillas so even though you have travelled together, there chances of each one getting allocated in a different gorilla family.

Mountain gorillas are not usually very close so some level of patience is required however, there are other forest dwellers you can focus your eyes onto to avoid getting bored. Volcanoes National park is home to other primates including olive baboons, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey and more. Over 200 bird species are residents of Volcanoes Forest too

A number of creepers and vines are tangled draping over several trails and highlands that are part of Volcanoes forest. Sometimes the ranger guides have to use a machete to trim some of the protruding creepers and create a path to walk on to get to where the gorillas may be.

Finally, as you draw closer to the mountain gorillas, you hear them murmur at each other as though alerting others about your presence. The ranger guide will take you what is expected when in front of the mountain gorillas. Do not forget to maintain the 7 meters apart from the mountain gorillas gap although at times they bridge it out of curiosity.

Do not take photos with a flashlight camera when with the mountain gorillas because they are easily scared by unfamiliar occurrences in their environs.

 Watch as you keep memories of the gorilla trekking adventure but only one hour is allowed with them.

How sure Can I Be To see The Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda During Christmas.

Seeing the Rwanda mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park is a sure deal even though they are residents of a massive jungle. Gorillas live in families that conquer a particular feeding area for sometime and can only move when food becomes insufficient or provoked. Even when the gorillas move, they do not go far from their previous location.

Before opening the mountain gorilla family to the public, it under goes habituation for some time until proved ready for visitors. This enables tourists to be in company of the mountain gorillas atleast for one hour before they walk away.  

Ranger guides wake up each day to find where the mountain gorillas may have nested and establish possible hangout direction for the day. Its some of these clues that ranger guides with tourists use to trace the mountain gorillas including fresh clues they leave behind.

The weight of the mountain gorillas doesn’t allow them to walk very fast as the fully grown males weight about 200 kilograms and the female about half this weight. This doesn’t allow the mountain gorillas to get away far from where they previously fed.

Note that finding the mountain gorillas may take some time like two hours to more but maintaining some level of patience is necessary. Finally, when you find the gorillas, ensure to behave appropriately when with the mountain gorillas.

 What Are The Rules gorilla Trekking Safari in Rwanda

No feeding the mountain gorillas is forbidden because they must depend on the supplies from the jungle.

Provoking the mountain gorillas is forbidden because they are charge out or being suspicious.

In case you catch a communicable infection volunteer to stay behind so that you do not pass a communicable infection to these vulnerable mountain gorillas.

When around the mountain gorillas, keep atleast 200 meters away from them especially when you wish to smoke or eat.

Feeding the mountain gorillas is forbidden because they are wild animals that must depend on forest supplies and not human provision.

Upon finding the mountain gorillas, do not surround the family but stay tightly together. Mountain gorillas feel ambushed by this act.

If you need to sneeze or cough, do it in a handkerchief or in the elbow in order to protect yourself from spreading viruses to the highly susceptible infectious diseases.

Burry the fecal matter in a hole dug at least 30 centimeters and cover well beyond recognition.

Try not to spit on vegetation or on the ground because you may pass an infection to the highly vulnerable mountain gorillas.

The age limit for gorilla trekking in Rwanda is 15 years and beyond because of the nature of the topography of the country which is composed of several highlands. One hour is allowed with the gorilla family when you meet them

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