Refunding the gorilla permit is not a guarantee but through following the right procedure sometimes you may qualify for a gorilla permit refund. Every person who purchases the gorilla permit in most cases is ready to take part in gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience however some circumstances may prevent you from attending.
The Uganda wildlife authority has a refund policy according to the situation at hand like in case you fail to see the mountain gorillas, the recent refund policy allows 75% refund of the gorilla permit cost.
Refund for the gorilla permit would not be the aim of tourists based on the process through which you check for availability which may stimulates some adrenaline sometimes especially with last minute gorilla permit booking.
Instead of gorilla permit refund, you can opt for rescheduling the permit to a future date when you hope to be comfortable to travel.
Note that even when Uganda Wildlife authority allows you to receive gorilla permit refund. Do not expect 100 % gorilla permit refund. You need to have some level of patience when you apply for gorilla permit refund and attach possible concrete evidence to back up your application.
Current Uganda Wildlife Authority Gorilla Permit Refund Policy
Although the Uganda wildlife Authority may permit you to cancel the gorilla permit and refund it, the protocol and bueracracy followed to get this money requires some patience. The gorilla permit refund policy applies to fully paid for gorilla permits and not those purchased in instalment. In case your gorilla permit is secured by a tour operator in your behalf, some other costs may be added depending on the tour company policy.
At the moment, when you cancel your gorilla permit 95days before the gorilla trekking date, you receive 75% refund on the gorilla safari permit cost. At this moments, you have to include some details and a genuine reason why you opt to step down from attending gorilla safari in Uganda.
Cancelling a gorilla permit 46 days to 90 days before the gorilla safari day, you may receive 50% of the total gorilla permit cost. The other 50% is retained by Uganda Wildlife Authority for conservation of the mountain gorillas.
When you cancel a gorilla permit 8 days to 45 days to gorilla safari day, 25% refund is given back to you. The 75% is retained by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to support the conservation of the mountain gorillas.
When you hope to cancel your gorilla permit 8 days to 0 days, expect no refund from Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Can I Reschedule The Uganda Gorilla Permit Instead?
Uganda wildlife authority accepts gorilla permit reschedule in case you are not in position to travel as by the earlier reserved dates. In case you plan to travel in the future, you can move your gorilla permits but it should be to a gorilla safari date within the year under which you reserved the permit.
Instead of requesting for a gorilla permit refund, you have the option of moving the dates for your gorilla safari in case you still hope to travel for either gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience.
The procedure for gorilla permit reschedule includes:
Write to Uganda Wildlife Authority requesting to reschedule your gorilla permit to a stated date in case you have some evidence why you opt to change your gorilla trekking or habituation experience days attach too. This will act as backup for your request to reschedule the gorilla permit.
Upon approval, your gorilla permit is moved per your request depending on the prevailing gorilla permit availability.
Uganda offers one time free gorilla permit reschedule as long as the gorilla permit was fully paid for. Those who purchase the gorilla permits in instalment have to first top them up before being mover to the next date.
What May Qualify Some one For Gorilla Permit Refund?
In case of a health condition that may require serious medicals that may prolong to the dates of the gorilla safari plus the recovery time, you have to eight to Uganda Wildlife Authority in advance as stated above to either request for a permit refund or move your permit.
When you double book the gorilla permit on the same day under the same names and fully place payment for the same permit without your knowledge, you may be considered for a gorilla permit refund.
In case you are listed on the wait list because all the available Uganda permits are fully booked yet hope for a no show or resell proves futile, you may be considered for a gorilla permit refund.
When you fail to locate the mountain gorillas the entire time you are in the wilderness, according to the Uganda Wildlife authority Refund policy 75%of the total gorilla permit cost is refunded to you.
When you volunteer to stay behind on the day of the gorilla safari because you have contracted a communicable infection that can be passed to the mountain gorillas and you report this to the ranger station before the trek, you are considered for a gorilla permit refund.
What Assurance Can I Have To See The Mountain Gorillas On Gorilla Safaris Adventure?
Chances of seeing the mountain gorillas on a gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience are 98%.
These mountain gorillas are first habituated for some time until ready for public booking. Gorilla habituation is a process where a wild gorilla family is followed by a team of researchers and trackers noting down there traits, naming each individual gorilla, collect there samples and others. They do this without altering the nature of the mountain gorillas.
When the mountain gorillas are opened to public viewing, when visitors approach them, they carry on with there day to day activities without minding about your presence. This can only be possible when you follow the rules of gorilla trekking or habituation experience.
Mountain gorillas live in cohesive families for life so it is hard to just dessert without reason. This keeps them together.
When feeding, the mountain gorillas conquer a particular location for sometime and feed in it for as long as food can still sarticify all the family members. Mountain gorillas may only move when food is exhausted. This is why tracing there way about is possible in case they move.
Each day a team of trackers follows the mountain gorillas in the wilderness to establish there night nesting place and possible day hangout. These clues are what ranger guides leading a group of gorilla trekkers use to trace where the mountain gorillas may be spending the day.
How Can I spend More Time With The Mountain gorillas?
During gorilla trekking, only one hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas upon finding them. this is for mountain gorilla conservation reasons as they are habituated to be infront of humans for just one hour. Some tourists find this time insufficient for their long awaited encounter with the mountain gorillas.
Gorilla habituation experience offer you more time with the mountain gorillas as four hours are allowed before the mountain gorillas. You must know that these mountain gorillas are usually semi-habituated so still possess some wild traits. You need more patience and persistence but the rewards with them are immerse.
Alternatively, you can do double gorilla trekking where you can participate in gorilla trekking more than once. You need more days on safari as gorilla trekking is per day. for each gorilla trekking day, you need to secure a gorilla permit.
What is The Cost Of Uganda Gorilla permit?
At the moment, the cost of Uganda gorilla trekking permit is $700 for foreign none residents, $600 for foreign residents and 250000shs for East African residents.
The gorilla habituation permit cost of $1500 for foreign nonresidents, $1000 for foreign residents and 750000 shs for East African residents.
The gorilla permit cost covers: ranger guide fees, security, mountain gorilla conservation, local community support, government tax, park entrance fees and others.
The gorilla habituation permit cost also covers the researcher fee.
Exclusions in the cost of gorilla permit: porter hire, transport to gorilla safari destination, snacks and any other items of personal nature.
How Much Is The Uganda Gorilla Safari Package
Our gorilla safari packages are graded according to luxury, mid-range and budget facilities. Each of these gorilla safari packages has different inclusions. These gorilla safari packages have a common cost called the gorilla permit.
At the moment the gorilla trekking permit costs is $700 per person per trek, the gorilla habituation experience is $1500 per person per trek.
Other components of the Uganda Safari package we include when making a safari package include the number of days on safari, the number of people on safari, additional activities to combine with gorilla safari, time of booking the gorilla safari and others.
When you enquire from Arch Safaris and tours stating the details of what you wish to include in your gorilla safari package, our tours consults works with you to tailor the perfect itinerary that soot your interests.
How Long Is Gorilla Safari In Uganda?
The duration of the gorilla safari depends on the conditions in the forest. Mountain gorillas are wild animals that move freely in the wild with nothing stopping them. Finding the mountain gorillas gets trickier as time goes on.
Locating the mountain gorillas depends on factors like the location of the mountain gorilla feeding area, in case of a fight with other wild mountain gorillas, when the mountain gorillas loose a family member and other. The pace of the other gorilla trekkers determines when to locate the mountain gorillas in case the trekkers are slow,
The ranger guides follow the pace of trekkers so that no one is forgotten in the wilderness.
You are requested to follow the gorilla safari guidelines given during briefing so that you do not agitate the mountain gorillas and push them into hiding. Having some patience during the gorilla safari saves you from getting bored and tired during the gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience.
Is Gorilla Safari Adventure Difficult?
Gorilla safaris are quite strenuous because of the nature of the topography where mountain gorillas live. This area is volcanic with a number of plateaus and ridges draped by tangled vegetation. Sometimes the ranger guide has to trim the thick foliage to create a path for tourists to locate the mountain gorillas.
Even the dense network of river over flows especially during the severe rainy season yet there is less sunray penetration allowed to the ground. The trails get soggy and slippery delaying your walk ion the forest to find the mountain gorillas.
Wearing the right gorilla safari gears like safari boots, long sleeved shirt and trousers protects you from stinging nettles and insects.
You can ask for a walking stick to give you extra support while trek to find the mountain gorillas.
The mountain gorillas spend part of there time at the slopes of the highlands or deep in the valley especially when it gets too cold. When you are required to hike you need to have some level of fitness prior to taking on the gorilla trek.
Carry some energy bites in your backpack to munch on during the breaks while on gorilla safari.
Is Gorilla Safari In Uganda Safe?
Gorilla safaris are safe since Uganda Wildlife Authority has a well trained team of rangers ready to defend the mountain gorillas, there habitats and tourists. The security of Bwindi and Mgahinga forest includes other Uganda security agencies who keep law and order in this area.
While moving in the forest do not deviate from the rest of the group as you may encounter other forest dwellers that may cause harm to you.
Never move in the forest without an escorting ranger guide to prevent getting lost in the wilderness. When you meet the mountain gorillas, you need to stay closer to the people you are trekking with so as not to look suspicious before the mountain gorillas that may feel ambushed.
Although mountain gorillas are calm and serene, do not provoke them during gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience.