To book gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda, consider time of booking the permit as the peak season gorilla permits are on high demand. The peak Rwanda tourism season is June, July, August, September, December and January so advance booking is required. It is best to book the Rwanda gorilla trekking permit atleast 6 months to a year in advance as they are limited and yet supply is restricted to maximum 8 per gorilla family.
The low season gorilla permits may be available even at the last minute but not a guarantee all the time because they are may also sell out. The low tourists season is normally March to May and November but because of the limited supply they can sell out fast.
Rwanda has Volcanoes National park as its only home to mountain Gorillas. At the moment, about 12 gorilla families are open to the public for gorilla trekking including Karisimbi, Amahoro, Umubano, Hirwa and others. The gorilla trekking permits of Rwanda are sold on first come first served basis by Rwanda Development Board.
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The age limit for gorilla trekking permits of Rwanda is 15 years and over. This is because of the nature of the topography of the Virunga area because of the volcanic action in this area. Children below 12 years may not be in position to complete the gorilla trek because of the steep slopes in Volcanoes National Park. There are five of the six Virunga Volcanoes that is Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Sabyinyo, Mountain Karisimbi, Mountain Bisoke and Mountain Muhavura.
Select other Rwanda safari activities to engage in while in Rwanda like game drives, chimpanzee trekking birding in Rwanda to mention but a few. To Visit Rwanda, you need to know your interests and the number of days you hope to be in the country.
When Is The best Time To Book The Gorilla Trekking Permits Of Rwanda
It is best to book a gorilla trekking permit for Rwanda in advance so that you donot miss out at the last minute. Most tourists secure their gorilla permits atleast 6 months in advance to save themselves from last minute disappointment.
The Rwanda Development Board opens maximum 8 gorilla permits to the public from each gorilla family each day. The peak season gorilla permits become scarce as season unfolds that is June to September and December to February because of the high demand worldwide.
Other than the gorilla trekking permits, securing other logistics that support gorilla safaris like accommodations is important. Options of there safari facilities run out early.
The low tourism season gorilla permits that is March to May and November may not be highly demanded giving chance to last minute gorilla safari bookings. This however is not a guarantee that you will find the gorilla permits even in the low season because they also sell out.
How To Book Gorilla Trekking Permits For Rwanda?
Choose the date or day when you hope to do gorilla trekking in Rwanda or state the starting and ending time for the Rwanda safari holiday. You need to suggest the number of people you hope to travel with so as to avoid moving back and forth with checking availability.
Inquire about gorilla permit availability first which you can do through a tour operator like Arch Safaris And tours. Contact us
As soon as gorilla permit availability is discovered positive, do purchase your gorilla permit as son as you can . gorilla permits are sold at first come first served basis and yet there supply is limited to maximum 8 per family.
The status of gorilla permits availability changes any time without warning. Peak season gorilla permits sell out in advance and it hard to find availability at the last minute yet the only guarantee to a Rwanda gorilla safari is the permit. You cannot proceed with booking other amenities without a confirmed gorilla permit.
Even when you finally get the gorilla permit at the last minute, you may panic with finding options of accommodations to stay at during the gorilla safari in Rwanda.
The cost of gorilla trekking safaris in Rwanda vary with tour package you choose. Gorilla safari packages are categorized into Upscale, Mid-Range and budget. The cost of gorilla permits is the same in all packages that is at the moment $1500 for international nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents and $200 for East Africans.
To cost the gorilla trekking tour in Rwanda, consider items like number of days, people travelling with, timing, optional safari activities and other factors.
Which Gorilla Family Is Best To Visit During Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda?
It is hard to determine the best Rwanda gorillas trekking family for some of the reasons below. Sometimes the mountain gorillas move far into the deeper forest. Each gorilla family of Rwanda has differing characteristic that make it special to visit. No matter which gorilla family you are allocated to be with on gorilla trekking safari, that moment standing infront of the mountain gorillas is unforgettable.
Some of the Rwanda gorilla trekking families include Hirwa, Susa, Karisimbi, Umubano, Amahoro and others. After briefing, tourists are allocated different gorilla families a criteria that is hard to determine as some times its based on interest, age, physical capability and much more.
Look out for other forest dwellers as Volcanoes National Park is a haven for different wildlife species like golden monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus and others. A number of birds spend there day in Volcanoes forest including Albertine rift endemics.
How Sure Can I Be To See The Mountain Gorillas Of Rwanda?
There are about 98% chances of seeing mountain gorillas in Rwanda. these mountain gorillas are habituated first a process that takes unknown time and helps mountain gorillas get used to humans presence without altering there nature.
Mountain gorillas live in families that occupy a particular area for sometime until food supply is deemed insufficient. The elder mountain gorillas under the headship of a silverback. The other mountain gorillas cannot move without the approval of elders. This makes it a reliable safari activity to book in Rwanda.
Each day, a team of ranger guides wakes up early morning to monitor where the mountain gorillas may have nested and possible hang out points. Some of the clues are what rangers leading tourists use to trace the mountain gorillas. Most of the times these clues are a good source leading to the mountain gorillas.
As tourists, you can help with tracing the mountain gorillas by using clues they leave behind like fresh dung, freshly left behind foliage, listen to the sounds in the jungle and much more. These clues about mountain gorilla search are what is applied to trace the mountain gorillas.
Why book Gorilla Trekking safari In Rwanda?
Gorilla trekking is one of Africa’s sought after activities although limited by the number of people allowed to visit each gorilla family. Winning the opportunity of a gorilla permit is a win. Getting the opportunity to be just a few meters from the only leftover mountain gorillas in the world is unforgettable. The way the mountain gorillas emerge from the vines, present themselves and chew there food is mesmerizing.
Each Rwanda gorilla permit you purchase has apportion that is used to support the conservation of mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are some of the endangered primates in the world with a population of about 1000 mountain gorillas living. The conservation of mountain gorillas is awed to the continued support for sources like buying gorilla permits.
When you hire porters from the local community during gorilla trekking, they use the money collected to run there daily life.
Is Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Difficult?
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda is quite tiring because of the steepness of the topography of Virunga area. The presence of the five volcanoes influences the topography of Volcanoes National Park making the search for the mountain gorillas challenging.
Mountain gorillas are free animals that walk in Volcanoes forest with nothing stopping them so they can get around. During the search for these primates, you may be required to hike to the slopes or down in the valley depending where these primates may be spending there time.
Sometimes the way to the mountain gorillas is obstructed by thick vines which need to be trimmed so that ranger guide with a machete has to create way.
Are mountain Gorillas dangerous?
Mountain Gorillas are not dangerous although they look scaring from the outlook. Mountain Gorillas have furred bodies that look scaring at a glance. Even the way they are portrayed brings mixed feeling about these mountain gorillas as they are presented as violent primates.
This is however quite the opposite of the mountain gorilla characteristics. They are gentle and serene primates whose life depends on foliage. When angry, the mountain gorillas in most cases go into the deeper ends of the forest.
Sometimes you may see how mountain gorillas’ odd behaviors like thumping there chest, hooting, running into hiding and much more. Every time you are faced with such behavior doesn’t mean it is a reaction to making the mountain gorillas angry.
Wait for the ranger guide to establish the route cause of the matter as sometimes these primates are trying to tease you, family issues, ready to call for action after an attack from another gorilla family and others.
Keep all the rules of gorilla trekking so as to stay with the mountain gorillas for the time estimated to be with them.
Is Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda safe?
Security on gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda is present as Volcanoes National Park are well trained ranger guide team to support the safety of tourists. No person is allowed to move into the forest without an escorting ranger guide. Volcanoes forest has other occupants that are not habituated to human presence so may hurt you incase you walk there alone.
The Rwanda Developments Board ranger guides cooperate with other Rwanda Security agencies to keep law and order.
As a tourists you are requested not to walk into Volcanoes forest without a ranger guide to avoid uncertainties. Also follow the path taken by the ranger guide to ensure that you create no other trail while searching for the mountain gorillas.
While walking into in the forest ensure you smear yourself with insect repellant to keep away biting insects that may hurt you.
What Time Do You Take To Locate The Mountain Gorillas During Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda?
Time of finding the mountain gorillas is not easy to determine because they are very mobile primates and hard to confine to one place. However be sure to find the mountain gorillas during gorilla trekking.
Mountain gorillas in the wild keep moving freely with nothing to stop them. They traverse the forest and so you need to trace them using clue they leave behind like the freshly leftover foliage, footprints, noise and much more.
Finding the mountain gorillas in Rwanda is determined by the proximity of there feeding point, situation in the wilderness, weather conditions of the days and much more. Even the pace of fellow tourists.
Upon finding the mountain gorillas during gorilla trekking in Rwanda, only one hours is allowed with them for conservation reasons.
As you get away from the mountain gorillas, do it stealthily so that not to appear suspicious before these mountain gorillas.
What more can I See during Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda?
Volcanoes National Park is a biosphere reserve with a number of animals inhabiting the forest. While on gorilla trekking safari, you may come across animals like forest elephants, duikers, giant forest hogs and others. The different monkey species in this forest are mesmerizing like the blue monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, golden monkeys, black and white colobus vervet monkeys, olive baboons and others.
Volcanoes forest hosts a huge number of birds over 200 species some of which are Albertine rift endemics. During gorilla trekking, you may get the free opportunity to encounter some of these birds.
The different natural trees in Volcanoes forest are amazing.