Why Book Gorilla habituation Experience Permit in Advance

The number of gorilla habituation permits in Uganda is limited to maximum 4 permits per day per family. At the moment, Uganda has four gorilla habituation experience families open to the public. Gorilla habituation experience gives you more time with the mountain gorillas. BOOK  A SAFARI

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the currently only destination in Africa where gorilla habituation safari is happening. Gorilla habituation experience is an adventure which gives you extra time with the mountain gorillas that is four hours. The normal gorilla trekking adventure allows only one hour with a fully habituated gorilla family.

Demand for gorilla permits is high no matter the season but the peak season gorilla permits demand is over the top yet the number is limited. To book a gorilla permit, you must have  a date, number of eligible people travelling with for this adventure before checking for permit availability. No gorilla permit is booked without payment so upon finding permit availability its is best to secure one in advance.

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In case you hope to do gorilla habituation experience in the peak season that is June, July, August, September, December and January however it is best to book the gorilla permits atleast 180 days to a year prior.

 This is to avoid last minute panic when you cannot find gorilla permit availability and even the best options other safari logistics become scarcer.

Steps Of How To Book A Gorilla habituation experience Permits in Uganda

Select the tentative or actual starting and ending time of your gorilla habituation safari. The least number of days you can take on gorilla habituation experience safari is 3 day gorilla habituation safari

To book gorilla permits, you need to check gorilla permit availability  and at Arch Safaris and Tours, we dedicate ourselves in helping our customer make there Africa Adventure safaris a reality. We do book gorilla permits and make arrangements for other safari logistics like accommodation, vehicle hire, driver guides are hand picks to ensure professional and knowledgeable individuals are selected for the job.

As soon as we get your enquiry about wishing to do gorilla habituation experience, our safari consultant checks availability per your details from the Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permit list.

Our consultant contacts you as soon as availability is obtained but we advise clients to do their diligence and purchase the gorilla permits in the shortest time possible.

Note that no gorilla permit is booked without payment yet first come first served basis is used for this limited number of gorilla habituation permits.

When you finally secure a gorilla permit, forward so personal details like the full names as applied on the passport, nationality and others. These details are added to the gorilla permit card but retrieved on gorilla habituation safari day for identification purposes.   

How Much Is The Cost Of Gorilla Habituation Experience Permit? `          

The current cost of gorilla habituation experience permit is $1500 for international non residents, $1000 for foreign residents, $1000 for other Africans and $750000shs for East Africans.

The cost of gorilla habituation experience permit covers park entrance fees, four hours with the mountain gorillas, researcher fees, ranger guide fees and so many others.

Exclusions in the cost of Gorilla habituation experience permits are porter hire, tips and other personalized expenses.

Can I Purchase the gorilla habituation experience permit in instalments?

Uganda Wildlife Authority accepts instalment gorilla permit purchases of 30% and 70% respectively. This is applicable when you purchase the gorilla permits before 90 days to gorilla habituation safari day and top up before 90 days to gorilla habituation day.

Failure to honor the gorilla permit top update my lead to re-opening it to public booking without notifying you.

Is Gorilla habituation Experience Permit Reschedule Possible?

Yes, gorilla habituation permit reschedule is possible in Uganda in case you realize you may be incapable of honoring the pre-booked date. You need to follow the below details when hoping to do gorilla permit reschedule

Write to Uganda Wildlife Authority requesting to reschedule the gorilla habituation permit to a future date ( state the date). Attach some details related to the reason for not being in position to do the gorilla habituation experience to back up your request in case you have any.

As soon as your request is honored, the gorilla habituation permit is moved according to the prevailing gorilla permit availability status at the moment.

Where To Do Gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda

 Bwindi impenetrable National park is the gorilla habituation safari adventure destination. At the moment four gorilla families are open for this adventure. Bwindi forest is a pristine forest hosting almost half the total number of mountain gorillas in the world.

The word Bwindi locally means impenetrable and indeed this is double meaning suits the nature of this forest. Other than the mountain gorillas, Bwindi forest hosts other primates like the olive baboons, blue monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey and other primates.

More than 350 bird species are residents of Bwindi forest inclusive of Albertine rift endemics. More than 88 tree species can be identified in this forest and much more.

When Is The Best Time To Book A Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari In Uganda?

Be sure to see the mountain gorillas all year but the dry season are best preferred. The dry season is normally June, July, August, September, December and January. The conditions in the forest normally have less humidity and more sunlight is let in through the dense canopy to the ground.

During gorilla habituation experience, mountain gorillas still posses there natural traits so expect them to go into hiding, hoot at you and much more. In order for you to be comfortable in the jungle conditions, you need to wear the right safari gears in wilderness friendly colors like Khaki, forest green, brown and others.

This is the peak tourism season in Uganda with high demand for the limited number of gorilla permits. Even the options for the logistics that support gorilla safari run low as the high season draws closer. Expect to find more people at the lodge and the gorilla safari destinations.

During the wet season, few people book gorilla habituation experience but if you wish to have less obstruction and disturbance, this is the perfect timing. The wet season is the low tourism season in Uganda so chances of going for an unprepared for solo gorilla habituation experience are more open. Ensure you carry boots, backpack and rainproof gears that donot allow water to sip through.

Although the wet season receives less tourists booking, ensure you purchase the gorilla permit in advance too so as not to be sure on arrival. The status of the gorilla permits changes any time without warning.

Are mountain gorillas violent during Gorilla habituation experience?

In nature ,mountain gorillas are calm primates even though they are portrayed as violent by animators and in films. For sure at a glance there body structure is intimidating especially when you there dark furred body, knuckle style locomotion and much more.

The time you take in the company of these mountain gorillas you relies how they are more scared of you than you are. Looking stealthily into there deep brown eyes brings out there vulnerability.

It is very easy to fall in love with the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation experience but no touching them because they are wild animals. You have to keep a distance of about 7 meters from them so as to prevent chances of spreading any communicable infection to them.

Four hours are allowed with the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation experience but as you get away, do it in an unnoticeable manner so as not to look suspicious.

Is Gorilla Habituation Experience Strenuous?                                                                                 

Gorilla habituation experience is tiresome because of the topography of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This forest’s terrain was affected by volcanic action that led to the formation of several landforms including plateaus and ridges. These are draped by thick vegetation that has culminated over millions of years ago.

While searching for the mountain gorillas, you may be required to find them at the slopes
or deep in the valleys as they sometimes spend there day feeding or napping here. Even the nature of the weather for the day contributes so much to the time you may take searching for these mountain gorillas.

By hiring a porter to carry some of your possessions, you reduce in the weight that would pull you back.

What Time Do You Return From Gorilla Habituation Experience?

Searching and finding the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation has no specific timing due to the fact that the location of the mountain gorillas is dependent on factors prevailing in the forest.

The mountain gorillas are free primates whose life depends on the supply from the forest so nothing stops them from seeking new feeding areas. In order not to get bored, look out for other forest dwellers like several monkeys species including black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons and others.

When you find the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation experience, four hours are allowed with them. During these hours, you may help with collecting some samples, observing and taking notes about the mountain gorillas, take photographs and much more. Ensure you behave according to the rules of gorilla habituation experience.

Which Accommodation To Book For Gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda?

It is best to book accommodation for the gorilla habituation adventure closer to where the gorilla permit Is booked. Gorilla habituation experience in Uganda mainly happens in the southern sectors of Bwindi. It is best to secure accommodation closer to this area.

Accommodations to use during gorilla habituation experience vary with category that is high-end accommodations, Mid-range accommodations and basic accommodations.

 Bwindi accommodations: Gorilla Safari Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Nshongi Lodge, Bwindi Back packer’s camp

 What is the cost of gorilla habituation safari in Uganda?

Finding the cost of gorilla habituation experience safari depends on the items included in the safari package. To cost the gorilla habituation safari, at Arch safaris and tours we consider the number of people travelling with, number of days on safari, additional Uganda safari activities to combine with gorilla safari and others.

The cost of gorilla habituation safari is categorized into high-end, mid-range and budget. But the cost of the gorilla permit cuts across all categories. At the moment the cost of gorilla habituation experience permit is $1500 per person.

What Are The Guidelines Of Gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda?

No one with a communicable infection like covid-19 , cough, flu is allowed to go for gorilla habituation experience as mountain gorillas are susceptible to human infections.

Never surround the mountain gorillas but stay in a tight group, as this scares the mountain gorillas and makes them feel ambushed.

Entering the forest without an escorting ranger guide is forbidden.

Keep a distance of about 7 meters from the mountain gorillas when you locate them. They are wild animals and so this presents spreading any infections

No using flash photography when you locate the mountain gorillas as you may scare these timid primates.

No eating smoking before the mountain gorillas but keep a distance of about 200 meters from them in case you have to.

In case you wish to sneeze or cough, do it away from the mountain gorillas to prevent spreading germs to these primates.

In case you wish to defecate, as the ranger guide to dig a hole for you atleast 30 centimeters deep and cover later perfectly beyond recognition.

Littering the forest is no acceptable as this later the nature of the forest where these primates thrive.

Never spot on vegetation as this contaminates the food that mountain gorillas depend on.

You must not make noise or make sudden movements when with the mountain gorillas because this may agitate these primates and cause them to go into hiding.

the age limit for gorilla safaris is 12 years and over . This age limit was reduced  from 15 years to allow more children to have chance on gorilla safari.

Only one hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas when you locate them.

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