Cheap Gorilla Trekking Tours in Uganda and Rwanda

Gorilla trekking is one of the most unique safari adventures that offer travelers an opportunity to hike so close to the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. This expedition to meet up with these species up close doesn’t come so cheap! The gorilla permits are expensive but worth the experience as the money paid helps with the conservation of these endangered species. Gorilla permits in Rwanda cost $1500 per person per day in volcanoes national park, In Uganda; they cost $700 per person per day while gorilla habituation costs $ 1500 per person. Congo gorilla permits cost $ 400 per person per day. The habituation experience gives a chance to spend 4 hours with the gorillas which helps you to have a more close interaction. Below are some of the tips to help you confirm a less expensive gorilla safari no matter the gorilla destination you choose to go to.

Nshongi Gorilla Family – Rushaga

Organizing group travel; you can join a group of travelers while on a gorilla safari and this will help you save some money. This is because the costs are shared like the vehicle, guide, fuel and the accommodation facilities for those sleeping in twin or double room. For instance, traveling to Bwindi is more expensive than getting to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Always search for the travel companies that organize group gorilla tours.

Always look for special offers on permits and accommodation facilities; these offers don’t run all year round and this means that you need to look for them. You need to consult with the tour operators, travel agents as well as the airlines plus the correspondent country associations about the particular offers that might help you cut the costs. Some other special offers are advertised on the websites and could include any of the offers when putting together your gorilla safari. The other alternative is with the luxury lodges that tend to offer discounts and also offer free nights when staying for more than 2 nights at their facilities. This helps with reducing the costs of the entire safari.

The low-cost season discount rates; Coming for a gorilla safari during the low or rainy season which starts in April to May and October to November for Rwanda and Uganda. The Association of Uganda Tour Operators issues discounted gorilla permits that are offered by Uganda Wildlife Authority. These are mainly bought on a first come first serve basis and can be booked by the tour operators who are members of AUTO. Even though the Rwanda gorilla permits remain the same, the safari lodges reduce their room rates and stay open during the rainy seasons. There are few visitors in the wet season since much fear of driving on the muddy roads.  The vegetation gets so green and lush which makes it better for short treks because the gorillas move less or feed near the park boundaries and at lower slopes.

Gorilla Trekking – Uganda

Always book your gorilla permit at least 3 months in advance. Booking your safari so early is a secure way to avoid unexpected increases in prices and rates that might affect your budget at a later time. The benefit of this is that you secure the permit before they are out of stock, and get to select the first and best lodgings. The licensed tour operators need a deposit and once the safari is booked, it gets easier and possible to count down while saving for the rest of the money. Once the accommodation is secure and the gorilla permits making the safari a success.

It’s known that tour operators take time to arrange every detail of your gorilla safari like the visas, air tickets as well as yellow fever cards. With assurance, you book online, decide a gorilla destination, make the payments and get the confirmations there and then.

Try to organize a self-drive tour; Even though there are many transportation options offered by the tour operators, self-driving is a better way to save on transport costs. This means that you will not need to pay for a driver or guiding services. You are able to determine how long or little you can stay at places or destinations. You should be aware of the route maps and destinations to avoid getting lost. You will need to hire a vehicle that is well inspected with manual or automatic conduction. You can as well make arrangements for the bookings of accommodation, and permits from the Uganda wildlife Authority.

Above are some of the tips that one can follow to win a cheap and discounted gorilla safari in Uganda and Rwanda.