What is Included and Excluded in a Gorilla Habituation Permit? : Please check the list below for items covered in your trip before scheduling a safari with Explore Rwanda Tours on our website. A gorilla trekking safari quotation typically includes a gorilla trekking permit, lodging, and transportation from Kigali or Entebbe/Kampala to Bwindi National Park.
What is gorilla habituation?
Gorilla habituation is the practice of gradually exposing wild Mountain Gorillas to the sight and presence of people for the purposes of study, care, and conservation. Visitors can now participate in this process by participating in a gorilla habituation experience.
Where is gorilla habituation done?
Uganda hosts around half of the world’s mountain gorilla population, and a gorilla trekking experience here allows you to spend up to an hour with a family of wild mountain gorillas, while the gorilla habituation experiences allows to spend up to 4 hours with the gorillas.
If you are interested in spending more time with these fascinating creatures, Uganda also provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage in a full-day Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
What is Included and Excluded in a Gorilla Habituation Permit?
Unless otherwise specified, Explore Rwanda Tours quotations include the following:
One gorilla habituation permit per person per day. A gorilla habituation permit in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable national park costs 1500 USD.
Park entrance fees: The price of the gorilla habituation permit in Uganda also includes park entrance fees. These fees are used to run day-to-day activities in the park, pay salaries for gorilla doctors, park rangers and guides; and also contribute to the conservation of Mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
What is exclude in a Gorilla Habituation Permit?
- Our team of expat consultants at Explore Rwanda Tours quotes often do not include the following;
- Domestic Uganda flights (excluding those included in the three-day fly-in safari)
- Domestic international flights
- Transportation to and from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
- Accommodation for days that are not on the itinerary
- If you arrive before the tour begins, we will meet you at the airport.
- Soft and alcoholic beverages
- Visas, travel documents, and medical insurance
- Gratuities, gifts, and tips
- Other expenses of a personal nature.
Also important to note are the following;
In Uganda, gorilla trekking takes place at Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Five gorilla hiking gates are available (Nyakagezi, Rushaga, Nkuringo, Ruhija, and Buhoma). Your hiking gate will be determined solely by the availability of permits.
The lodges included on our website and itineraries are only for illustration purposes. The lodges where you will stay may range based on the trip pricing and space availability.
Given the short driving distance between Kigali and Bwindi (4-5 hours) and an 8-9 hour journey between Bwindi and Kampala, we recommend beginning certain excursions in Kigali, Rwanda.
How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southwest Uganda and is easily accessible by plane or car. Most visitors to Uganda arrive via Entebbe International Airport, the country’s major airport, located in central Uganda.
If you don’t have much time, you can go on a flying safari over the nation. Kisoro and Kihihi airstrips, located just outside Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, serve the Bwindi area. Both airstrips have regular flights from Entebbe that last around 1.5 hours.
If you’re visiting the Buhoma region of the national park, you’ll land at the Kihihi airport and then take a 1.5-hour car journey to your Bwindi lodge. A private vehicle from Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is another alternative.
The drive takes nine hours, but we recommend breaking it up with stops at other fantastic Ugandan destinations like Kibale Forest (where you can track chimps), Queen Elizabeth National Park (where you can go on safari), and Murchison Falls National Park (where you can enjoy a Nile boat safari).
What to expect on a Gorilla Habituation Safari in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
The deliberate and careful introduction of a family of wild gorillas to the presence of people is known as gorilla habituation. Wild gorillas have been habituated so that researchers may study the animal, treat illnesses and injuries, protect them from poachers, and increase conservation efforts through sustainable tourism.
In the Rushaga region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, two gorilla families (Bukingyi and Bushaho) are now being habituated.
Each gorilla troop has through a lengthy habituation procedure (between 3-5 years) handled by a team of specialist researchers, conservationists, trackers, and rangers in order to grow acclimated to the presence of people.
Park rangers begin the habituation process by spending a brief amount of time each day with the gorillas, keeping a certain distance near the limit of the gorillas’ comfort zone. They progressively extend the time and decrease the distance every few months until they are confident that the gorillas are ready for people to visit.
While the gorillas are not yet totally habituated (they are familiar to trackers and rangers but not strangers or tourists), the Gorilla Habituation Experience will assist to ensure that they will ultimately grow entirely comfortable in the presence of people.
By taking part in the Gorilla Habituation Experience, you are helping to habituate gorillas and ensure their survival. It’s incredible to think that you’ll be one of the first humans to encounter these gorillas. The meeting with the gorillas is more relaxing and enriching as a result of the experience. You’ll feel less rushed and have more time to properly appreciate this magnificent wildlife encounter.
During your time with your gorilla family, you will be able to immerse yourself in their world as they go about their everyday lives – eating and socializing with one another – all while being watched over by the majestic silverback.
What is the difference between gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation?
The Gorilla Habituation Experience and gorilla trekking are both wonderful experiences to go deep into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with an experienced tracker in pursuit of a wild mountain gorilla family.
You can go through the jungle for 30 minutes to four hours on a gorilla trip, depending on the location of the exact gorilla family you’re monitoring. When you eventually meet your assigned gorilla family, you’ll have the opportunity to spend up to an hour silently studying them in their natural environment.
No other wildlife encounter compares to being a few meters away from gorillas. It will unquestionably be a spectacular event that you will never forget. For individuals who want to spend more than an hour with the gorillas, the Uganda Wildlife Authority offers a one-of-a-kind full-day Gorilla Habituation Experience.
This permits you to spend up to four hours with these wonderful creatures and is exclusively accessible in Rushaga, in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s southern region. This trip will provide you with a better knowledge of gorilla tracking and behavior than a standard trek, as well as more time to see and photograph the gorillas.
Why you should go on a gorilla habituation experience?
The sounds of the jungle are the first thing you notice while embarking on a gorilla hike in the Bwindi Impenetrable jungle. The woods are buzzing with birds and insects, and your enthusiasm grows as you realize you’re going to encounter one of the last wild mountain gorilla families. When you come across a gorilla family, the ranger urges you to remain a safe distance – however gorillas do not always obey this rule!
The Gorilla Habituation Experience is one of the best wildlife photography encounters in the world – it gives you more time to get the perfect shot – but photographing gorillas can still be difficult due to light conditions and the unpredictable distance between you and the gorillas.
To acquire the greatest images, you should be as prepared as possible. Check that your batteries are completely charged and that you have enough space on your memory cards. Bring waterproof camera cases or coverings because the rainforest climate means it can rain at any time of year.
Flash photography is not permitted, so turn off the flash on your camera or phone before approaching your gorilla group. Because your time with the gorillas is limited, you should organize your shots rather than shooting haphazardly. We advocate striking a balance between soaking in this fantastic experience and photographing these intriguing critters. Don’t spend the entire time staring through your camera lens; instead, concentrate on the experience as well as the photography.
In summary, the above article entails What is Included and Excluded in a Gorilla Habituation Permit?
