Top 7 reasons why you should book your gorilla permit through a local tour operator in Uganda or Rwanda
Before booking your gorilla safari to Uganda or Rwanda, the first thing you must book is a gorilla permit which is a very important document when booking a gorilla safari to Uganda or Rwanda to go for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or in Mgahinga gorilla national park. Book your gorilla permit through a local tour operator, gorilla permit allows you to see mountain gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda.
Gorilla permits are in two categories, the gorilla trekking permit which allows you to spend one full hour with mountain gorillas in either Uganda or Rwanda and the gorilla habituation experience permit which allows you to spend up to four hours with mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest but gorilla habituation experience is only done in Bwindi forest-Rushaga sector so don’t expect to do gorilla habituation in Rwanda’s volcanoes national park
As you book your gorilla permit through a local tour operator, the internet has certainly made it easy for the tourism industry because one can easily book the Rwanda gorilla permit directly from Rwanda Development Board at their head office in Kigali or book an Uganda gorilla permit yourself directly through the Uganda Wildlife Authority at their head offices in Kampala but due the reasons we are going to give in this article booking gorilla permit for Uganda or Rwanda is not nearly as straight forward and easy as you may think, based on our experience Why book your gorilla permit through a local tour operator is very important basing on some of the reasons below.
1. You will not be on your own (save time) during booking the gorilla permit in Uganda or Rwanda
When you book your gorilla permit through a local tour operator, you will not be on your own the local tour operator will be in the position to check gorilla permit availability on your behalf because the registered and licensed local tour operator has access to the gorilla permits online system with Uganda Wildlife Authority, this allows local tour operators to know the gorilla permits availability for your planned dates of travel, once the permits availability is there the local tour operator will receive your payment and purchase gorilla permit for you, this will reduce all the hustle for you to go through all the process of purchasing gorilla permit for your Uganda or Rwanda safari.
2. Less stress and confusion as you go through the process of gorilla Permit booking in Uganda or Rwanda?
Going through the whole process of gorilla permit booking can be stressful and confusing so booking your gorilla permit through a local tour operator is much easier, they will guide you and help you to understand the process of purchasing gorilla permits for Uganda or Rwanda. Local tour operators will not only help to secure your gorilla permit but will also guide and advise you in planning your safari holiday to Uganda or Rwanda.
3. For local expertise and advice during gorilla permits booking
Local tour operators like us Kisoro Tours are a specialist in organizing gorilla trekking and other wildlife safaris in East Africa, so when you choose to book your gorilla permit through a local tour operator you will be able to use their local expertise, knowledge, and logistics to make life easier for you during permit booking and when you are on the safari.
4. Avoiding mistakes that can cost you money during gorilla permit booking
It should be noted, that once a gorilla permit is purchased it is not refunded which means each mistake you do during booking costs you money remember each gorilla permit in Uganda costs $700 per person while Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 per person so the local tour operator ensures that everything and they will advise starting from booking a specific date for your trek according to your planned travel itinerary to the end of your safari, what I can tell you it is very easy to make mistake yet at the end of the day it costs money which is one of the main reason to why you should book your gorilla permit through a local tour operator to save money and time.
5. You need a local backup when things go wrong a local tour operator will be useful?
Local tour operator is very important and useful most especially when things go wrong, for example in case you miss your flight or when something happens along the way and you to extend your gorilla permit to another date, another good example is the recent outbreak of covid-19 which affected international travels so imagine you had already booked your gorilla permit yourself directly whom would you turn to, in this cases a local tour operator would be useful on the way forward in order to avoid losing money because it is much easier for a local tour operator to reschedule your gorilla permits to any other future date you wish to change to.
6. A Local tour operator is part of the local network while you are alone?
When start planning your safari to Africa on your own time you may feel like you are alone and may be walking in the dark, yes, a local tour operator uses their local networking and relationships that they have created over the years, and have the right connections in the tourism industry will make your life much easier.
7. Local tour operators use local guides/drivers who know the area well
A safari holiday in Africa is different from what you are used to in America and Europe where you use modern roads and all systems are working, as go on your tour in Africa it is recommended to use a local professional guide/driver who has grown up here, lived here, worked and knows the terrain of every route well as your sit back and enjoy the ride.
How to book your gorilla permit through a local tour operator in Uganda or Rwanda?
Booking your gorilla permit through a local tour operator is very simple all you need to contact us or any other local operator and tell them your preferred date you wish to see mountain gorillas in either Uganda or Reanda depending on which country you want to track in, please remember gorilla trekking permits is purchased between 6 months to a year advance to avoid disappointments if you book with us Kisoro Tours as your local tour operator all you need to do is to send us your preferred dates you wish to trek gorillas and we will do the least on your behalf and go ahead and secure your gorilla permit and once all is done we can even send you scanned copies of permits for your own records.
The accrue price/cost gorilla permit when you book through a local tour operator?
The price of a gorilla permit in Uganda is $700 per person for normal gorilla trekking where you spend one hour with gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park or in Mgahinga gorilla national and $1500 per person for the gorilla habituation experience in Uganda, habituation experience allows to spend 4 hours with the gorillas in Rushaga sector of Bwindi forest while Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 per person for one hour with gorillas in Volcanoes national park, Rwanda has gorilla Habituation experience, this activity is only done in Bwindi forest-Rushaga sector.
You can reach us at info@kisorotoursuganda.com or call us on +256785790925 also on WhatsApp for free information or a free quote
