Why is gorilla trekking so expensive to Rwanda?
Why is gorilla trekking so expensive? Someone planning a Gorilla safari to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park may so stop along way wondering why Gorilla trekking is so expensive? This makes many travelers never to fulfil their dream of Gorilla tracking to come true due to the high cost of the permits, they need to purchase in order to engage or reach Gorilla safari Rwanda. But the reason is that Gorilla trekking so expensive because it’s a unique experience and worthy the money. In Rwanda a Gorilla permit costs USD1,500 per person per trek while in Uganda a Gorilla permit is bit cheaper at USD700 per person per trek.
The expensiveness of Gorilla permits makes the Gorilla trekking to be a most expensive safari holiday encountered in Africa. Many tourists have engaged in this life changing and memorable encounter with the Mountain Gorillas yet others are planning to take their Gorilla trip for the nearing future. Though Gorilla trekking seems to be so experience and on other hand so interesting on how you can purchase your Gorilla permit fees, you can decide to pay this money throughout the year regardless of the season to visit.
Mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda goes at USD1,500 for both National and non-Nationals which is not same case in Uganda, Uganda’s non National cost at USD 700 and Foreign resident USD 600 and Nationals USD70 per person per trek.
Rwanda gorilla trekking permits can be got direct from Rwanda Development Board. Below are the high lightened reasons why gorilla trekking is so experience as follows;
Are endangered species
The most top reason as to why Gorilla trekking is experience in Rwanda or Uganda because Mountain Gorillas are endangered species. Therefore, it forces the authorities to reduce their interaction with big crowds of people. Currently the population census is estimated that only 1063 Mountain Gorillas compared to 2018 census of 880 individuals, those still remaining specie in the world survive in the tropical rain forests of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park ,Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda ,Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo. Perhaps, this attracts a high cost of the Gorilla permits in order to save the endangered Gorilla species from the crowds.
Gorillas suceptional to human diseases
Other reason why gorilla trekking so experience is that Mountain Gorillas share 98% DNA to human which makes these species to be vulnerable infected by human diseases. For this matter, we need to save the Mountain Gorillas from being over crowned by many humans. Gorilla permits are so expensive so as to limit some people to come in for trekking them and also to avoid overexploitation and exceeding the carrying number of Gorilla National Parks.
Conserving and offer sustainable Gorilla Tourism
All Gorilla safari destination suffer a great loss of the Mountain Gorillas which seemed much more in the 1980’s, which was due to poaching and human encroachment on the mountain gorilla’s habitats. For that case, the authorizes decided to increase the Gorilla permits fees in both countries indoor to accrue revenue which helps to conserve the Mountain Gorillas habitats as well as promoting a sustainable Gorilla Tourism Environment.
For that reason, Rwanda decided to double the Gorilla permit fee from USD750 in 2017 to USD1,500 aim to conserve the habitat of the Mountain Gorillas.
The same goes to Uganda which currently increased from USD600 to USD700. These is the best authorities given to conserve the Mountain Gorillas in an indirect way of promoting sustainable Gorilla tourism in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Safety and Easy Monitoring
Mountain gorillas being endangered species; they need a continuously monitoring to ensure they are safe which may not be monitored when too many people are allowed to visit their nature inhabits. According to Uganda Wildlife Authority, the funds raised from selling Gorilla permits are partially used to support the ranger guides, local people around, build schools and range guides who monitors about the Mountain Gorillas in their habitats including tracking their movements, feeding and health status.
Even the tourism police and armed ranger whom the hire to ensure the safety of Mountain Gorillas from any external by the poachers who encroachers the nature inhabits of Gorillas. Tourism police do escort travelers who are connecting from one destination to another at night and ensure safety around and within the park.
Improving the livelihood of the local people
Gorilla Tourism has become source of income to local livelihood for the communities adjacent to Gorilla National Parks. Responsible governments get revenue earned to support the local communities to improve their standards of living. In Uganda’s Gorilla funds ,20% of revenue earned from Gorilla permits to local people whereas Rwanda supports 10% to local people.
This heart of sharing to local people has really created a positive attitude of local people toward Gorilla Tourism and conservation thus reducing the nature resource conflicts between local people as well as the managements of the park.
How to behave with the Mountain Gorillas
Mountain Gorillas are calm and unique creatures that stay in harmony even in the presence of human. Therefore, when you are with them, do not disturb them or get close to them. This makes them uncomfortable. Gorillas are not allowed to be feed, touch to them to avoid the transmission of human wildlife diseases like flu, cough, diarrhea.
Travelers are also required to lower their voices, do not smoke either eat or drink in front of gorillas. And incase Gorillas approach you, just step back and let it pass, do not look direct in the eyes of Gorillas, they may think you want to attack it.
Lastly Mountain Gorilla trekking expense is worth the experience than you could expect. Book a Gorilla permits in advance more especially in dry seasons; June to September and December to February. You can book with us Achieve Global Safaris and enjoy the world’s best wildlife conservationists.
