WHY ARE GORILLA PERMITS IN UGANDA SCARCE

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is the most exclusive wildlife experience that all travelers from all over the world desire to have. All tourists intending to have a gorilla safari in Uganda must possess a gorilla permit on the day of trekking. Lets dig into why gorilla permits are scarce in Uganda.

In Uganda, gorillas can only be tracked in the Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park, the paramount homes of over 440 mountain gorillas, nearly half of the world’s remaining total population of these gentle apes.

An African safari also furnishes opportunities to visit the gorillas in Rwanda and D. R. Congo the other homes of the great giants. Tours to Volcanoes national park and Kahuzi-Biega national park in Rwanda and Congo respectively present splendid face to face encounters with the endangered gorillas.

Increase in demand due to

1. Lower rates

However, there is still a lot of demand for Uganda’s gorilla permits causing their scarcity in the country. Uganda is the first target for all gorilla trekkers from the world, and so demand for gorilla safaris has risen beyond the supply rate of the country causing scarcity of permits to prospective visitors.

One of the prime factors causing scarcity of permits in Uganda is the abrupt increase of gorilla permits in Rwanda. In the urge to make Rwanda a luxury destination, a gorilla permit was double raised from 750 USD to 1500 USD which limited its affordability by most of the midrange and budget travelers. Yet in Uganda, a permit is only 600 USD almost 3 times cheaper than Rwanda. So, a 1 day gorilla trek in Rwanda costs almost the same amount as a 3 day gorilla tour in Uganda.

It’s this level of affordability that has made gorilla permits in Uganda very scarce.  Most trekkers tend to book in advance just to secure their permits in order to avoid last minute disappointments.

2. Insecurity in Congo

Also, the insecurity in D. R. Congo has contributed to the high demand for gorilla permits in Uganda hence causing scarcity. The fact that tourists are so conscious about their safety, a trip without security guarantee is out of the question.

Despite Congo having the cheapest gorilla permit at only 400 USD, gorilla tourism is not so active as Virunga national park. Congo’s Kahuzi Beiga was closed till 2019 due to the continued kidnaps and killings of the game rangers by an unknown group of rebels. Therefore Uganda’s peace and security has convinced masses of travelers to flock to Uganda for gorilla tours in Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks and other wildlife safaris.

Yes, gorilla tours in D. R. Congo and Rwanda offer stunning experiences, but the gorilla experience in Uganda is unequaled. The ultimate gorilla trips in Uganda can be accompanied by extra activities. These include Batwa pygmies’ experience, bird-watching, tree-climbing lions in Ishasha sector and nature walks. All these and many others guarantee massive fun during the trip.

3. Easy Access

There is easy access to Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks from both Uganda’s Entebbe airport and Rwanda’s Kigali airport. From Kampala to Bwindi, it’s an eight-hour drive by road. However, trekkers that don’t wish to endure the long distances can take a chartered flight to Kisoro or Kihihi airstrips.

Most travelers that have limited time for their gorilla trekking holidays access the parks through Kigali which is very close to Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks hence making gorilla trekking trips very short and cheaper in Uganda than Congo and Rwanda.

It is because of this scarcity of Uganda’s gorilla permits that we encourage all travelers to book permits in advance. This will help to avoid disappointments associated with last minute bookings.