Are you looking for a discounted gorilla safari? Our discounted gorilla safari holidays offer an extremely worthwhile and affordable alternative to numerous other options with trips in Democratic Republic of Congo. There are 3 main things to think about when you are deciding when to go on safari;
- Choosing your destination and what you will be to see
- The weather
- The cost
Choose your destination carefully
Planning for a complete primate safari in Virunga National Park in DR. Congo, to trek the mountain gorillas, is a once in a lifetime experience. The Virunga Massif has tributaries of both mountain and lowland gorillas, the active lava of Nyiragongo, chimpanzees, Congo River among others that offer the adventurous traveller some true off-the-beaten-track encounters.
When traveling to Democratic Republic of Congo, the quality of your experience will be defined by the places you stay during your safari and the lodges and parks you visit along the way. You can rest easy knowing that everything is taken off, and that all you need to do is relax and enjoy the wonder around you. The reality is that going on a safari in a private lodge will probably take up the excitement of your holiday budget and yet, we are 50% certain that you’ll leave your safari thinking that it was completely worth the cost.
Travel during low season
Travelling in the low season is a good way to get more for your money. If you can be flexible with the time of year that you travel, you will be in a position to take advantage of some very generous low season rates offered by many safari lodges and activities. For most of the national parks, we think it’s a good idea to go on safari outside of peak times as the experiences can be just as incredible, crowds are smaller and you can find some great offers.
For this case Virunga National Park country has two rainy seasons, the short season which starts from October to November and the long rainy season starts from mid-march to end of May, the best time to visit the country for Congo gorilla tours and climbing Nyiragongo Volcano can be from a short dry season from January to February and from May to September. So, we regard the best time to visit Congo as when it’s most likely to be dry June, July and August or possibly January to February.
In this case, getting to see gorillas is not easy, nor are you guaranteed to see them. You can track gorillas at any time of year, although the rainy season tends to make the paths a little more difficult to navigate. The trek to where the gorilla groups live take you through very dense vegetation, up steep slopes and can last several hours.
The dense vegetation is filled with burning and stinging nettles, so wearing gloves are a good idea. Red ants are also common, so wear long socks to tuck your trousers into. Gorillas move around so they aren’t all that easy to track. The gorillas you will be meeting are already habituated to humans and that is why you are able to get quite close to them.
The Cost of a Gorilla Permit
You need an official permit handled by each of the national parks in Rwanda, Uganda and Congo to see the gorillas. Usually, you have to obtain these several months in advance. If you are going with a tour company, it will be arranged for you. They will also be up to date on current security in the park.
In Uganda, the gorilla permit costs $700 per day per person. You can get the permits in Kampala (the capital of Uganda) at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) headquarters. It is possible to make an international booking for permits using email direct with (UWA) Uganda Wildlife Authority but they do not accept credit cards so it gets a bit complicated. To make it simple, you can just purchase your whole gorilla tour through our specialized company Budget Gorilla Trekking. See our web site for more details www.gorillasafaristours.com
In Rwanda, you can get permits through the Rwanda Tourism Board offices (ORTPN) in Kigali or Ruhengeri near Volcanoes National Park. The permits cost is USD 1500 per person per day.
