WHEN TO PICK A GORILLA PERMIT FROM RDB OR UWA

A gorilla permit is an essential tool that allows trekkers to track one habituated family in Uganda or Rwanda but when should you pick your gorilla permit from Rwanda Development Board (RDB) or Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) after making reservation? For starters, Maranatha Tours and Travel is your trusted gorilla safari company and it is readily available to guide you when to pick your gorilla permit from UWA or RDB. In case you reserved your gorilla safari personally then you will pick your gorilla permit from a respective government agency prior the actual trek. Not to stress yourself that much and given the stressful process, the best is for you to get in touch with our reservation team and we shall be of great help.

Securing a gorilla permit from UWA allows you trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park where nearly half of all the 1004 mountain gorillas thrive. Uganda is composed of 21 habituated families which translate into 168 gorilla permits which are available for booking by visitors on gorilla trekking safari in the pearl of Africa. In Rwanda, gorilla trekking safaris are conducted in Volcanoes National Park which consists of 10 habituated gorilla groups. About 80 gorilla permits are available for booking in Rwanda by visitors on Rwanda gorilla trekking safari. 

To pick a gorilla permit from UWA or RDB takes a process. Usually, you can do so after you have fully cleared fee to zero balance prior picking it. Normally, when booking, the tour operator or visitor are required to pay 30 percent of total gorilla permit fee as deposit but this doesn’t mean you can pick the permit. Till you make 100 percent payment on gorilla permit that you stand a chance to pick your gorilla permit from UWA or RDB

Whether you own a gorilla permit or not is one area that is frequently asked by most trekkers. However, you don’t own a gorilla permit and even after you have picked it, it remains the property of Uganda Wildlife Authority or Rwanda Development Board. On actual trek, trekkers will be required to present their permits to park officials and you won’t go to trek mountain gorillas with them. There are also receipts that come together with gorilla permits containing your names and date for trekking.

Note, after clients have made a deposit of 30 percent for a gorilla permit, UWA or RDB reservation team can remove it from available gorilla permits. However, failure to make full payment within 3 months, the permit is placed back to the system for resale. Due to high demand for gorilla permits, we advise all our clients to secure their permits early enough at least 3-6 months prior actual trek

For cases of gorilla permit cancellation policy at UWA, 75 percent refund applies to 91 days; 46 to 90 attracts 10 percent refund; 8 to 45 days attracts 25 percent refund then from 0 to 8 days, there is no refund. Note, refund only applies to clients who made full payment for their gorilla permits.

In summary, gorilla permits are a must-have when it comes to gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda. You can pick your permit from UWA or RDB prior actual date of trekking and provided that you have fully cleared for it