You might not believe it but that is the truth of the matter. The Uganda Wildlife Authority has cut all prices for gorilla trekking in Uganda within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for the month of November 2014 from a whooping $600 to a staggering $350. For promotional gorilla permits are available this year and you can easily book a gorilla tour package at discounted rates today. For safaris, please visit some of the country’s reputable tour companies that will help you attain such promotional discounted gorilla permits and remember to ask for this discount to be passed on to you when booking your gorilla tour for November 2014.

However, these discounted gorilla permits prices apply to gorilla tracking permits for November 2014. Industry observers have seen this move as an intention by Uganda wildlife authority to draw more tourists to the gorillas in the low season months to Uganda, more especially the Ugandans.

However, Rwanda has maintained the gorilla tracking permit price at $750 and there seems to be no hope of reviewing this price in the near future in consideration of the low tourist seasons. We have in the past documented comparisons in gorilla trekking experiences and costs in Rwanda Vs Uganda.

Mountain gorillas are only found in DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda and the total number for this critically endangered species is estimated at 780. Almost half of these are believed to be in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the rest leaving in the Virungas (Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Congo’s Virunga National Park).

Because of the insecurity in parts of DR Congo, it is only safe to track mountain gorillas either in Rwanda Volcanoes National Park or Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Mgahinga’s gorillas are quite unreliable as they keep crossing borders, which make tracking them uncertain. The experience offered by the three parks is broadly similar, so the biggest factor now determining where you go is either the cost or availability of the gorilla permit.

Only 8 persons can visit a given gorilla family per day. In Uganda, ten families have been habituated in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP, nine of which are available for tracking and one is dedicated to research thus making the total permits available per day 77 gorilla families. Rwanda can only take 56 persons per day. Please note that if you are plannning a gorilla tour for your family, children below 15 years cannot be allowed to visit the gorillas.