What are the advantages of buying a gorilla Permit through a tour Operator? No matter the location you choose to go gorilla trekking, one thing you cant undermine is the great role of a tour Operator in making sure you plan, book and enjoy your gorilla trekking Holiday.
The only thing that guarantees that you will be allowed to trek gorillas is a Gorilla Permit. Mountain Gorilla Permits in Uganda are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) or the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). In Uganda, Gorillas can be tracked in two (02) places; Bwindi & Mgahinga National Parks while Rwanda has only one location where you can go gorilla Trekking; Volcanoes National Park. For each of these locations, you’ll need to have secured/booked & fully paid for your gorilla permit. This can be done directly or through a local recognized tour operator like Realm Africa Safaris™. Here are the advantages of buying a gorilla permit through a tour operator.
Advantages of buying a Gorilla permit through a tour Operator
- You get to book and pay for your gorilla permit with ease.
- Tour operators are knowledgeable about things like the best time to book, where to go, where to stay etc.
- Tour operators can easily reschedule your gorilla permits to another date if need be.
- Because tour operators are given priority when issuing gorilla permits, you are always guaranteed you’ll get your gorilla Permit.
- Tour operators have existing connections with gorilla permit reservation personnel which makes It very easy and quick when booking a gorilla permit.
- Tour operators can assist in recommending the best place to stay on your gorilla trek.
- Tour operators can assist in providing transport to your gorilla trekking location.
- Tour operators can help you decide on where it is best to trek Gorillas – Uganda or Rwanda?
How to choose a reputable Local Gorilla Tour Operator
There are so many tour operators claiming to be reputable, reliable, or even Knowledgeable about organizing gorilla trekking Safaris – this makes it difficult for you to decide on who to work with. However, by the time you are finished reading this, we believe you will know how to pick the right tour operator to work with.
Tips on how to choose a reputable gorilla tour operator
- Thoroughly check their Website: Check out if the company has an “About Us” page. If they have one, look at what they do, their motivation, and how long they have been in operation. Do they have offices in other locations or countries? By knowing the kind of services they offer, and the countries in which they operate, you will be able to know if they can be able to handle all aspects of your tour – especially if it involves activities in multiple countries. Such information may also help you know how professional the safari tour operator is.
- choose a tour operator with Membership to local Tour Associations: Leading tour companies should be members of a local tourism association in their country of registration. It is easier to raise a complaint about a company if it is a member of a Tour Operator Association. However, membership doesn’t often imply quality services. Some gorilla safari companies may be registered members of Tour Associations but still offer average services. Others may not be bound by any organizations but still provide excellent services. Being a member of a Tour Association is good but doesn’t guarantee great services. It is for this reason that you should also consider many of the other factors discussed here.
- Check out Reputation and Reviews: Online reviews are the best way to know how reputable a company is. Leading safari companies must have good reviews from their past clients. TripAdvisor and Safari bookings help potential clients make informed decisions based on recommendations and feedback from real clients who have used the services of this particular tour Operator. These tools even allow travellers to contact the reviewer of the company directly. Feedback from clients helps you know if a company will deliver what it says it will. Do not rule out a company just because of a few bad reviews. Aim for those that average between 4 to 5 stars. Sometimes things go wrong even for the best gorilla tour companies.
- Check out their Social Media presence: Does the company have active social media pages? To know if the company is reputable, check their social media pages. Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram are all good social media sites that tell a lot about a company. You can get more feedback from clients and others who have travelled with the tour company in the past by perusing their social media pages. You also get to see if the company does have offices, their location, address, and contact details. Book with the safari company only if you are satisfied with your findings.
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Response time in Communication: A good gorilla safari company will attend to your inquiry on time. A quick response from a tour operator with accurate information shows you how serious they are. You cannot take a Tour Agency seriously if they responded to your first inquiry two days later. If they can’t respond to you in time, then what will happen when you are stuck somewhere during your safari? A good Tour operator must be able to provide all relevant information about the trip.
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Banking Information: A good tour company must have a bank account in the country of registration. You can know if the company is registered as a company by checking to see if their banking details are in their names for Instance Realm Africa Safaris™ (registered as Realm Africa Ltd) operates an account in the Bank of Africa. Refrain from sending money to personal/individual accounts.
