Tourism may look expensive though this must not be a reason as to why you shouldn’t experience the gorilla trekking adventures in Rwanda. Have a memorable experience without having to spend all of your life savings. There are actually ways on how you can spend less on gorilla trekking and still have fun
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is currently selling like a hot cake and carried out within Volcanoes National Park which is home to endangered species and has a total population of about 1000 mountain gorillas and still counting.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda can be done at Mount Karisimbi or Mount Bisoke, both found within the national park. Gorilla permits are quite expensive going for about $1500 per person, however there are ways to have a budget friendly experience in Rwanda while doing gorilla trekking and still save you some bucks.
Choose a tour operator
Tour operators are familiar with the places and know how much each costs, though some people may prefer to do everything on their own they may end up spending more like in cases where one is not familiar with the routes might spend more fuel and time than necessary and this is saved and made easier by tour operators. They also have discounts when they partner with other service providers such as accommodation facilities, this cuts you some slack and hence saves you a lot of hardships.
Tour operators also have packages fit for every financial level, consult them and find out a package that works well with your budget, these packages always include everything right from the permits to transport, meals and accommodation.
Consider visiting during low seasons
These are times where less people are visiting these areas such as towards the end of February which closes the long holiday season and due to this the prices are lowered due to less demand, however visiting in high seasons is more expensive as the demand is high hence increased prices of everything making it expensive. Always research about the times when the demand is low and visit during such times.
Hire a car
While in Rwanda, you could hire a car that will make transportation more easily and therefore enabling you to save on what you would initially pay when you are being transported by someone else. The car will be helpful to transport you from the park entrance to the real starting point. It also helps ease your movements during your stay in Rwanda. A car hire might cost around $150.
Acquiring a gorilla permit and having all your documents
This is a must have for everyone going to trek gorillas in Rwanda, these are currently at $1500 per person and valid for one day. They are bought from the Rwanda Development board. Always move with your travel documents especially the passport as lack of these may attract a penalty or fine which makes you spend less.
Choose a cheaper accommodation facility
There are guest houses that cost way cheap compared to others, make research about where you want to stay and also inquire about their prices, most of the accommodation facilities nowadays have an online presence therefore you can always find their prices and book in advance. Amahoro Guest house goes for as low as $20 per person per night. You could also consult your tour operator to recommend cheap accommodation facilities.
Travel in groups
Not only is this more fun but when spending as a group less is spent as the costs are shared. There are sites and tour operators who organize traveling in groups, you could consult them and save you some money
Entrance fees and hike fees
These depend on the location of where the trek is going to take place, these fees might be reduced if you are travelling in a group and most importantly always research about the place and make confirmations before takin any other step, this will save you from spending more.
There are expenditures spent on items like porters service and souvenirs, you could decide to carry light weight luggage that won’t require porters service as these would go for an additional amount of $5.You could also decide to buy less or cheap souvenirs.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is a luxury gorilla trekking destination, however the above ways could save you some money though with a permit at $1500, it might be hard to save a lot, however you could visit neighboring countries where gorilla trekking is much cheaper like Uganda and Congo.