My husband and I are planning a gorilla trek later this year when in Uganda or Rwanda. We are used to independent overland travel and are keen to do this as independently as possible. Can anyone recommend any companies that we can use to get us into the parks, but with whom we do not necessarily have to stay, or travel with from Kigali. Most of the tour guides I can find seem to have to pick you up from the airport, drive you for 12 hours and include some excruciating 'local' tours...not really our cup of tea. If anyone has any other suggestions, especially if they are locally run, then I would be very grateful.
1
sarah1968
You just need to buy the gorilla permits then, which you can do either direct from ORTPN or one of the local tour operators. I always recommend Amahoro Tours, but if you ask they are all capable of doing it. You can get a bus from Kigali to Ruhengeri and ask your guesthouse to book you the necessary 4x4 transport to the parc and trailhead.
I would not be quite so dismissive of the excrutiating 'local' tours. Some of them are pretty good and quite often the only way any tourism $$ trickle into the local community.
2
jackiedo
i agree with sarah. just book the permits on your own through ORTPN and hire any local driver/guide to get you into the park. you'll find numerous recommendations for indie drivers on this forum. rwanda is extemely easy to travel/plan on your own.
not sure what "local" tours you're talking about that are "excrutiating." seems like an odd choice of words.
3
annamike
Many thanks for your comments both, and apologies for my comment re local tours, perhaps you are right - poor choice of words! I was referring to some tour operators giving 'whistle stop' tours of some local villages which appear to be nothing more than rich foreigners staring at Rwandans out of a bus. Whilst I am very supportive of any initiative which drives money back into the country (especially if it goes directly to the local community), I guess some activities I don't find particularly tasteful.
Really appreciate your comments.
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