Mountain gorilla filming permits to Bwindi
Mountain gorilla filming permits to Bwindi are cards or documents that allow you to access a gorilla family in Bwindi forest national park and film it. Bwindi is situated in the southwestern part of Uganda comprising 331sq.km. The national park was gazetted in 1991 to protect endangered mountain gorillas that were getting to extinction and the forest.
Bwindi is home to more than 700 mountain gorillas and these live in four sectors of the park which are Nkuringo, Buhoma, Rushaga, and Ruhija. Some of the mountain gorillas have been habituated for gorilla trekking while others are still undergoing habituation and are open for habituation permits.
19 mountain gorilla families are open for trekking activities and 2 mountain gorilla families are open for habituation in Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors. For anyone to encounter these mountain gorilla families they need permission from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. UWA issues gorilla permits to travelers that are above the age of 15 years to have access to these gorilla families for either 1 hour or 4 hours.
Mountain gorilla filming activity
Mountain gorilla filming permits to Bwindi
Gorilla filming permits to Bwindi are tickets issued Uganda Wildlife Authority to allow travelers to film mountain gorillas. The gorilla filming permit is issued to those that are interested in filming mountain gorillas and it comes at a fee. The gorilla filming permits can be sold to a group or individual at the same fee.
Uganda wildlife authority sells gorilla filming permits at a fee of $4200 per hour. Gorilla filming in Bwindi national park could be the most expensive activity in the park or the country because travelers that are going for filming don’t stop pf paying the filming permits. They also pay gorilla trekking permits are gorilla habituation permits for the whole family.
Tourists that are intending to film Bwindi gorillas should bear in mind that after paying the gorilla filming permit, they must also pay 8 gorilla permits for the fully habituated gorilla family or 4 gorilla habituation permits for the semi-habituated mountain gorilla family. A single gorilla trekking permit is $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East Africa.
A gorilla habituation permit is $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East Africa. A filming crew that is going for filming a fully habituated gorilla family is likely to pay $9800 while a crew to film a semi-habituated gorilla family they are likely to pay permits of $10200 if they are foreign non-residents.
Travelers that are intending to do filming in Bwindi national park should better pay for gorilla habituation because it comes with 4 hours around mountain gorillas. Tourists can get 1 good hour of filming and the other hours of learning about the gorilla habits, taking photos, watching them do daily activities, and also being part of the activities that make mountain gorillas get used to human presence around them.
To film Bwindi gorillas, you don’t only need the gorilla permits and the filming permits but also permission from the Uganda Media Center. The filming crew must apply for press cards and they come at a fee of $175. After securing yourself a gorilla permit, gorilla filming permit, and a press card then you are good to go for gorilla filming in Bwindi.
How to get gorilla filming permits for Bwindi?
The best way to get gorilla filming permits for Bwindi national park would be through a local tour operator. All you have to do is get the dates of the month and year you want to visit Bwindi for filming and then the local tour operator will use these dates to check for the availability of the gorilla permits and the filming permits.
The moment the permits are available, the tour operator will send you an email containing the amount of money you need to pay and the different banking details. You will use the information to send money and thereafter send a scanned copy of your receipt of payment. After that, you will send your passport details and your permit shall be booked.
The gorilla filming experience in Bwindi
On the day of gorilla filming, travelers do wake up early in the morning for breakfast and then connect to the sector headquarters. Here they meet other trekkers and then briefing from the park wardens starts. The briefing is done to enable tourists to learn about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. Later armed ranger guides do lead you into the jungle t search for mountain gorillas and in case of excess luggage, porters are always available to help you on carrying luggage to and from the jungle at an affordable fee.
The search for a gorilla family can take 2-7 hours depending on the location of the gorilla family as well as the speed of trekkers. When the mountain gorilla family is located, trekkers are given 1 or 4 hours to be around the mountain gorillas and during this period they can record anything they want with cameras that have no flash. Tourists are able to learn about gorilla habits, watch the members do daily activities, and take photos.
Book a double room at Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge
Accommodation facilities on a filming safari in Bwindi
There are numerous accommodation facilities in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park where tourists on a filming safari in the park can stay. These accommodation facilities range from budget to mid-range to luxury options and they do range from budget to mid-range to luxury options.
Some of the accommodation facilities in Bwindi include Engagi Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Cuckoo Land Tented Lodge, Buhoma Rest Camp, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, Broadbill Forest Camp, and Rushaga Gorilla Resort among others.
The best time to film Bwindi gorillas
Mountain gorilla filming Bwindi can be done at any time of the year however there are certain months that are better than the rest. The dry months are the best to film Bwindi gorillas and they occur from June to September and December to February. They are characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails dry, the vegetation is short and thin with great views of mountain gorillas which brings our clear videos and the roads connecting to the park are passable.
Travelers can film mountain gorillas in Bwindi in the rainy season of March to May and October to November and this favors budget travelers because they get huge discounts on accommodation facilities. Travelers visiting Bwindi in the rainy season for filing should however know that the trekking trails are muddy and slippery, the vegetation is tall and thick with unclear filming of the mountain gorillas and the roads connecting to the park are in poor condition.
