Are you planning to visit Africa for gorilla trekking and other wildlife experiences but wondering how you can do it on budget? It’s obvious that cutting travel costs on any African safari without compromising the quality of the experience is a wish for most if not all travelers. No single traveler wouldn’t wish to cut the costs of his/her safari to avoid prohibitive expenses. To some people traveling is a luxury venture that entail only spending with nothing tangible to take back home. Some travelers especially those on budget have often been discouraged from traveling considering the high expenses which come with travels. However with Gorilla Trek Africa, we give you details on how you can cut and minimize costs on your African safari. These include:
Join a group safari
Join a group safari is one way of cutting costs. Yes, group tours are known to be affordable compared solo travels. In a group safari, people share costs of accommodation, transport, and meals, which make it cost friendly. You will share rooms for example staying in a twin or triple rooms unlike in solo traveling where one pays all accommodation costs alone. The entire group also shares transport costs since you use one safari vehicle. For example if a vehicle costs $100 and you are 10 people, each of you pays $10, which is surely cheap. A group safari also gives you chance to meet and interact with other people who share their experiences making the whole experience more fun.
Book through a travel agent
Booking through a ground travel agent such as Gorilla Trek Africa is cheaper compared to online bookings. A travel agent helps you to make all reservations for gorilla permits, hotel/lodge rooms, transport and other bookings. After informing them your budget and interests, the ground travel agent takes on the responsibility for bookings and reservations., Your only role is to follow up with email, pay an wait for your travel date.
Travel during wet/low season
Traveling in most African countries is open all year round meaning you can travel anywhere any time of the year. However, traveling in low/wet season is normally cheap compared to high season. Low season is normally rainy which attract fewer visits. This attracts discounted offers from service providers especially lodge, hotels and transport companies. Low season is therefore the best time for budget travelers. Low seasons are in March, April, May, October & November.
Choose budget accommodation services
Staying in budget accommodation is another way of cutting travel costs. You will get average food and sleeping services in a budget hotel/lodge saving you huge bills of staying in luxury/upmarket accommodation facilities. Interestingly almost in every African national Parks, there are budget lodges and camps. Interestingly, services in budget accommodation are good and you will not regret. Gorilla Trek Africa will choose for you the best budget lodge /hotel guaranteeing you safety, comfort and best services.
Book in advance
Booking in advance ahead of time helps you save the high expenses of last minute bookings. There is always room to bargain for discounts when you book in time. Promotional offers can easily be grabbed when you book ahead of time. If you want to cut costs therefore, consider booking in time.
Visit budget friendly destinations
Choose to visit budget friendly destinations, which offer magical experiences at a low cost. For mountain gorilla safaris, you can visit Uganda where a single gorilla permit costs $700 instead of Rwanda where a permit costs $1500 for the same experience. Uganda gorilla trekking is therefore budget friendly compared to Rwanda yet the experience is the same. If you want a ore cost friendly gorilla tour destination, Congo is your best destination. A single permit costs $450 that is far cheaper compared to Uganda and Rwanda.
Use public transport
Using public transport is another way of cutting travel expenses. Jumping onto a bus or matatu is cheaper compared to hiring a private. Public transport entails traveling with other people going to the same destination you are going to. In some cases, there is a fixed price to a destination, which saves you from being overcharged. You can also ask other passengers you find on board for the exact travel cost to a specific destination.
Stick to your itinerary
Decide on what you exactly you want to see/do on a safari and stick on it. Avoid including other activities in your itinerary, which you had not planned. Additional activities come with additional expenses, which at the end make your safari costly. Make sure you choose the best destination where you are sure the experience will be amazing. If you are interested in seeing the endangered mountain gorillas, you can visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which shelters the highest population of gorillas in the world. There you are guaranteed access to the endangered primates due to the high gorilla numbers in this park.
Do it yourself
Plan the trip yourself to avoid third parties who ad in their commissions. In this case, contact the travel agent yourself and book the direct. Just go on Internet, search for your desired trip and they will bring a variety of travel operators offering what you want. Contact one of them of your choice and book with him/her. This will make the whole reservation and booking process simple and quick. Communicating directly with your tour operator offers you chance to speak up all your mind and exactly what you want which lead to an enjoyable trip.
In conclusion, you can easily do a budget African safari if you plan well. Gorilla Trek Africa is your trusted operator to book a budget but excellent trip.
