I just received an email from WildTrek that told me that there are no permits available for 2007, that they are already sold out. Anybody heard the same?

That doesn't sound right to me. I just reserved a permit for March 2007 - at least I think I did! Rajan at Kiboko Tours and Travel confirmed that he has reserved my permit for 22 March and I wired him the money this week.

Here is the email address for Kiboko: kiboko at rwanda1 dot com.

That is definitely not true. We just got our 2 permits for March. Are you going to be in Rwanda or Uganda--b/c ours were for Rwanda. Perhaps try a different company.

I suspect that the permits may be sold out for much of the summer. I bought permits in December 2005 for August 2006, and even then (December) about half of the August dates were unavailable.

We've got 4permits for Nov.

Maybe for your specific dates or your week of travel. I could even believe for the month of August. But I think it would be unusual for the whole year to be sold out.

I'd double check with them to see if they really meant the whole year.

We just got permits for mid-June (I HOPE) and wired the $$. We used R&N Explorer, but have no personal experience with them yet.

Hello,

My permits were only recently purchased for Uganda gorilla trekking in May. Also keep in mind that local operators are given a certain percentage of the permits so try another outfitter.

Good luck,
Juliet

We just booked our permits for July 2007. We had trouble finding a company with permits for our dates - but they are out there. We are using African Pearl Safaris - Uganda. Also Great Lake Safaris had some too - but not for our exact dates.

Good luck and you have to wire the money for the permits as they don't accept credit cards. That was a VERY scary part for us but this forum helped us through and we're in!!
Lori

For Uganda, I was able to book permits (gorilla, chimp, accommodations, etc.) directly through UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) in 2005. You will have to wire the money, though, as Pipflam says. UWA are e-mail savvy and I found them very responsive to questions about all kinds of things -- we did a 2-week self-drive and I wish that I'd thought to ask them about many things before our trip began to fall apart at the seams. (for the brave of stomach, my 2005 'trip report' is at http://afrikatourism.blogspot.com/20...ip-report.html)


HTH

Kurt

http://afrikatourism.blogspot.com

I believe you can also book permits directly with ORPTN (Office Rwandaise du Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux) in Rwanda.

You should contact ORPTN and ask them. They give out all the permits in Rwanda--you can email them or call and they take mastercard.

I booked mine for August 2007 in November or December directly through ORTPN and got the exact date I wanted. I would try through directly. It takes a couple of days to hear back from them, but they will reply.

try travelust and see if they have any

Jill_H

I used R&NXplorer and was very happy with them.

waynhazle - you and toshi are the reason I contacted R&N Xplorer. I've enjoyed your trip reports and you seem to know what you're talking about, so I'm giving them a try. They have been VERY helpful and respond quickly to my emails.

I appreciate the responses. I still haven't received a reply from ORPTN after three weeks. Amahoro Tours has come off as very shady to me although some people have said they were happy with them. I was prepared to wire over 2K to them for my trip August and they just gave me the wire transfer info and no type of contract agreement. Doesn't that come off as strange or is that just how they work?

What do you mean by "contract"? I haven't booked gorilla permits before, but as far as safaris, my tour operator just sends me a confirmed itinerary before I wire the deposit.

At least a confirmed detailed itinerary.

mc1886

There is nothing shady about Amahoro Tours and I found them to be quite reliable.
I used one of their drivers in January for five days to take me from Ruhengeri to Kinigi everyday while trekking.
The driver was timely and accommodated us however he could.

I used Primate Safaris to book my permits and there was no contract with them either. Did it all via email. Once they secured my dates I wired them the money and they had my permits upon my arrival in Kigali.

I don't know about permit availability for the rest of 2007 but I seriously doubt they are sold out for the rest of the year. Especially with the prices going up to $500 per trek in June.