spassvogel

I bought 4 permits for 2 days (2 pax) in mid May 09 for mid June 09 for Bwindi. No Problem. Obviously the credit crunch has its impact.
But I would not advise to travel there without having the permits secured!

www.wildplacesafrica.com / www.ugandasafaricompany.com

I spoke to ZARA who put together an itinerary covering

1 nights at Ngamba Chimps Island near Entebbe
3 nights Semliki (shoebill on lake Albert)
3 nights at Clouds/Bwindi - gorilla trek (Clouds manager went out of his way and did also a drive into DRC on the last morning!

All car transfers except the legs Semliki-Clouds-Entebbe were flying.

costs for 2 pax/one week saari: 13.500US$ incl. permits.

SV

MyDogKyle

Wow, that IS a nice "problem" to have -- choosing between Africa and South America! Both options sound great to me (I have not been to South America yet.)

Since you mentioned being on a budget... one thing I have noticed about this board is that most people have pretty high expectations for their lodging in Africa. (LuciaBoston is an inspiration for budget travelers! Not many people here travel the way she did.) But Uganda and Rwanda definitely do not need to be that expensive if you are willing to do without the fancy lodges. For instance, there are less expensive options for places to stay near the gorillas in Rwanda (we stayed at the Kinigi Guest House and La Palme Hotel, both fine but nothing fancy), and the gorilla trekking itself is the same no matter where you sleep.

If you decide on Africa this time, you might want to take a look at my Uganda and Rwanda trip report for some suggestions (I'm not sure if the link below will work, but if you click on my name you'll see it). We went with a conservation-oriented group so our itinerary was a little unusual, but we were able to do a 3-week trip including chimp trekking and 2 gorilla treks in Rwanda for $7000 per person (including international air from California). Of course, the cost will be higher for individuals rather than a group, but you can ask your tour operator for different pricing options based on lodging. We stayed in a mix of nice lodges and small hotels, and we had our own private vehicles and guides throughout the trip. Our trip was planned by East African Nature Safaris in Kampala.

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...nda-rwanda.cfm

atravelynn

For budget accommodations in Rwanda, consider Kinigi Guesthouse. Maybe I should wait to recommend it until Sept. after I've tried it out myself.

Wow, MyDogKyle, what a great deal you got!

If you decide on South America, your next post can be "Boobies on a Budget"