Gorilla trekking enquiry process Uganda — exactly what happens after you make contact
Understanding exactly what happens after you make a gorilla trekking enquiry with our team removes uncertainty from the booking process and helps you decide whether to proceed with confidence. Many prospective clients hesitate to enquire because they are not ready to commit, do not want to feel pressured, or are not sure what level of information they need to have ready. This page describes exactly what happens from the moment your enquiry arrives — so you know what to expect and can engage with the process at whatever stage of planning you are currently in.
The first response: within hours, not days
When your enquiry arrives — by email, phone, or contact form — the first response from our team arrives within two hours during business hours, and within four hours outside them. The first response is not a generic acknowledgement — it is a substantive reply that addresses the specific details of your enquiry. If you asked about date availability, we answer with specific availability information for the dates you mentioned. If you asked about sector recommendations, we give you a specific recommendation with the reasoning behind it. If you asked about pricing, we give you a specific price breakdown for the itinerary you described. The first response is designed to move the conversation forward, not to collect more information before we can say anything useful.
What we do when your enquiry arrives
When your enquiry arrives, the team member who receives it checks Uganda Wildlife Authority’s current permit availability for the dates and sectors you mentioned, reviews our internal records for any relevant information about your profile or previous contact, and drafts a response that matches your specific situation. This takes 15 to 30 minutes to do properly — which is why we commit to a two-hour response time rather than an instant one. A response that actually answers your question is worth the short wait.
No pressure, no obligation
The first response — and all subsequent communications until you have paid a deposit — carries no obligation to proceed. We answer your questions because we want you to have the information you need to make a good decision, not because we are counting on you proceeding regardless. Clients who enquire and decide not to book — for any reason — receive the same quality of response as clients who proceed to booking on the same day. We are interested in building relationships with travellers who are genuinely planning gorilla trekking safaris, not in converting enquiries into deposits as quickly as possible regardless of whether the booking is right for the client.
The proposal: within 24 hours of your first response
If the first exchange confirms that you are interested in proceeding — or if your initial enquiry contains enough information for us to build a proposal immediately — we provide a full itinerary proposal within 24 hours of that confirmation. The proposal covers: the specific permit date and sector we recommend, the accommodation options we suggest for the nights before and after the trek (at the price level appropriate to your budget), the transport arrangements between Entebbe/Kampala and Bwindi, the cost breakdown for every element, and any additional activities we think fit your profile and the time available in your itinerary. The proposal is specific, priced, and bookable — not a generic brochure with prices “on request.”
From proposal to confirmed booking
Once you have reviewed the proposal and confirmed that you want to proceed, the booking process moves quickly. Deposit payment — by credit card or bank transfer — is followed within hours by permit confirmation from Uganda Wildlife Authority. The time between “I want to book” and “your permit is confirmed” is typically measured in hours, not days. That speed is the product of the systems and relationships we have built over years of operating gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda, and it means that your preferred date does not disappear between your decision to book and the confirmation of the booking.
