Gorilla filming experiences in Rwanda and Uganda

The joy of revisiting the fantastic views filmed by a camera are pleasing as they give tourists the nostalgia and the real time moment of when the gorillas were spotted, filming involves both gorilla photography and videography. This is what gorilla filming gives to tourists who choose to embark on an activity that gives them an everlasting memory with the gorillas that is as fresh as air on water bodies.

Tourists intending on having this glam should book with the responsible bodies 4 months before the joyous activity and apply for a media card. The media card is obtained from a separate entity from the wildlife authority and each member on the filming crew is supposed to provide personal details that include their passports, days of visit, nationality, purpose of visit among others.

The tourists intending to film are supposed to write to the wildlife authority about their full intentions of filming and how the country will benefit from the documentation. When the filming company arrives at the airport, they should fly in the country with their equipment and get cleared at the airport.  Aerial shooting like the use of drones involves acquiring extra permission from the Uganda People’s Defense Force and the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority. The authority usually requires a deposit of $ 1000 from the filming crew which is refunded on as soon as the filming company shares a DVD-format copy of the filming with the authority.

National parks where the activity is done

• In Uganda, gorilla filming is a lucrative experience that is done by abled tourists at the two prominent parks that are blessed to have mountain gorillas. While in Bwindi impenetrable national park, tourists get to enjoy their documentary from any or all the four sectors in the park. While in Mgahinga, the filming is done with the Nyakagezi gorilla group.
• In Rwanda, tourists get an opportunity of filming the gorillas with an extra gem included, while in the Great Volcanoes national park, tourists get an opportunity to capture both the prestigious mountain gorillas and the different 5 mountains that are part of the Virunga ranges and can be seen while in the park.
• Tourists in DR. Congo get an experience of the gorilla filming from the Virunga national park and experience other mountains that make up the glorious Virunga ranges like the Nyiragongo that is known to be an active volcano with boiling lava at its summit

How much it costs

In Uganda, commercial gorilla filming is $4,200 for each hour that the tourists spend with the gorillas and it excludes the $700 paid for trekking the gorillas. Filming gorillas comes with an additional extra charge for research, monitoring and environmental effect that is usually 5% of the gorilla filming fee.

The country of a thousand hills offers the same experience as Uganda does at $5000. This comes without any form of accommodation, or even the trekking fee which is $ 1500. In Rwanda, the additional refundable fee is $ 2000 therefore the overall cost of filming gorillas in Rwanda is $ 19,000.

Best time to do gorilla filming

The images and photography are at their best during the dry season as the skies are bright enough to bring out the shape of all the gorilla and their surroundings unlike the rainy season that comes with gloom. June to September has the clearest sky in Uganda and Rwanda however tourists who miss this can also engage with the December to February dry season for a better experience.