DONATING THE COST OF ADDITIONAL PERMITS TO THE GORILLA NATIONAL PARKS

To celebrate 2009 being the UN Year of the Gorilla, Volcanoes Safaris - The No.1 Gorilla Safari Company - has launched two special offers to encourage clients to track mountain gorillas.

Sensitive tourism is central to the survival of the gorillas.

Every gorilla permit purchased goes towards the protection of the gorilla national parks and benefits the surrounding communities, supporting the conservation of the much threatened mountain gorilla . This is why Volcanoes Safaris believe it is vital that more clients go tracking when less people are visiting the region and are in effect donating the cost of an additional permit to the gorilla national parks.

Offer 1. Free second gorilla permit

We are offering clients a free second gorilla permit (worth $500) on a safari of 6 days or more.

Offer 2. An additional two free nights at Mount Gahinga Lodge in Uganda

Clients who do any tailor-made gorilla safari to Rwanda or Bwindi in Uganda from Kigali are offered two extra nights free at the fabulous Volcanoes Mount Gahinga Lodge at Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, nestling in the foothills of the most beautiful part of the Virunga volcanoes. This offer is worth almost $1000 per person.

These offes are valid on new bookings until December 31 2009. 

Book now.

For full details see below.

Background to Special Offers from Volcanoes Safaris to celebrate the UN Year of the Gorilla 2009

The UNEP Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the UNEP/UNESCO Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) have joined hands to declare 2009 the Year of the Gorilla (YoG).

To celebrate this, Volcanoes Safaris is offering special incentives to encourage more clients to go gorilla tracking in 2009. Praveen Moman , co-founder of Volcanoes Safaris will be a keynote speaker at the Gorilla Symposium on 9-10 June in Frankfurt organized by the above mentioned organizations and the Government of Germany to review what further steps can be taken to save the endangered gorilla populations of Africa.

Sensitive tourism is central to the survival of the gorillas. Every gorilla permit purchased goes towards the protection of the gorilla national parks and benefits the communities around these parks, supporting the conservation of the much threatened mountain gorilla.

In contrast to the six billion humans living on the crowded planet, there are only about 700 gorillas in the forests of Uganda, Rwanda and DRC . Their future is precarious as competition for habitat increases with neighbouring human populations and forests are increasingly threatened.

Details of offers

Offer 1. Free second gorilla permit on safaris of 6 days or more

To increase revenue for the gorilla parks, Volcanoes Safaris would like to encourage clients to track gorillas an additional time while on safari. For clients who are doing a safari of 6 days or more to the gorilla parks, Volcanoes Safaris is offering the second gorilla permit, worth $500, free, in effect donating this money to national parks for conservation and communities.

This offer is valid on all Tailor-made and Scheduled safaris longer than 6 days and includes:

U1 & UGS 1 - Classic Uganda and Rwanda (12 days)
R2 & RWS 2 - Classic Rwanda and Uganda (12 days)
R7 & RWS 7 - Discover Rwanda (9 days)
R1 & RWS 1 - Gorillas in the Virungas and Bwindi (8 days)
U2 & UGS 2 Gorillas, Wildlife and Chimps (7 days) - (one tracking only so $500 discount)
R3 - Gorillas in PNV and Southern Bwindi (6 days)
U9 - Gorilla and Wildlife in Lake Mburo, Bwindi (6 days) - (one tracking only so $500 discount)

Offer 2. Two free nights at Volcanoes Mount Gahinga Lodge after a Rwanda or Bwindi gorilla safari starting and finishing in Kigali

We are offering clients who do any tailor-made gorilla safari to Rwanda or Bwindi in Uganda from Kigali two extra nights free at the fabulous Volcanoes Mount Gahinga Lodge, next to Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. The lodge nestles in the foothills of the most beautiful part of the Virunga volcanoes and is perfect for ‘soft' adventure activities; clients can climb a volcano, visit the Batwa communities, track the rare golden monkey, go in search of exotic birds like the Rwenzori Turaco or gently stroll through the dramatic landscape. This extension is offered to clients at no extra cost, and is worth almost $1000 per person and includes:

- Accommodation at Mount Gahinga Lodge
- All meals and drinks
- Transport
- Complimentary massage
- All activities inside and outside the park (except gorilla tracking)

This offer applies to tailor-made itineraries only that start and finish in Kigali staying at Volcanoes Lodges including the following safaris:

R4 - Gorillas in PNV, Rwanda Volcanoes (4 days)
R8 - Gorillas in Bwindi, Uganda (4 days)

Terms of offers

Both these offers are only valid on new bookings on safaris to Volcanoes Lodges, made between May 1 2009 and December 31 2010 and are subject to availability of accommodation, gorilla permits and transportation. Volcanoes general terms and conditions apply. Clients may only take up one offer at a time and cannot use any other offers with the ones stated above.

Note on Volcanoes Safaris

Volcanoes Safaris, founded in 1997, is a unique great ape ecotourism business specializing in mountain gorilla safaris to Uganda and Rwanda. No other company in the world has invested so heavily in the area around the mountain gorilla parks in these two countries. Volcanoes Safaris is the only company to have eco-lodges next to all three gorilla parks in Uganda and Rwanda. Over the last decade, we have taken over 6000 clients on gorilla safaris and we currently employ over 100 people globally. This exceptional track record makes Volcanoes Safaris the Number 1 Gorilla Safari Company. In 2009 Volcanoes Safaris was voted one of "The Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth" by National Geographic Adventure Magazine.

Our safaris are all inclusive - there are no hidden extras - at Volcanoes lodges tariffs include:

- Accommodation and meals on an all-inclusive basis
- Unlimited consumption of alcoholic and soft drinks
- Laundry service
- Any activities clients wish to do around lodges
- A complimentary massage after gorilla tracking
- Transport and an experienced driver/guide

Booking your safari

Book your safari now through our Central Booking Office in Kampala , Uganda at salesug@volcanoessafaris.com

Or book through your Africa Tour Operator or Travel Agent.

Press enquiries
For press enquiries contact Stephanie Moreland at ATMS (stephanie@atmstravelnews.com), Vanessa Townsend in the UK office (salesuk@volcanoessafaris.com)