The standard cost for hiring a porter for Gorilla trekking In Bwindi Forest is $20 per day. This is the set fee for their days’ work or service rendered to you during the trek. However, we strongly recommend giving them some extra as a tip of $5 – $15.
Who is a Porter in Bwindi? These are locals that live around the National Park. Some of them are descendants of the lost minority Batwa pygmies who were the originals of the forest before it was gazetted as a national park in 1992. The Batwa after that were forced out of the forest and settled around the edges of the forest. These people’s livelihoods have been hunting and fruit gathering found it challenging to adapt to farming. Access to their ancient home was denied til to Date, which left them landlessness, poverty, lack of education and health care. However, over time they have intermarried with the other neighbouring local farming tribes, and we like to think that there is only a handful of original batwa still existing around the ages of the forest. UWA in a bid to reconcile with the Batwa and other tribes that live around the Forest has allowed members of the community to get involved in Gorilla Tourism as Porters. Their role is to assist with carrying extra language for the tourists, and also support them on the trek to see the Gorillas.
Porters in Bwindi come in various sizes; the samson-like build, and the skinny but energetic fellas – however, just don’t be tempted to judge their capabilities by size…otherwise, you’ll be surprised.
How they work. The porters operate on a rotation system meaning each of them gets just about one or two days to work and earn themselves that extra money for you. Meaning that they better get a job on the day they show up otherwise they will have to wait for a couple more weeks.
What is the Price of hiring a Porter for the day? As earlier mentioned above, their day wage is $20. However, we recommend offering them an extra $5 – $15 as a tip.
How do I book a porter for my gorilla trek in Bwindi? You can ask your tour operator to include the porter’s fees in the overall cost of your tour, or you can ask your guide to arrange for you a porter on the morning of your gorilla trek.
Can i have the same porter for two treks? While it is possible for you to request for your previous porter, it’s absolutely unfair to the rotation system that they operate on. Use your personal judgement to make the final decision on whether to keep the same porter or give a chance to another porter.
