by GP Wentzel
Amazing experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Imagine standing in the middle of a dense, misty rainforest, your heart pounding with excitement as you catch your first glimpse of a silverback gorilla. Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of the few places on Earth where you can still experience this moment. I embarked on this inspiring journey a few years ago, and through my diary entries, I share the raw emotion, adventure, and beauty of trekking to see these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat.
I jumped on a 14 day overland adventure that started and ended in Nairobi, Kenya. The trip included highlights like The Masai Mara, Gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda and The White Nile, Jinja. However there are multiple Uganda gorilla trekking itinerary options.
Day 1-6: Kenya – Nairobi, Masai Mara NP, Lake Nakuru NP. Uganda – Kampala…
Day 7: Kampala to Lake Buyoni Overland Resort – Journey to Bwindi
Yet another early start, but of course – This Is Overlanding! A 450km driving day that took us about 9-10 hours with stops to reach our destination.
I do not think there is another form of travel that covers so much distance, experiences and allows you to see so much in such a short period of time. It’s intense, but I love it.
The excitement is building as we are headed to Lake Bunyoni, our camp from which we will be transferred to trek and find Uganda Mountain Gorillas. The thought is just wow.
We stop in Kabale town, shop, enjoy a coffee at a very local coffee shop and hit the road – a winding clay / dirt road that takes us to camp. It is raining and the road is extra slippery and dangerous. One of those experiences that you had that you will never forget and do not want to have again. Will it be rainy when we trek and will we find them?
At the campsite we have a beautiful view of Uganda’s deepest lake and the second deepest in Africa. Some time to relax and as it has been a few long days of long drives, I seize my opportunity and head out for a run. Talk about beautiful spots, and what makes it a very dramatic contrast is the green surroundings and hills that are yellow, brown and red with clay colours. As I run some locals look at me funny, the local word here for foreigners is mzungu, and I am joined by kids running with me shouting ‘mzungu, mzungu’. So much energy as they stay with me for more than a kilometer before turning back to their homesteads. The run clears my head and gets me ready for our 04:30 wake. I will hurt my bed tonight.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable NP – A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience
Let’s find the Gorillas, is my first thought as I wake up with excitement in my heart and nervousness in my gut. It’s 04:30. I get ready, gather my things and join the rest of the group for a quick light breakfast and to make sandwiches for our self-prepared packed lunch. Into the transfer vehicles and off we go.
The drive is slow and cautious as it is still raining. The roads are red clay soil so add a bit or a lot of rain and you have very slippery and muddy roads. The last 20 min is particularly exciting and the vehicle starts to fishtail as we go down-hill on the muddy surface – everyone very much awake by now. We arrive just after 08:00 and have time for a quick toilet stop and then to the briefing for the trek.
We arrived a bit flustered as the wet roads made us late and we missed part of the briefing…our guide welcomed us and does a separate briefing with us. We are split into a group of 8, the max number allowed to trek and visit a gorilla family. Each gorilla family has a maximum of 8 permits per day issued by name and passport number. Each family has a name and we hope to visit the Busingye group.
Starting The Trek – Clearly an impenetrable forest
Accompanied by two armed assistant guides / guards to the gorilla families. Our head guide asks one last time if we are ready and checks that all have walking sticks, a mandatory item. Later proven to be most necessary as we all roll around in the mud a bit on the up and downhill of the trail, on the same clay as the road surfaces.
Our head guide ask our names, tell us about her tourism studies and later found her way to Mountain Gorilla conservation in the Biwindi area. Nasiche and her colleagues Akiki & Maria are para-military trained and it is very clear and comforting to witness the absolute capability of our trekking team. The most crucial members to finding our family, we have not yet met – our two trackers looking for the gorilla family are somewhere hot on their trail…we hope.
The first hour goes by quickly and we reach the top of the slipperiest bit so far, we halt and rest. Our head guide gives us great information on the gorillas, all of which disappear into the forest ether as at the front of my mind are the single most important questions to me – has their numbers increased? Is the battle to save the species succeeding!? Yes, thank God. The number of gorillas has doubled in the past 20 years in Uganda. As she talks it becomes clear that it has indeed been a hard thought battle for this victory.
I have heard so many people say that you need to go and see the gorillas before it is too late – to those people I offer death stares. And will now give my opinion without being asked. ‘No, you need to go and see them with your own eyes and get an understanding of why they are such amazing creatures to conserve, save and fight for. Not to have accepted their demise, apathetically rushing to tick something off a list.’ Yes, as you might have guessed I am furiously passionate about conservation and understanding the importance of it.
Back to the scene of the trek, we are told by Nasiche she is waiting for update from the trackers…she keeps our attention by answering an habituation question with a story where there are two families currently being habituated to ensure more visitors can experience this wonder – the very entertaining side is her telling us that no visitor has ever been attacked, no the most recent attack and all of them before were on rangers assisting with the process. A female gorilla had charged him and in the moment, not expecting this at all, he adhered to the self preservation instinct – run. The gorilla caught up and gave him a proper bite on the left butt cheek. Shame, we had to laugh at his misfortune, while he was recovering well in the local hospital.
There is a voice over the radio and it has our full attention – they found the families nest of the previous night, great news. We now know the direction and they start trekking again.
I Spot The Silverback
As we trek through proper jungle with no previous path, my thoughts wonder…how will I feel when I see them? I bet that we will be trekking and the next moment they will just be there. Do we have enough time?
After a while I am called back by a stop to wait for instructions from the trackers. Nasiche says that no group has ever not seen them, 100% guaranteed. My heart missed a beat as I used to be a guide and know that the only time you say things like that is when you have confirmation of finding the animal you are tracking.
We set off once more and as we fight our way through even thicker forest, it suddenly happens – I spot the silver back as we are told ‘there they are!’
Instantly we are all…almost panicky and overcome by the modern curse of carrying a camera – we aim and shoot as if we only had moments before they disappear. Click, click, gasps, awe. I spot a mum holding a baby that looks at me. I click some more. We are herded by our trekking team to the prime spot as we slip and stumble over forest floor as if we had lost complete control over our legs and cognitive abilities.
The rain has stopped (I only realized this two hours later on the trek back) and we were staring at the awesome surreal moment of the Gorilla family sitting in front of us, so calm, so peaceful and so accepting of our presence.
After the initial adrenalin had been spent, we and I were now really taking in the scene. The big, yes very big, silverback sat like a middle aged uncle staring at us and dozing off. Mum and baby next to him looked at us, picked her nose and ate the snack. Like I said, surreal.
My favorite period of the whole experience was about 25-30 min into our 1 hour allowed time, when we all had stopped clicking and just started watching. Being present and drinking it all in. They were so similar to us, it struck me especially when mum moved the baby from her left to her right shoulder…it could have been another human mother with a baby, the care and love was identical. A bit of a cliche, but truly a moment in time. There is without a doubt a thought process in those big old gorilla skulls, you can see it.
For me another great example of how incredible creation is!
Then to the left of the group a teenager was in a tree and putting up a great show for us. At some point the young male was hanging by his feet upside down from the tree looking at us, little clown. I shot a great clip of that, again giving in to the urge to gather ‘memories’ and possibly a bit of proof. Helped by the announcement that we had 10 min left with them.
Then we needed to go, I did not want to and I was saddened by having to leave. Almost like I became a part of this scene in an hour and was being forcefully removed from it…strange feeling to have. The cherry on top as we left was a toddler yawning and sticking out his tongue, the same way that many kids might do to an acquaintance of the family as they left…
One of the quickest hours of my life had just passed as I sat with the mountain gorillas.
What Sweet Sorrow To Leave The Gorillas
The group was so quiet for about 20 min after, probably with their own thoughts maybe even similar to mine. We headed back through the bushy forest that became a path again. About another 90 min later we were out of the forest and on a road where the driver picked us up. We received certificates that we had tracked and saw mountain gorillas, thanked our trekking team and the experience was over.
But not before out of nowhere there was suddenly a little makeshift curio shop on the ground at the junction in the road where we were picked up. I admire this about people in especially rural Africa. Of course I bought a gorilla face fridge magnet carved from wood.
The long drive back was again exciting as we were slipping and sliding all over the road and a bit more than in the morning. Even more so the vehicle of our other group members – the driver just saying to them ‘this is nothing and laughing as they slid from left to right in snotty mud’. I appreciated our driver a lot as he seemed more calm and capable. I must confess that I properly enjoyed sliding about, not so much other within my group.
We made it back to camp after a very long day – about a 14 hour Expedition. I sat down with a great view over lake Bunyoni and a deliciously cold beer having seen Ugandan mountain Gorillas, in their home and with the people that dedicate their lives to these animals. I slept well that night with the knowledge that many more will get to experience this. Wow, what a day!
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda is a cornerstone for mountain gorilla conservation.
– Bwindi is home to approximately 459 mountain gorillas, accounting for nearly half of the world’s remaining population of this endangered species.
– The park is one of the few places globally where mountain gorillas and chimpanzees coexist, highlighting its rich and diverse ecosystem.
– Local communities adjacent to Bwindi have access to certain park resources, fostering a collaborative approach to conservation and ensuring that residents benefit from and participate in protecting the gorillas’ habitat. *Our whole trekking team are from the local community and villages surrounding Bwindi.
– Gorilla trekking, initiated in 1993, has become a pivotal activity in Bwindi, significantly contributing to both conservation funding and the local economy through tourism activities.
– Despite successful conservation efforts, mountain gorillas in Bwindi still face threats from poaching, disease, and habitat loss, necessitating ongoing vigilance and support.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is crucial in the survival and protection of mountain gorillas, as well as the collaborative efforts required to ensure their continued existence.
What to Consider & Expect for Your Gorilla Trekking Experience
- Permit Booking: Gorilla permits are limited and should be booked months in advance.
- Altitude & Health – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is at a high altitude; pace yourself and stay hydrated.
- Physical Fitness – Prepare with hikes or cardio workouts to handle the challenging terrain.
- Choose your travel style – basic, upgraded or luxury and will you be joining a group, traveling with a partner or friends.
- The experience – Gorilla’s only, staying longer, other activities and experiences to add.
My Packing Essential tips for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
- Boots – hiking boots that have been walked in and that are tried and tested.
- Hiking Gear – high quality hiking pants, a waterproof jacket is essential and your own hiking pole if you have one.
- Backpack – a comfortable small to medium pack that can hold important items ie. dry shirt, 1st aid kit, snack etc.
- Hydration pack / bladder – this is not for everyone, but a water bladder makes all the difference.
- Camera – yes the phones are amazing today, but I love my SLR and if you can – pack it.
Embark on a thrilling Uganda gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with Inspired Routes
If this story has ignited your wanderlust, Inspired Routes can help you plan your Gorilla Trekking Adventure. We can craft your perfect gorilla trekking itinerary and experience. From recommending the best time to see gorillas in Uganda to selecting the ideal lodge, we take care of the details so you can have the time of your life. Ready to walk in my footsteps and create your own unforgettable memories? Contact us today to start planning your Uganda expedition. Check out our Tailor Made with Inspired Routes
Safe travels!