Experience Gorrila Safari in Uganda
Uganda, a land endowed with misty forests, snow-capped mountain ranges, lakes and rivers, rolling hills, wildlife, and beautiful scenery. The country has beautiful scenery and dense rainforests, some of the few in Africa, that are home to about half of the world’s mountain gorillas. I had an experience that proves that Uganda is truly ‘gifted by nature’.
Arrival in Uganda
We arrived in Uganda and had a short stay in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. It was so lovely to hang out, relax and enjoy the African experience with warmly welcoming people, beautiful people and service.
Journey to the heart of the Southwest
After our overnight in Kampala, we set off early in the morning for South West Uganda with Churchill safari guides, eager to experience the ‘pearl of Africa’. The journey took us 6 hours by car, passing lovely attractions along the way such as the royal drum makers, the Equator, stopping at the roadside market to enjoy lunch, fruits and vegetables along the way. The drive from Kabale to Buhoma took us 3-4 hours with a 4×4 as the terrain is hilly and the roads are bumpy.
Driving time was approximately 9 hours and we arrived in the late afternoon and spent the night at Bwindi Tented Camp.
Gorilla Tracking Safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a magnificent rainforest stretching over the steep ridges of the Albertine Rift Valley. The forest is home to 326 gorillas, about half of the world’s mountain gorillas. The altitude of the forest is above 5,200 feet, which means trackers must be physically fit to track. As the demand for gorilla tracking is growing steadily, we had to book gorilla permits in advance and organize our trip with the help of Churchill Safaris and Travel.
The gorilla tracking experience started early in the morning when the guides woke us up and prepared us for the full day adventure in the mountains. We then took a long walk at 8:30am local time early in the morning through the forest looking for gorillas. Accompanied by a guide and porters, we equip ourselves with jungle boots and raincoats because the park is often wet. The terrain can be difficult, with steep slopes covered in the dense vegetation that gives the park its name. The time needed to track the gorillas varies from half an hour to 8 hours, and can sometimes last all day! Tracking was quite rigorous, and rain gear, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a hat since the weather is unpredictable was part of the experience.
The trek through the dense forest with our guides took us to the place where the gorillas were last seen, and we began to follow their trail through the dense Bwindi forests. Finally we had the most exciting experience when we had a
meet the gorillas Watching the gentle giants is without a doubt the most exciting encounter Uganda has to offer. We were limited to one hour with the bouncers with rules of course. We were also allowed to take some photos of the gorillas, an opportunity not to be missed. Separating yourself from the gorillas is not easy. Getting out of the spectacular view was such a difficult task.
The day ended with a walk back after a long day, with scenes of other mammal-like attractions including diurnal primates such as black and white colobus monkeys, buffalo and elephants, Albertine Rift endemic bird species and butterflies. The forest has a dense understory of ferns, shrubs, vines and different tree species have been recorded here, 10 of which are found nowhere else in Uganda. The day was full of experiences and adventures.
Gorilla tracking remains the most popular activity on Uganda safari tours, although it depends on the seasonal movements of habituated gorilla groups. The experience was worth every drop of sweat and money paid, very enjoyable and exciting. An experience difficult to forget.
For more information on Gorilla Safaris, contact Churchill Uganda Safari Company, the first Gorilla Safari Company in Uganda, http://www.churchillsafaris.com.