Trekking with Mountain Gorillas

Posted by Julia on Aug 12, 2010 in Travel

View when Gorilla Trekking Uganda

If you dream of trekking with mountain gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the place to be for gorilla gazing. Located in the South Western part of Uganda, Bwindi is home to some 320 mountain gorillas. Visitors keen on eco-tourism  should flock to this World Heritage site for a close-up view of the largest and rarest of all ape species.

Gorilla Silverback

When I was backpacking through Africa I had a chance to go and it truly was one of the most magical experiences.

From the Ugandan capital city of Kampala, I traveled to Nkuringo, the newest section of Bwindi National Park. Daily, only 18 tourists are allowed to visit one of the park’s three habituated gorilla families, so it’s important to book a permit in advance.

A one-day permit costs around $360USD which includes the guide fee, park entry and a one-hour visit with the gorillas. Permits should be booked a few months in advance through the Ugandan Wildlife Authority, visit www.uwa.or.ug Last minute permits, for one or two people with flexible dates, are sometimes available at local UWA offices.

Under the direction of several armed rangers, our group of sweaty tourists descended into the jungle. The length, difficulty and distance of the trek changes and depends on a variety of factors including. the weather, the location of the gorillas and the physical capability of the group. There is no guarantee that tourists will see the gorillas but, if rangers fail to locate them, a large percentage of the permit fee is reimbursed.

Finding the mountain gorillas was half the fun. We followed our machete wielding guide; clawed up grassy knolls, bushwhacked through thick vines and scrambled on hands and knees.

A few quick tips: While trekking, wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and sturdy hiking boots. Bring a raincoat, snacks and several liters of water. It can be a tough trek, but porters are available for hire if you need help carrying your stuff.

It took about an hour-and-a-half before spotting them. This family of five mountain gorillas, scattered among the trees, were in the middle of breakfast. A blackback teen chomped on leaves while a curious baby frolicked with mom. As we tip-toed towards them, the dominant silverback grunted and shot us a look. Separated by a mere seven meters, I felt humbled by the size of this massive vegetarian. Huge and hairy, his arms were as thick as tree trunks; his body, a bulk of fur; his facial expressions and mannerisms proved Darwin was right.

Habituated in a project that took rangers several years, the dominant male gorilla lost interest in us tourists. He grunted again, grabbed a fist full of leaves and shoved them into a King Kong-sized mouth.

Seeing these animals up close and in their natural habitat is truly amazing! It’s one of the most impactful experiences I’ve had while traveling. It inspired a deep connectivity with nature and a burning desire to protect it.

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  • Uganda safaris is one of the beatuiful place in Africa central part. Most of the people like to visit the uganda because of full of natural resources like lake, park, hill stations and main thing has wildlife nature etc. We can also see the gorilla safaris in the  Uganda forest.
  • I agree gorilla should be armed to the game. It's ridiculous to imagine otherwise! Not in this insane world we live in today.
  • Uganda should charge these 'tourists' even more!
  • A closer look and visiting a place like this park is certainly a wonderful experience. Seeing the mountain gorillas is just one of the highlights of a trip like this.
  • walks of italy
    Great information it's really very interesting that's very great place ..
  • Finding the mountain gorillas was half the fun
  • looks fantastic! I need to get down there asap... besides the Gorillas was it safe?
  • Derliangyung
    When were you in Uganda? Permits now cost 500USD per person.
  • Earl Schiffke
    Say how was the food in Uganda ?
  • Karbearteddybear
    That is amazing!! Julia you are so lucky!!
    I only hope that someday I can make a difference and see these incredible places :)
  • Visiting the world's mountain gorillas was a dream of mine as well. Fortunately my dream became a reality (http://goingtorwanda.blogspot.....

    The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (http://gorillafund.org/) helps protect these gentle giants. There are many ways to support this great non-profit.
  • This is actually my dream trip... I hope I can do it soon.

    A question, there's no guarantee of seeing them, but from talking to others at your guest house, the guides, etc, did you get a sense of whether it's common or not?
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