An experience I never thought we would have…. Jungle Trekking to observe Wild Mountain Gorillas 🦍 in Uganda, Africa!!
Top 5 Reasons:
1. Only 2 locations in the WORLD where there are Wild Mountain Gorilla’s.
2. There are approximately only 1,000 mountain Gorilla’s left in the world today.
3. To see a Silver-back Gorilla is indescribable.
4. It is really a jungle. Not a controlled area. You have armed guards with you at all times, it is not to protect you from the Gorilla’s but from other animal life like Wild Elephants.
5. This is an unforgettable trip of a lifetime and something that should be on your bucket list.
Our Experience:
There are only two locations in the entire world where mountain gorillas roam. They live in the Rwanda/Uganda mountains as well as the the Democratic Republic of Congo. These gorillas can not be kept in captivity and live in family groups of 25-35 members, while not traveling more than 20 square kilometers from their home they live high in the remote mountains.
We were not sure what to expect, but we had acquired gorilla permits ($600 USD each), that was half the price if you were to go in from the Rwanda side. We had been planning this trip for months and to finally have a once in a lifetime chance to see the wild gorilla’s in person was nerve racking. (Learn more about how to acquire daily gorilla tour permits here www.bwindiforestnationalpark.com)
After driving an entire day (approx. 500 km) from the city of Kampala, we finally arrived at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. We found a great place to stay called “Gorilla Safari Lodge Bwindi” (www.gorilla-safari-lodge.com) that was was just a short distance from the entrance to the National Park. Located in a small community where the people were so friendly. The local kids were all playing out in front of the lodge.
The plan was to wake up early and meet with our guides and decide which Gorilla Family we were going to track. We were assigned to the NSHONGI Family of Gorillas which had been spotted not to far away. (So Lucky) There is never a guarantee you will see the gorillas (No Refunds) and the trek could vary in duration and difficulty. We heard stories of over 9 hours of walking through the jungle without any luck.
We hired local porters (Highly Recommended) to help us with our gear as this is one of the only streams of income for the local economy. The people were super friendly and rely on tips for support of their families. (We were recommended to tip $10+USD per porter if we felt like they did a good job) We were not sure what to expect but we prepared to hike all day by taking hiking boots, hiking gators (Keeps the ants from climbing up your pant legs, click Hiking Gaiters to get the ones we used), back pack, light rain jackets, binoculars (a must), camera/good phone camera, long pants, etc. We had to keep reminding our-self’s that we were going into a real life jungle. I kept thinking about Tarzan.
As we set off into the Jungle we came upon fresh sign of a gorilla family within the first hour.
It was so exciting and somewhat nerve racking. As our guides narrowed down where the family was resting we slowly moved towards them when it seemed out of nowhere we were right on top of them.
The first glance sure got your adrenaline going as you realized how big these animals really were. It was an extraordinary feeling to know we were among some of the last remaining mountain gorillas in the world.
It is said that there are less than 1000 of these beautiful creatures left. The most amazing site was when the dominant male: the Silverback made his presence known.
We were allowed to observe the Gorilla Family for a total of 1 hour. This was the highlight. We were truly blessed to find this family. There is no way to completely explain what’s it’s like to see gorillas within feet of where we stood. There was not a defined path to walk on and we had to trek the jungle growth just to find them.
We would be glad to share more details feel free to ask some questions, but this should definitely be on your #bucketlist ✅ The only thing I regret is I didn’t take with me a better camera.
Great pictures. This is not on my bucket list!
This looks incredible! Honestly didn’t even know this existed. Definitely adding it to my list!
Oh my goodness! What an amazing experience. I can’t even imagine the memories that you must-have from this trip. Thank you for sharing your experience and your pictures.